Buying a Used Production Line: Nine Questions Before You Pay

A refurbished line can substantially reduce the cost of a project and shorten its timeline by months. On the other hand, you can end up importing a machine nobody can qualify, support or run, and that is very easy to detect before payment, if the right questions are asked.

1. Who owns it todayThe plant that used it, or a broker? Ask for the original purchase documents. A seller who cannot produce them may not be able to demonstrate clear title either.
2. Was it ever qualified, and where are the documentsA line arriving without its IQ and OQ records may need significant requalification work before it can be put into qualified GMP production, at your cost.
3. Running hours and the maintenance logWritten records, not a verbal figure. The log tells you what breaks on this machine.
4. Is the model still supportedAsk the original manufacturer directly, quoting the serial number: are spare parts still available, what is the current support policy, and how long are parts expected to remain available? This question has ended more than one purchase.
5. Which format parts come with itA tablet press without the tooling you need is not immediately usable for your product. Find out exactly which format parts and change parts are included, and what they would cost to replace.
6. The age of the control systemA PLC that is out of support can turn the first electronic fault into an expensive control-system upgrade. This is one of the most commonly missed risks in a used line.
7. See it running on a real product before you pay, if possiblePhotographs of a stopped machine prove nothing. If the seller cannot run it, ask why.
8. Dismantling, packing, transport and re-installationWho does each, and at whose cost? These costs are routinely left out of the headline price, and they are rarely small.
9. Whether the documentation supports your regulatory requirementsA machine that was acceptable in one market may not be automatically acceptable for your intended use. Check whether the available documentation supports your qualification, validation and regulatory requirements.

Ask all nine before you negotiate the price. The answers change what the machine is worth more than the negotiation does.