1. Start with three numbers
Before you compare brands or prices, write down these three values. They decide 90% of the configuration:
- Cup diameter (mm) — measured at the rim. 70, 75, 90, 95 and 120 mm are common.
- Target output (cups/hour) — be honest about peak, not average.
- Film type — peelable lidding film vs. permanent-seal film, printed or plain.
Everything else (mold, dosing system, sealing head) is built around these. A supplier who doesn't ask for all three is guessing.
Match the cup diameter
Most cup sealers handle 70–120 mm out of the box. Sizes outside that range need a custom mold. At Langtai we quote custom molds in days, not months, because the tooling is made in-house — that's the difference between a 2-week lead time and a 2-month wait.
Pick the output tier
| Tier | Output | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Benchtop (manual) | ~300–600 cups/hr | Lab, pilot SKU, low-volume specialty |
| Semi-automatic | ~1,200–2,400 cups/hr | Growing brand, 1–3 SKUs |
| Automatic rotary | 3,600+ cups/hr | Full production line, multi-SKU |
If you're between tiers, size up. Running a semi-auto at 95% capacity leaves no headroom for a new flavour or a seasonal spike.
2. Film and lidding you'll actually use
Yogurt almost always uses peelable lidding film printed with your brand. The film and the machine have to be matched: the seal temperature, dwell time and pressure are tuned to the film's lamination. We supply film matched to the machine so it seals first time — no trial-and-error on your production floor.
Tip: ask for the film spec sheet with the machine quote. If a supplier sells the machine but "you find film locally," you inherit the sealing risk.
3. Ask for a test video before you pay
This is the single biggest de-risking step. Before any deposit, ask the supplier to seal YOUR cup on video — your exact diameter, your film, your fill level. We send a short clip of your cup running on our machine so you can see the seal quality, the registration of the print, and the cycle speed.
A supplier who refuses a test video is telling you something. Move on.
4. Don't forget the consumables
The machine is a one-time cost; film, cups and trays are forever. Price the fill-seal line as a system: the cheaper machine with expensive proprietary film usually costs more over three years than a fairly-priced machine with open-standard film. Talk to us about consumable pricing up front.
FAQ
- Can one machine seal both yogurt and bubble tea cups?
- Often yes, if diameters overlap and films are compatible. We configure the sealing head per cup; swapping molds takes minutes on most models. See our fill & seal range.
- How long to get a custom mold?
- In-house tooling means we typically turn a custom mold around in days, not months. Lead time depends on diameter and cavity count.
- Do you ship to the UK / EU / North America?
- Yes — we've exported cup and can sealing lines to the UK, Japan and Canada, with CE-compliant builds on request.
- What's the minimum I should buy to start?
- A benchtop sealer to validate the package, then scale to semi-auto as volume grows. Many clients start exactly this way.
Need a setup for your yogurt cups?
Send your cup diameter and target output — get a quote conversation within 12 hours.
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