Yogurt Cup Production Machine for Romania Market

Romania's food packaging market is valued at approximately USD 2.5-3.0 billion, growing at 6-8% annually as the country's retail infrastructure modernizes and consumer spending increases. GDP per capita has doubled since EU accession in 2007, driving demand for packaged dairy products. Major dairy processors include Lactalis Romania (Zuzu, LaDorna brands, approximately 25% market share), Danone Romania (Activia, Danonino), Albalact (Zuzu brand, now Lactalis subsidiary), and Covalact. Romania's dairy industry processes approximately 4.5 million metric tons of raw milk annually. The plastics packaging sector employs approximately 15,000 workers across 600+ enterprises, concentrated in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, and Brașov industrial zones. Romania imports the majority of its advanced plastics processing equipment, primarily from Germany, Italy, and increasingly from China. PP resin is sourced through imports at approximately EUR 1,200-1,450/MT, entering via Constanța port on the Black Sea or overland from EU suppliers.

As an EU member state, Romania applies 0% import duty on injection molding machines (HS 8477.10.00) from China under EU common external tariff. Romanian VAT is 19% (recoverable for VAT-registered businesses). CE marking is mandatory per EU Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, with EMC (2014/30/EU) and LVD (2014/35/EU) compliance. Romania follows EU Regulation 10/2011 for food contact materials without additional national requirements, simplifying compliance compared to some other EU member states. The European PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation) applies equally to Romanian producers. Import customs clearance at Constanța port or Bucharest inland customs terminal typically takes 3-5 business days under EU customs procedures. EU structural funds and Romanian government investment incentives may subsidize up to 30-50% of capital equipment purchases for qualifying enterprises in less-developed regions.

For Romania's yogurt cup market, HWAMDA recommends the HMD 270M8-SPV (2,700 kN, $55,000-70,000) for startup operations with 4-cavity IML molds, and the HMD 400M8-SPV (4,000 kN, $90,000-115,000) for 8-cavity production lines. Machine configuration uses 400V/50Hz three-phase (EU standard), with CE-certified electrical components from Schneider and ABB. The INOVA controller supports Romanian-compatible character display. Injection speed of 368 mm/s (270T) to 442 mm/s (400T) handles 0.38-0.48 mm wall fills effectively. Molds use 2344 (H13) steel with YUDO or Synventive valve gate hot runners. For Romania's continental climate, standard cooling packages are sufficient (ambient temperatures rarely exceed 35 degrees Celsius). The HMD 270M8-SPV's compact 6.2 x 1.7 x 2.4 m footprint suits Romanian industrial units in older factory buildings with lower ceiling heights. Servo-hydraulic efficiency at 1.0-1.2 kWh/kg provides meaningful energy savings given Romanian industrial electricity at EUR 0.10-0.14/kWh.

A complete 4-cavity yogurt cup IML line for Romania: HMD 270M8-SPV with CE ($55,000-70,000), 4-cavity IML mold ($12,000-18,000), SWITEK IML robot ($15,000-20,000), chiller and auxiliaries ($5,000-7,000), and shipping ($4,000-6,000). Total: $91,000-121,000. With EU structural funds, qualifying enterprises may receive 30-50% co-financing, reducing effective investment to $45,000-85,000. Operating at 4 cavities, 4.0-second cycles, and 85% OEE, annual output reaches 20 million cups. Material cost at 5.0 g per cup and EUR 1,300/MT PP is EUR 0.0065 per cup. With Romania's competitive labor (EUR 700-1,000/month) and energy costs, total production cost is approximately EUR 0.009-0.013 per cup. Contract manufacturing prices for IML cups in Romania range from EUR 0.020-0.032, yielding margins of 55-70%. Payback period is 12-18 months without subsidies, potentially 8-12 months with EU co-financing.