{"id":532,"date":"2026-09-29T05:53:04","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T21:53:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.buzonsureste.com\/blog\/?p=532"},"modified":"2026-09-29T05:53:04","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T21:53:04","slug":"what-is-the-noise-level-of-used-packaging-machinery-46fc-032ce2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.buzonsureste.com\/blog\/2026\/09\/29\/what-is-the-noise-level-of-used-packaging-machinery-46fc-032ce2\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the noise level of used packaging machinery?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey there, if you\u2019re in the market for used packaging machinery, you\u2019ve probably asked yourself one big question before you even click "inquire" or schedule a walkaround: how loud is this stuff? Let\u2019s be real\u2014loud machinery doesn\u2019t just make for a bad workday. It\u2019s a workplace safety risk, it can drive away employees who hate constant ringing in their ears, and if your facility is in a commercial area, you might even run into noise complaints from neighbors. As a used packaging machinery supplier, I deal with this question every single day, and I\u2019m here to break it down like we\u2019re chatting over a coffee (no stuffy jargon, promise). Used Packaging Machinery<\/a><\/p>\n

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First off, let\u2019s get one thing straight: there\u2019s no one-size-fits-all answer here. Noise levels depend entirely on what type of packaging machine we\u2019re talking about, how old it is, how well it\u2019s been maintained, and even the brand. But let\u2019s start with the basics, because that\u2019s where most people get confused. When we measure noise, we use something called decibels (dB). A normal conversation is about 60 dB, a vacuum cleaner is around 70 dB, and OSHA\u2014you know, the agency that keeps workplaces safe\u2014says that any exposure to 85 dB or higher for more than 8 hours requires hearing protection. If it\u2019s 100 dB, that\u2019s like standing next to a motorcycle engine revving, and you really only want that for 15 minutes max before damage happens.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s talk about common used packaging machinery, because that\u2019s what I sell every week. Let\u2019s go through the most popular types, since I\u2019ve tested dozens of them over the years. First, case sealers\u2014you know, the machines that tape up cardboard boxes. Most mid-range case sealers from the 2010s, when they\u2019re well-maintained, clock in around 75 to 80 dB. That\u2019s about as loud as a busy restaurant or a washing machine on spin. Nothing crazy, but if you\u2019re running a whole line of these 8 hours a day, you\u2019ll want earbuds for loud noise, not just the flimsy foam ones. Older case sealers, like ones from the early 2000s that have loose belts or worn rollers? They can creep up to 82 or 83 dB, which is right at that OSHA threshold. We always tune those up before selling them\u2014tighten belts, lubricate gears, fix misaligned parts\u2014so that number drops back down.<\/p>\n

Next up: shrink wrap machines, especially tunnel shrink wrappers. These are the ones that heat up plastic wrap to put around bundles of products. Now, these are a little trickier. The blower motor inside the tunnel is the main noise source. Newer model shrink wrappers are around 78 to 82 dB, but used ones, especially if the motor\u2019s been running hard and hasn\u2019t been serviced, can hit 88 dB. That\u2019s like a lawnmower. If you\u2019re running a shrink wrapper all day, OSHA would require your team to use proper hearing protection here, no exceptions. The good news is, we replace worn blower parts and balance the motor on every used shrink wrapper we sell, so most of our units come in at 80 dB or lower. That\u2019s a big difference.<\/p>\n

Then there are the big ones: automatic filling machines, like for bottles or cans. These are usually the loudest packaging machines you\u2019ll find on a factory floor. Mid-range automatic fillers from the last 10 years are around 82 to 87 dB. But the older heavy-duty ones, like the ones from the 90s that some people still swear by? They can hit 90 to 95 dB. That\u2019s about as loud as a chainsaw. If you\u2019re standing next to one of those for more than a few minutes, you\u2019ll hear a ringing in your ears by the end of the day, and that\u2019s not just annoying\u2014it\u2019s permanent damage that you can\u2019t fix. When we get older automatic fillers in, we check the fill heads, the conveyor system, and the pump. A lot of the time, worn bearings or loose bolts are the culprit for that extra noise. Fix those, and we can bring a 92 dB filler down to 86 or 87 dB, which is manageable with hearing protection.<\/p>\n

Wait, let\u2019s not forget about palletizers and stretch wrappers for pallets. Stretch wrappers that wrap the entire pallet of boxes? Those are usually around 76 to 81 dB, similar to case sealers. Robotic palletizers, though, the ones that have moving arms and pick up heavy boxes? Those can hit 85 to 90 dB, because of the motors and the metal arms moving fast. Again, maintenance is key here. A robotic palletizer that\u2019s had regular tune-ups will be at the lower end of that range, one that\u2019s been sitting unused for years and just needs lubrication will be too.<\/p>\n

Now, I know what you\u2019re thinking: \u201cOkay, so what does this mean for my shop? Can I just plug a used machine in and not worry about it?\u201d Not exactly, but here\u2019s the thing that most people don\u2019t tell you when they\u2019re looking at used equipment: a lot of the noise that makes machines loud is preventable, especially in used machinery. Brand also plays a role\u2014like, I\u2019ve found that high-end brands used in food packaging or pharmaceuticals, which have stricter noise controls, tend to be quieter than budget brands from the 2000s. We test every machine we sell with a basic decibel meter when we receive it, and then again after servicing, so we can give our customers a real, honest number, not a guess.<\/p>\n

Also, let\u2019s talk about the difference between continuous operation and occasional use. If you\u2019re only using a shrink wrapper for an hour or two a day, a 88 dB machine is no big deal. But if you\u2019re running it 12 hours a day, that\u2019s when you need to be careful. OSHA\u2019s exposure limits are based on time, right? The louder the noise, the less time you can safely be around it. So a 85 dB machine is 8 hours max, 90 dB is 2 hours, 95 dB is 15 minutes. That math isn\u2019t up for debate, and it\u2019s not something to mess with\u2014hearing loss is permanent, and it\u2019s really expensive to deal with from a workers\u2019 comp standpoint.<\/p>\n

Another thing: don\u2019t just take the seller\u2019s word for it. A lot of used machinery sellers will tell you their machines are \u201cquiet as a mouse\u201d when they\u2019re actually 87 dB. That\u2019s why we encourage customers to either come test the machine in person, or ask us for the exact decibel reading we took before and after service. We put that in every machine\u2019s spec sheet, no exceptions. I had a customer last month who almost bought a used case sealer from another supplier that they thought was 78 dB, but when we tested it, it was 84 dB, right at the threshold. We told them, hey, that\u2019s manageable if you just add a couple of ear protectors, but the other supplier didn\u2019t mention that. That\u2019s the difference between someone who cares and someone who just wants to make a sale.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s talk about common myths. A lot of people think all used machinery is loud, because old equipment is noisy. But that\u2019s not true. We have a 2018 case sealer that we sold last quarter that\u2019s only 76 dB\u2014because the previous owner took great care of it. They lubricated the gears every month, tightened the belts, replaced worn rollers before they got loud. It sounds like a normal conversation. The machines that are loud are the ones that haven\u2019t been maintained, which is why our whole process is servicing every machine before we sell it. We don\u2019t just clean the outside and call it good\u2014we go through every moving part, fix what\u2019s worn, test the noise level, and make sure it\u2019s safe for your team.<\/p>\n

Also, if noise is a big concern for your facility\u2014maybe you\u2019re in a small space, or you have employees who are sensitive to noise, or you live in a residential area\u2014there are things you can do even if the machine is a little on the loud side. We sell noise enclosures for packaging machines too, and they can cut decibels by 5 to 10 dB. That\u2019s enough to bring a 87 dB shrink wrapper down to 78 dB, which is basically a normal conversation. It\u2019s a small add-on that\u2019s worth it if noise is a priority for you.<\/p>\n

Wait, let\u2019s circle back to what I said at the start: as a used packaging machinery supplier, I\u2019m not here to sell you a machine that\u2019s going to cause problems down the line. Noise is one of the biggest complaints I get from customers after they buy a machine, so we make sure we\u2019re transparent about it from day one. I\u2019ve had customers come to us after buying from big-box used equipment sites, and they say the machine is way louder than they were told, and they have to spend thousands of dollars fixing it or adding noise controls. We never want that for our customers.<\/p>\n

So, to sum up: the noise level of used packaging machinery varies, but most common types clock in between 75 and 90 dB when properly serviced. Case sealers and stretch wrappers are on the lower end, automatic fillers and robotic palletizers are on the higher end. Maintenance is the biggest factor in how loud a used machine is, and we always test and service every unit to get that noise level down to safe, manageable numbers. And if noise is a big deal for you, just ask for the decibel reading\u2014we\u2019ll give it to you straight, no sugarcoating.<\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re in the market for used packaging machinery, don\u2019t guess about noise levels. Reach out to us, and we\u2019ll walk you through all the specs, including real decibel readings, so you can pick a machine that fits your needs, your team, and your facility.<\/p>\n

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Paper Box Making Machine<\/a> References
\nOccupational Safety and Health Administration. (2023). Noise and Hearing Conservation. U.S. Department of Labor.
\nPackaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute. (2022). Sound Level Guidelines for Industrial Packaging Equipment.
\nNational Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. (2021). Noise Exposure Levels and Hearing Loss Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<\/p>\n

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Guangzhou HS Machinery Co., Ltd.<\/a>
We’re well-known as one of the leading used packaging machinery manufacturers and suppliers in China. Please feel free to buy cheap used packaging machinery for sale here from our factory. Quality products and low price are available.
Address: Xiaowu 1st Industrial Area, Xiaowu Village, Dongchong Town, Nansha, Guangzhou, China
E-mail: vipmachinery@126.com
WebSite: https:\/\/www.cartonboxsolutions.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hey there, if you\u2019re in the market for used packaging machinery, you\u2019ve probably asked yourself one … What is the noise level of used packaging machinery?<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":129,"featured_media":532,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[495],"class_list":["post-532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry","tag-used-packaging-machinery-480f-038483"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.buzonsureste.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/532","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.buzonsureste.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.buzonsureste.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.buzonsureste.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/129"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.buzonsureste.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=532"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.buzonsureste.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/532\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.buzonsureste.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/532"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.buzonsureste.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.buzonsureste.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.buzonsureste.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}