The market for second-hand equipment for milk processing.

摘要

The market for second-hand dairy equipment is well-established in Russia. However a significant proportion of the second-hand equipment available is outdated, with inadequate productivity and the ability to produce only a limited range of foods and use a limited range of packaging materials. There are also problems with obtaining spare parts for some types of second-hand equipment. Demand for second-hand dairy equipment comes mainly from small and medium-sized enterprises, which need to minimize their production costs. Second-hand dairy equipment can be obtained from manufacturers and from supplier-agents. In general these suppliers will provide guarantees for the equipment they sell. However, used equipment is also sold by dairy factories that are modernizing, closing down or changing specialization. While it tends to be much cheaper, there are significant risks associated with buying such equipment. There are also a number of Internet sites that specialize in the sale of food processing equipment, including second-hand dairy equipment. Purchasing second-hand dairy equipment involves different levels of risk, depending on the type of equipment involved. The least risk is associated with buying stainless steel tanks, while the greatest risk is associated with buying machines with many moving parts or with parts that require frequent replacement. Examples of such "high risk" machines include automatic and semi-automatic devices for filling and packaging milk and milk products, and also some types of tvorog and cheesemaking equipment. Buying other types of equipment, such as separators, pumps and homogenizers, is considered to present only a moderate risk, as although they have many moving parts, replacement parts are readily available.