Shopping Bag Production Line — HDPE and LDPE Carrier Bags
Shopping bags split into two products that need different film: stiff, thin HDPE film for T-shirt and vest bags, and soft LDPE film for carrier and boutique bags. The line is the same three steps for both — blown film, printing, bag making — but the gauge, the print coverage and the bag machine differ. This page covers both routes with published machine specifications.
Two shopping bag products, two film routes
| Bag type | Film | Typical thickness | Film line |
|---|---|---|---|
| HDPE T-shirt / vest bag | HDPE, stiff and crackly | 0.008–0.03 mm | Monolayer, 600–1,200 mm |
| LDPE carrier / boutique bag | LDPE or LDPE-rich blend | 0.02–0.06 mm | Monolayer or ABA 3-layer |
| Small-format HDPE bag (low volume) | HDPE | 0.008–0.03 mm | Mini line, 100–800 mm |
| Printed premium carrier bag | LDPE blend, corona treated | 0.03–0.06 mm | Monolayer with corona treater + flexo press |
Step 1 — film
HDPE film is blown at thin gauge and high bubble ratio; the stiffness that makes a vest bag stand open comes from the resin and the cooling, not from thickness.
The monolayer line covers 600–1,200 mm folded width at 30–120 kg/h. Small operations start on the mini line at 100–800 mm and 35–50 kg/h, which runs the same HDPE and LDPE resins at lower capital cost.
Step 2 — printing
Shopping bags are the most print-driven bag product: the bag is the advertisement. Most work is 1–4 colours, but supermarkets and retail chains specify up to 6.
The six-colour stack flexo press prints up to up to 950 mm at 10–120 m/min, and the four-colour press covers up to 950 mm at 10–70 m/min for shorter runs.
Corona treatment is specified before printing so ink adhesion holds on HDPE, which has a low surface energy.
Step 3 — bag making
Lane count is the main output decision: a two-line machine makes two bags per cycle, a six-line machine six, from the same web.
The GFQ family covers standard vest bags across a wide size range; the DFR machine is the high-speed option for one narrow bag size run at very high cycle rates.
| Specification | T-Shirt Bag Making Machine (GFQ) | T-Shirt Bag Making Machine (DFR-400×2) |
|---|---|---|
| Bag width | 550–1,150 mm | 180–320 mm |
| Bag length | 700–1,800 mm | 280–650 mm |
| Speed | 60–720 bags/min | 100–300 bags/min |
| Film thickness | 0.01–0.15 mm | 0.01–0.05 mm |
| Materials | HDPE / LDPE | HDPE / LDPE |
| Indicative price | $9,000 – $35,000 | $9,000 – $35,000 |
The four-line option: GFQ-800
When the bag is narrow and the volume is high, four lines beat one wide line. The GFQ-800 runs four webs through one machine and punches the T-shirt handles automatically.
A two-line setup of the same machine takes the cutting width to 750 mm, so one machine covers both a narrow four-line run and a wider two-line run. Price for this machine depends on the line configuration (four-line or two-line, cutting width and options), so it is quoted on request rather than from a published range.
| Specification | GFQ-800 Four-Line Automatic Punching Bag Making Machine |
|---|---|
| Cutting width | 160–300 mm |
| Cutting length | 300–650 mm |
| Speed per line | 40–120 bags/min per line |
| Cutting thickness | 0.006–0.10 mm |
| Materials | HDPE / LDPE |
| Installed power | 11.5 kW installed |
The film lines behind the line
| Specification | Mini Film Blowing Machine | Monolayer Blown Film Machine |
|---|---|---|
| Film width (folded) | 100–800 mm | 600–1,200 mm |
| Output | 35–50 kg/h | 30–120 kg/h |
| Film thickness | 0.01–0.12 mm | 0.008–0.10 mm |
| Materials | LDPE / LLDPE / HDPE | LDPE / LLDPE / HDPE |
| Installed power | 20 kW installed | 46–74 kW installed |
| Indicative price | $12,000 – $28,000 | $18,000 – $45,000 |
Printing: the flexo presses
Four colours cover most retail shopping bag work; six colours are specified when the artwork includes photographic or multi-colour brand panels.
| Specification | YTL 41000 Four-Color Flexo Printing Machine | YTB-A 61000 Six-Color Stack Flexo Printing Machine |
|---|---|---|
| Colors | 4 | 6 |
| Print width | up to 950 mm | up to 950 mm |
| Speed | 10–70 m/min | 10–120 m/min |
| Materials | Non-woven 15–120 g / Paper 15–350 g/m² / PVC / OPP/BOPP / PE / NY / PET / CPP | Paper 17–350 g/m² / Non-woven 15–120 g / PVC / OPP/BOPP / PE / NY / PET / CPP / Woven PP |
| Indicative price | $28,000 – $55,000 | $40,000 – $90,000 |
Line layout and utilities
- Film line, press and bag machine in material order to avoid re-handling printed rolls
- Printing needs a drying position and, for solvent inks, extraction — plan it before the hall layout is fixed
- Corona treater between film winding and printing
- Bag machine positioned to feed a stacker or roll winder at the end of the line
- Voltage: confirm 220 V or 380 V per machine — bag machines and presses may differ
Sizing the line from bag output
Work from bags per day, then to film kilograms. Multiply bag output by bag weight to get film consumption, and check that the film line covers it with margin for start-up and changeover.
A drawstring-free shopping bag line typically pairs the monolayer film line with a two- to four-line T-shirt bag machine; anything above roughly 60–720 bags/min of bag making capacity wants a second film line or a wider one.
Machines in this line
Watch them run
DFR High-Speed T-Shirt Bag Making Machine — Factory Footage
Four-Color Flexo Printing Machine — Factory Footage
Related pages
Frequently asked questions
What machines are needed for a shopping bag production line?
A blown film machine (HDPE for vest bags, LDPE for carrier bags), a corona treater, a flexo printing press if the bag is printed, and a T-shirt or carrier bag making machine. E-SHION builds all of them in one factory, so widths, lane counts and voltage are matched before shipment.
What film is used for shopping bags?
HDPE film for stiff T-shirt and vest bags, typically 0.008–0.03 mm, and LDPE or LDPE-rich blends for soft carrier and boutique bags at 0.02–0.06 mm. Both run on the same film line — the die gap, temperature profile and air ring are set for the resin you buy.
How many bags per minute can a shopping bag line make?
The T-shirt bag machine family runs 60–720 bags/min depending on the number of lines, and the high-speed DFR machine runs 100–300 bags/min. Lane count drives output more than cycle rate: a six-line machine makes six bags per cycle.
How much does a shopping bag production line cost?
Indicative factory-direct ranges run from about $9K to $70K depending on film width, output, layer count and automation — request a quote for your exact configuration. Indicative ranges by machine type — T-Shirt Bag Making Machine: $9,000 – $35,000; T-Shirt Bag Making Machine (DFR-400X2): $9,000 – $35,000; Dr Garbage Bag Making Machine: $15,000 – $60,000; DRW Thermal Cutting Bag Making Machine: $15,000 – $60,000; Automatic Zipper Bag Making Machine: $15,000 – $50,000; Garment Bag Making Machine: $12,000 – $45,000; Express Bag Making Machine (DHL-800): $15,000 – $60,000; Heavy Duty Bag Making Machine: $20,000 – $70,000; Flower Bag Making Machine: $12,000 – $45,000; DRW Side Sealing Bag Making Machine: $12,000 – $45,000; ES-L-500X2 Star Sealing & Flat Bag Making Machine: $27,000 – $31,000 (base machine + optional label attachment); HF Circular BOPP Bag Making Machine: $20,000 – $70,000.
Do I need printing on the film line or separately?
Separately. Film blowing and printing are different machines and different processes: the film is blown and wound first, then corona treated and printed on a flexo press. Inline printing on a blown film line is possible for simple work but is not how retail-quality shopping bags are produced.
Can one film line feed both HDPE vest bags and LDPE carrier bags?
Yes, with a changeover. The die gap, temperature profile and air ring settings differ between HDPE and LDPE, so factories that sell both products either dedicate lines per resin or accept a planned changeover window. Tell us your product mix when ordering and we will configure for the split you actually run.
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