Diaper Machine Configuration: 22 Items, 7 Options, 56K Gap
Diaper Machine Configuration: 22 Items, 7 Options, and a 56K Gap
A full servo baby diaper line quotation arrives with a configuration sheet. Twenty-two numbered items. Fifteen are marked INCLUDED. Seven carry a price tag next to the word OPTIONAL. The total at the bottom jumps from 860,000 USD to 916,000 USD depending on one single selection.
That 56,000 USD difference is not a mystery. It is one line item: the glue applicator brand. This article walks through all 22 items so you can see what is already in the price, what costs extra, and which optional items change how the machine operates after delivery.
Part 1: Diaper Forming Drum vs Block Demoulding — how the demoulding method locks in your SKU count and tooling cost.
Part 2: Diaper Elastic Strands: How Leg, Cuff and Waist Counts Drive Downtime — the elastic stations, strand counts, and splicing scope.
Part 3 — this article: the full 22-item configuration sheet, what is included, what is optional, and the price gaps that matter.
Twenty-two items, two statuses
The WD-NK800I-SV configuration document lists every component on the line as a numbered entry. Each entry states the brand, the country of origin, and whether it is included in the base price or priced separately. Here is the complete list.
| # | Component | Brand / Origin | Status | Price if optional |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Full Servo T-Shape Baby Diaper Machine (all positions incl. unwinding) | Siemens / AB / Mitsubishi | INCLUDED | — |
| 2 | Web Controller | BST (Germany) / FIFE (USA) | INCLUDED | — |
| 3 | Glue Applicator (12 sets) | Wahrheit (A) / APex (B), both China | A: INCLUDED · B: INCLUDED | 56,000 USD difference between A and B |
| 4 | Cutter (A60) | China | INCLUDED (NB 1 set, M+L 1 set, XXL 1 set, 1 spare) | — |
| 5 | Timing Belts | Gate (USA) | INCLUDED | — |
| 6 | Conveyor Belts | Habasit (Switzerland) | INCLUDED | — |
| 7 | Air Cylinder & Magnetic Valve | Festo / MAC / SMC | INCLUDED | — |
| 8 | Air Compressor System (screw type + dryer) | China | INCLUDED (tank is optional) | Air Tank: 10,000 USD |
| 9 | Dust Collector | China | Cloth Type: INCLUDED · Rotary Type: OPTIONAL | Rotary: 25,000 USD |
| 10 | Transformer + Voltage Stabilizer | China | INCLUDED | — |
| 11 | Visual Camera System (2 cameras) | China | INCLUDED | — |
| 12 | Perfume Applicator | China | OPTIONAL | 5,000 USD |
| 13 | Lycra Auto Splicing System (90° feeding, 10 pcs spandex) | China | OPTIONAL | 8,000 USD |
| 14 | Frequency-controlled fans (≥22 kW, noise reducer ≥35 kW) | China | INCLUDED | — |
| 15 | Anti-Glue Rolls (all spray positions) | China | INCLUDED | — |
| 16 | Materials Roll system (1200 mm dia, ADL swing, tape auto-splice) | China | INCLUDED | — |
| 17 | Online Metal Detector | China | OPTIONAL | 8,000 USD |
| 18 | Ink-jet Printer (for plastic bags) | China | OPTIONAL | 8,000 USD |
| 19 | Forming Drum (Continuous Straight Demoulding with Channel) | China | INCLUDED | — |
| 20 | Machine Status Display Screen | China | INCLUDED | — |
| 21 | Full Servo Stacker | Broad (China) | OPTIONAL | 70,000 USD |
| 22 | Full Servo Auto Bagging Machine | Broad (China) | OPTIONAL | 140,000 USD |
Source note: all 22 items, brands, origins, statuses and prices are quoted directly from the WD-NK800I-SV configuration document (pages 7–9). Total Option A (Wahrheit glue): 860,000 USD. Total Option B (APex glue): 916,000 USD. FOB Xiamen Port.
The 56K glue question
Two buyers walk into the same factory. Same machine, same servo system, same web controller, same cutter set, same conveyor belts. One signs for 860,000 USD, the other for 916,000 USD. The difference is 56,000 USD.
Item 3 in the configuration sheet lists two glue applicator options: Wahrheit (12 sets) and APex (12 sets). Both are Chinese brands. Both cover the same 12 application positions. The base total for Option A uses Wahrheit; Option B uses APex.
Actually, the 56,000 USD gap is the single largest per-component difference on the entire sheet. The rotary dust collector costs 25,000. The auto bagging machine costs 140,000. But neither of those is a brand choice on the same functional item. The glue applicator is the only line where you are choosing between two brands that do the same job at 12 positions, and the price moves by 56,000.
What that 56,000 buys you in terms of adhesive transfer consistency, nozzle longevity, and maintenance interval is the question to put in writing to both options before you select. The configuration sheet states the brand and the set count. It does not state the performance differential. That is a specification conversation, not a price conversation.
Operational vs cosmetic options
Seven items carry the OPTIONAL label and a price. But they do not all affect the same thing. Some change what the machine does during a production shift. Others add a feature that affects the product or the packaging after the diaper leaves the production section.
| Optional item | Price | What it changes during production |
|---|---|---|
| Perfume Applicator (12) | 5,000 USD | Adds scent to the finished product. No effect on line speed, waste, or operator workload. |
| Lycra Auto Splicing (13) | 8,000 USD | Reduces manual splicing stops for 10 spandex strands at leg and cuff stations. Directly reduces downtime. |
| Online Metal Detector (17) | 8,000 USD | Rejects products containing metallic contamination. A quality gate, not a speed change. |
| Ink-jet Printer (18) | 8,000 USD | Prints on plastic bags after the product is packed. No effect on the production section. |
| Air Tank (8, sub-item) | 10,000 USD | Buffers compressed air supply. Reduces pressure drop during peak demand, stabilises pneumatic actuation. |
| Rotary Dust Collector (9) | 25,000 USD | Higher-capacity dust removal vs the included cloth type. Affects cleaning frequency and lint-related stops. |
| Full Servo Stacker (21) | 70,000 USD | Replaces manual or semi-automatic stacking. Reduces labour at the end of line. |
| Full Servo Auto Bagging (22) | 140,000 USD | Automates the final bagging step. Eliminates bagging labour and improves pack consistency. |
The real question is not which options to buy. It is which options affect the production section (items 13, 17, 8, 9) and which affect what happens after the diaper leaves the production section (items 12, 18, 21, 22). That split determines whether an option changes your daily operating cost or your labour headcount.
For a factory running two shifts with manual bagging, the 140,000 USD auto bagging machine may pay back through labour savings. For a factory running one shift with experienced operators, it may not. The option is the same. The return depends on your operating model.
The end-of-line gap: 70K plus 140K
Items 21 and 22 sit at the bottom of the configuration sheet. A full servo stacker at 70,000 USD. A full servo auto bagging machine at 140,000 USD. Together they add 210,000 USD to the base total, which is 24% of the 860,000 USD Option A price.
In most cases a new factory starts without both. The production line runs, products stack on a manual or semi-automatic unit, and bagging is done by operators. The end-of-line automation comes later, after the factory has established its shift pattern, its labour availability, and its order volume.
That is not a criticism of delaying the investment. It is a note on sequencing. The configuration sheet prices these as single items. It does not price the labour they replace, the training window, or the maintenance contract for servo-driven end-of-line equipment. Those costs sit outside the 860,000 and the 916,000, and they should be in your model before you decide whether 140,000 for a bagging machine is a day-one necessity or a year-two upgrade.
What "INCLUDED" actually covers
Fifteen of the twenty-two items carry the INCLUDED label. In the hygiene machinery industry, "included" sometimes means "present but basic." The configuration sheet is specific about what is in the base price, and it is worth listing the items that surprise buyers who expected to pay for them separately:
- Full servo control on all positions, including raw material unwinding (Item 1). Not just the main drive. Every position.
- Web controller from BST or FIFE (Item 2). Not a generic PLC substitute. A dedicated tension control unit from a specialist manufacturer.
- Anti-glue rolls on all spray positions (Item 15). Prevents adhesive buildup on rollers between glue applications. Without these, cleaning frequency increases.
- Swing-type ADL and tape auto-splicing (Item 16). The absorbent distributing layer unwinds on a swing arm, and side tape and frontal tape both have auto-splicing as standard. Not optional.
- Frequency-controlled fans above 22 kW, with noise reducers on fans above 35 kW (Item 14). Noise reduction is in the base, not an add-on.
- Two visual cameras for product inspection (Item 11). Basic vision is included. Not a single camera. Two.
- Transformer and voltage stabilizer (Item 10). The machine arrives with its own power conditioning. Not "connect to your 380V supply and hope."
These are the items that, on other quotations, may appear as separate line items with their own prices. Here they are in the base. The 860,000 USD total already includes them. If you are comparing against a quotation that lists "servo control: included" but charges separately for the web controller, the anti-glue rolls, or the vision system, the apparent price difference is not what it looks like.
How to read the options before signing
The configuration sheet is not a menu. It is a specification. Each item has a brand, an origin, a functional description, and a status. When you receive a quotation with a configuration sheet, the following steps keep the comparison honest:
Step one: match the INCLUDED list
Take the 15 included items and check them against the competing quotation. Does the competitor include the web controller? The anti-glue rolls? The swing-type ADL? The two vision cameras? If not, add the cost of those items to their total before you compare the headline number.
Step two: price the options you need
From the 7 optional items, identify which ones affect your production section (splicing, dust collection, air buffering, metal detection) and which affect post-production (perfume, printing, stacking, bagging). Price the production-section options into your model. Defer the post-production ones until your operating pattern is established.
Step three: ask the performance question on the glue
The 56,000 USD gap between Wahrheit and APex is the one item where the same functional position (12 sets) moves the price by more than half the cost of the dust collection upgrade. Ask both options for: adhesive transfer efficiency, nozzle replacement interval, and maintenance frequency per 8-hour shift. The answer may make the 56,000 obvious. It may not. Either way, you should have the answer in writing before you select.
Why Welldone
Manufacturer, not a trading intermediary
Welldone has built hygiene product machinery for more than 18 years from Jinjiang, Fujian. The configuration sheet you receive is the configuration sheet we build against. Every item, brand, and optional price is stated before the drawing is issued, so the total you sign is the total you pay, plus the options you explicitly select.
- 22-item configuration sheet with brand, origin, and status per line
- Optional items priced individually, not bundled into a "premium package"
- Base price includes servo control, web controller, vision, anti-glue, and noise reduction
- RFS acceptance test witnessed by the buyer's representative before shipment
Configuration first
All 22 items are selected and priced before the mechanical drawing is released. No "we will confirm the optional items later."
Brand stated per line
Every component lists its brand and country of origin. Siemens, BST, Habasit, Festo, Gate, SMC. Not "equivalent brand available."
Options are yours to choose
7 items are optional. You decide which ones, which brand, and which phase. The price moves transparently with each selection.
Related machines
Conclusion
The configuration sheet has 22 items. 15 are in the price you see on the first page. 7 are priced separately, ranging from 5,000 to 140,000 USD. One single component choice moves the total by 56,000 USD.
Before you sign, match the included list against any competing quotation. Price the options that affect your production section into your model. And put the glue applicator performance question in writing, because 56,000 USD is a specification decision, not a brand preference.
How many of the 15 "included" items in the quotation you are comparing are actually priced separately on the other side? That difference is the real comparison, not the headline total.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Option A and Option B in the total price?
Option A (860,000 USD) uses the Wahrheit glue applicator. Option B (916,000 USD) uses the APex glue applicator. Both include 12 sets. The 56,000 USD difference is entirely the glue brand selection. All other items are identical between the two totals.
Can I add optional items after the machine is built?
Some can, some cannot. The auto bagging machine and the stacker are separate physical units that can be installed later. The auto splicing system, the metal detector, and the perfume applicator are integrated into the machine frame and are far cheaper to install during the initial build. Discuss timing with the engineering team before the drawing is released.
Is the dust collector really optional? The cloth type is included.
The cloth-type dust collector is included in the base price. The rotary-type is an upgrade at 25,000 USD. The difference is in filtration capacity and maintenance interval. If your production involves high-dust materials or long continuous runs, the rotary type reduces cleaning frequency. For lighter production, the cloth type is sufficient.
Does the 860,000 total include shipping and installation?
The total is FOB Xiamen Port. It covers the machine, all included components, wooden case packaging, and anti-rust protection. It does not cover ocean freight, insurance, in-land transportation at the destination, or the technician travel and salary for on-site installation and commissioning, which the configuration document specifies separately.
How does the RFS acceptance test relate to the optional items?
The RFS test runs at the seller's plant before shipment, testing the production section at 300 m/min for 30 minutes against minimum efficiency and maximum waste parameters. Optional items that are installed before RFS are tested as part of the line. Optional items deferred to post-shipment installation are not part of the RFS window. The relationship between what is tested and what is deferred is covered in Part 2 of this series.
Review your configuration sheet
Send us the configuration sheet you are comparing, or your product structure, and we will map the 22 items, the optional prices, and the end-of-line sequencing against your operating model.
Website: www.cnwelldone.com
Email: welldone@cnwelldone.com
