A plastic cup making machine is only worth buying if it can produce your cup. The video below shows a VihoX 750 cylinder-type machine forming a 180 mm PP disposable cup in our factory, during an on-site test for a visiting customer.
Filmed in our Huizhou factory during a customer’s on-site test. Machine: VihoX 750 cylinder-type plastic cup making machine. Product: PP disposable cup, 180 mm height.
What you can see in this video (00:55)
A VihoX 750 cylinder-type plastic cup making machine running a PP disposable cup of 180 mm height in our Huizhou factory, during an on-site test for a visiting customer.
- 00:18 — The forming and cutting station: a PP sheet web carrying formed cup cavities leaves the mould, and the cut cups drop into the collection basket.
- 00:28 — Our engineer adjusts temperature, air pressure and forming parameters to match the customer’s physical sample cup.
- 00:33 — The formed PP cups in the collection basket, produced from the settings locked in during the run.
- 00:41 — Mould replacement on the same machine: the 750 also runs milk tea cups, sauce cups and round bowls with a mould change.
- 00:53 — The machine is matched to the customer’s product before shipment, not after.
When a buyer shortlists a plastic cup making machine, the specification sheet is only half the story. The decisive question is narrower: can this machine produce your cup — the right height, the right rim, the right wall thickness — at a cost per piece that still leaves room for profit?
That is why we record our test runs. The video above shows a VihoX 750 cylinder-type plastic cup making machine forming a PP disposable cup measuring 180 mm in height, running in our Huizhou factory during a customer’s on-site visit. This article explains what you are looking at, what each step of the machine does, and the reference data behind the model — so that you can judge whether this machine fits your product before you ask us for a quotation.
What one test run has to prove
A test run is not a product demo. It has to answer four questions that a catalogue cannot:
- Can the machine hold the geometry? Cup height, rim diameter and bottom radius all have to repeat within tolerance, not just on the first shot.
- Can the parameters be reached with your material? PP, PS and PET each need a different heating window. A machine that forms one material cleanly may need different settings for another.
- Is the output stable once the settings are locked? A single good cup proves nothing. The machine has to keep producing the same cup after the parameters are set.
- Can you see it happen? Anyone can send you a rendered catalogue image. A running machine, filmed in the factory, is a different class of evidence.
In this run the customer brought a physical sample. Our engineers matched the mould, then adjusted temperature, air pressure and forming parameters until the cups coming off the machine matched that sample. That sequence — sample first, parameters second, machine settings last — is the order we recommend to every buyer.
The machine behind this run: a 750 cylinder-type cup making machine
The 750 belongs to our standard cup making machine family, alongside the 660, 720 and 850 models. The number refers to the mould envelope: the 750 accepts a mould up to 750 × 480 mm, which sets how many cavities fit and how large a cup diameter you can run.
“Cylinder-type” describes the drive configuration, and this is worth pausing on. Our own quotation files distinguish cylinder-type and servo-type cup machines inside the same 660 / 720 / 750 / 850 size family, and their parameters are not interchangeable. A model number alone does not identify which one you are being offered — the drive type has to be stated before exact figures can be quoted. That is why we ask every buyer to confirm the machine type before we put numbers in a quotation.
Within this class you will typically see hydraulic, cylinder, servo and high-speed variants. They differ in first cost, control precision and running cost rather than in the fundamental process: a hydraulic machine is the lowest-cost entry point with the simplest structure and the easiest maintenance, while a servo machine controls the feeding, forming and cutting motions more precisely and typically costs less to run over a long production life. Neither is universally better — the right choice depends on your target cup, your production volume and your budget horizon.
From sheet to stack: the six steps inside the machine
Everything in the video is the visible part of six steps. Knowing them makes it much easier to diagnose a problem later, because a defect always traces back to one of them.
1. Sheet feeding
The machine does not process plastic pellets. It runs on pre-formed thermoforming sheet, delivered as a roll. If you buy a cup making machine without a sheet extrusion line, you buy sheet from a supplier; if you produce your own sheet, the extruder sits upstream of this machine. Sheet width for the 750 is up to 760 mm.
2. Heating
The sheet passes through a heating zone and is softened to its forming window. Heating temperature is the single most sensitive parameter in the process: too low and the cup will not form to full depth, too high and the sheet sags, thins at the bottom or tears at the rim.
3. Forming
The softened sheet is pressed or drawn against the mould — in this run, pneumatically. Forming pressure decides how completely the material fills the cavity, especially at the bottom radius and the rim, which are the two places where a cup usually shows weakness first.
4. Cutting and trimming
The formed cups are cut free from the sheet web. Cutting position and cutting force decide whether you get a clean rim or a burred one. In the video you can see the formed web with the cup cavities still in it, and the cups falling free into the collection basket below.
5. Stacking
Cups are stacked automatically. This step is easy to overlook and expensive to ignore: a high-cavity machine can form faster than people can collect cups by hand, so the stacker — not the forming station — often becomes the real bottleneck. If your output target is high, specify the automatic stacker from the start.
6. Packing
Counting and packing equipment can be added downstream to close the line. It is optional, and it is normally the last step to automate: most factories start with forming and stacking, then add counting and packing once the volume justifies it.
Why PP was the right material for this cup
The customer’s product is a disposable PP cup — the drink cup you can see being formed and collected in the video. PP is the workhorse material for hot and cold drink cups because it tolerates heat well, does not shatter on impact, and holds its shape at the wall thicknesses used for beverage service.
The practical consequence for a buyer is that PP does not behave like PET. PET is usually run thinner for a clear cold drink cup, and PS is common for yogurt and jelly cups where stiffness matters more than heat resistance. Each material has its own forming window, and sheet thickness is not a fixed number — it is derived from your target cup weight. A thin sheet saves material but produces a weaker wall; a thicker sheet gives a stronger cup at a higher material cost. Send us the sample cup and we will work back to the sheet specification.
What a 180 mm cup height means for forming depth
The cup in this run is 180 mm tall. Height is governed by the machine’s forming depth — the maximum product height that can be formed reliably. The 750 is specified for a maximum forming depth of 220 mm, which is what makes a 180 mm cup a comfortable job for this model rather than a machine running at the edge of its capability.
This is the number to check first when you compare models. If your product range includes deep bowls or large-capacity cups, forming depth — not speed — is usually the specification that eliminates a model from your shortlist.
One machine, several products: milk tea cups, sauce cups and round bowls
A cup making machine is not locked to one product. In this test run the same machine produced the 180 mm drink cup, and the operator notes on camera that milk tea cups, sauce cups and round bowls are all within range for this model. Switching product means changing the mould, and the manual work is real: a skilled operator changes one mould in roughly 1–2 hours, including re-setting temperature, air pressure, feeding and stacking; a new operator may need 4–8 hours the first few times.
That is why the mould, not the machine, is usually the limiting factor in a factory’s product range. The same machine gives very different results with different moulds — cavity count, rim quality, stacking behaviour and cycle stability are all set by the mould design. More cavities raise output, but they also raise mould cost, air consumption, cooling demand and the stability the machine must deliver. A balanced mould layout beats a maximal one.
750 plastic cup making machine: reference specifications
The table below lists the reference data for the 750 model. All figures are reference values from the manufacturer’s parameter sheet; the exact configuration is confirmed against the final technical BOM before shipment.
| Item | Reference value |
|---|---|
| Mould size / forming area (max) | 750 × 480 mm |
| Sheet width (max) | 760 mm |
| Sheet thickness | 0.3–2.5 mm |
| Forming depth (max) | 220 mm |
| Forming speed (max, reference) | 30 cycles/min |
| Main drive power (reference) | 15 kW |
| Heating power (reference) | 146 kW |
| Air pressure | 0.6–0.8 MPa |
| Air consumption | 3,000 L/min |
| Machine dimensions | L4300 × W2300 × H2800 mm |
| Weight (reference) | Approx. 6.5–7 t |
| Suitable sheet | PP / PS / HIPS / PET / PVC / PLA |
| Power supply | AC 380 V, 50 Hz, 3-phase, 4-wire |
| Cavities | Depends on mould design |
| Total connected load | Confirm against final electrical BOM |
| Water consumption | Confirm final configuration |
How to read this table.
- Cycles per minute is a maximum reference, not an output guarantee. The figure describes the machine’s cycle capability. Real production depends on cup geometry, sheet thickness, mould cooling and working hours. Theoretical output is calculated as cavities × cycles per minute × 60, but real factory output is always lower, because of sheet changes, parameter adjustment, mould changes, packing speed and normal downtime.
- Main drive power and heating power are separate reference values and must not be added together. Heating runs intermittently, so actual consumption in service is lower than the installed figure. The total connected load has to be confirmed against the final electrical BOM, because the drive configuration, auxiliary motors and electrical design all change it.
- Water consumption for the 750 is not standardised across our internal records. We deliberately publish no fixed water figure for this model rather than quote one we cannot stand behind. Your quotation will carry the confirmed value for your configuration.
- This table is the 660 / 720 / 750 / 850 family reference. The same size family is built and quoted in cylinder-type and servo-type versions, and their parameters are not interchangeable. The figures below are the family reference; the quotation for your configuration carries the confirmed values for the drive type you specify.
- The maximum forming depth and the mould envelope are machine limits, not descriptions of any one product. What you actually produce depends on your mould and your sheet.
What we verify before the machine ships
The test run in the video is not a one-off event staged for a camera. It is the same procedure that every machine goes through before it is loaded:
- Mould matching against the customer’s sample — the cup geometry is checked against a physical sample or a dimensional drawing, not a photograph alone.
- Parameter setting on the customer’s material — heating, pressure and forming parameters are set using the sheet the customer intends to run, where available.
- Continuous running after the settings are locked, so that stability is demonstrated and not just peak performance.
- Collection and stacking checked under real running conditions, because the stacker is where high-output machines tend to bottleneck.
- Video record of the run, so that a buyer who cannot travel has evidence of the machine running before it ships.
If you cannot visit the factory in person, ask for a live video call at the machine, or ask for the recorded test run of your own product. We treat that request as normal, not as an exception.
FAQ: plastic cup making machine
What sheet thickness should I use for a PP cup?
There is no single standard. Thickness is derived from your target cup weight and wall strength — thin sheet reduces material cost but may make the cup feel weak, while thicker sheet improves strength and raises material cost. Send us the sample and we will work back to the specification.
Can one machine make cups and bowls?
Yes, by changing the mould — provided the size, height and forming depth are inside the machine’s range. Very deep bowls may need a larger model.
How long does a mould change take?
Around 1–2 hours for a skilled operator, including temperature, air pressure, feeding and stacking adjustment. A new operator may take 4–8 hours initially.
Why is real output lower than the theoretical figure?
Because theoretical output counts only cavities, cycles and time. Real production also loses time to sheet changes, parameter adjustment, mould changes, packing speed, material quality and normal downtime.
Do I need a chiller and an air compressor?
Yes. The chiller controls mould temperature, which affects cup shape, cycle stability and cut quality; unstable air pressure affects both forming and cutting. The recommended chiller for the 750 is in the 5–10 HP range, and the air supply should be sized for the machine’s consumption.
Can the machine run recycled material?
Production scrap can usually be crushed and mixed back in a controlled ratio. Food-contact products must comply with the regulations of your destination market and your customer’s quality requirements.
Does the machine come with CE documentation?
CE-compliant configurations are available for the machines we export to the EU. We will confirm the applicable documentation for your destination and machine configuration in the quotation — we do not publish certificate numbers for machines that have not yet been configured.
Can I add custom embossing or a printed logo to the cup?
Some designs can be built into the mould, including embossing, but the product structure has to be checked for mould feasibility and for its effect on stacking and demoulding. Send the artwork and we will confirm what is achievable.
Send us your product, we will run the numbers
Tell us four things and we can tell you whether the 750 is the right model, or whether a different machine in the family fits better:
- Product — cup, bowl or tray, with height and rim diameter
- Material — PP, PS, PET or another sheet, with thickness if you know it
- Output target — pieces per hour or per shift
- Destination — country and voltage, so we can confirm the electrical configuration
With those four answers we will come back with the model recommendation, the mould layout, the auxiliary equipment list (chiller, compressor, stacker) and a factory-direct quotation.
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