A Model 50 rod-making machine left Lerford Equipment's workshop in Zhengzhou this week, packed into a 20-foot container and trucked to Qingdao. It's the company's first-ever order from Argentina.
"We've been talking to this guy since February," said a Lerford sales staffer. "He wanted samples, we sent them, he tested-then went quiet for a month. I figured it was dead. Then he came back and said, 'OK, send me the machine.'"
The buyer runs a small processing plant in Córdoba province, mostly handling corn stalks and peanut shells left over from local farms. They're turning those into fuel briquettes for power plants, which apparently is a growing business down there because gas prices have gone up. The machine they bought does 300 to 400 kilos an hour, with a 22 kW motor that the factory guys say can run all day without overheating. Weight is 0.7 tons-light enough that the client didn't have to reinforce his concrete floor, which was a concern he raised early on.
Packing took two days. They wrapped it in moisture-proof film, put foam blocks at every corner, and strapped it to a wooden skid with steel bands. The shipping route goes through the Panama Canal, so humidity is a real issue-that's why they doubled up on the film. Dimensions are 1.6 by 0.65 by 1.7 meters, just under the container height limit.
Lerford has been making rod presses since around 2012 and already ships to Southeast Asia and a few African countries. This Argentina deal came together entirely over WeChat-no site visit, no agent. The client only asked for video clips of the machine running different materials. "He watched those maybe ten times," the sales rep said. "Then he sent a deposit."
The company is now looking for a local distributor in South America to hold spare parts. "If something breaks, we can't just air-freight a motor-that costs more than the part itself," the rep added. "We need someone there who can swap parts quickly. But first, let's see if this one survives the voyage and runs clean for three months. If it does, we'll probably get a second order."
