In 2026, AMD Machines quoted a manually loaded plastic staking station for a manufacturer in Mexico. The machine secures two plates to a plastic armrest by staking six ABS plastic poles: four by ultrasonic staking and two by heat staking, in one station on a two-position rotary index table. This case study walks through that quote: what was in the machine, what it cost in round numbers, why it was designed the way it was, and what the buyer was responsible for. The customer isn't named, and prices are shown as ranges.
This case study is based on the quote: it describes what was quoted, not results from a running machine. We're publishing it because buyers rarely see what a staking machine actually costs. For the full range of plastic joining systems we build, see our thermal joining systems page.
A plastic staking station is a machine that melts and reforms plastic posts that pass through a mating component into rivet-like heads, so the posts lock that component in place without screws, clips or adhesive. The quote itself calls this machine a welding machine and describes the job as "riveting" the poles. The process is staking, and the station AMD Machines quoted here does it two ways in one station.
What Is in This Staking Station?
The machine is one station built on a welded steel frame. The armrest, with its two plates in place, is loaded at one position of a two-position rotary index table. The table carries the part to the process position, where one staking head holding both the ultrasonic and the heat-staking tooling forms all six poles. The four poles that hold the PA6 plastic plate are staked ultrasonically; the two poles that hold the metal plate are heat staked. AMD Machines specified the equipment by brand and model in the quote:
| System | What AMD Machines quoted |
|---|---|
| Ultrasonic staking | Two Herrmann AMG 1200 MX Ultraplast generators with EtherNet/IP; four Herrmann VE35 actuator units with Herrmann KHS35 converters; CPM sonotrodes at 35 kHz |
| Heat staking | Two heat-staking generators with PID temperature control driving two heads on two pneumatic cylinders; each head has two tips, each with a heating cartridge and thermocouple |
| Indexing | Weiss two-position rotary index table with a variable frequency drive; custom fixture on an aluminum index plate; pneumatic fixture lifter |
| Controls | Siemens S7-1200 PLC with its modules in the main cabinet; Siemens MTP700 Unified Basic HMI in a small secondary cabinet; IO-Link master and slaves; part-present sensors and magnetic cylinder sensors; HID proximity card reader |
| Pneumatics | Filter-regulator-lubricator unit, valve manifold and cylinders for the staking mechanism, the heat-staking heads and the fixture lifter, with SMC preferred |
| Structure | Welded steel frame with base plate; aluminum-profile guarding with panels; polycarbonate window; safety door for maintenance and service, with interlocks; leveling pads |
| Safety | Safety light curtains; two safety magnetic interlocks on the service doors; two emergency stops, one at the worktable and one at the secondary cabinet; safety relay |
| Status | Multicolor light tower and a station lamp |
The design basis in the AMD Machines quote: a cycle time of about 45 seconds per part (45.12 seconds, based on simulation results), or 1.33 parts a minute; 440 V, three-phase, 60 Hz power with 24 VDC controls; metric hardware; and preferred component brands of Siemens for the PLC, Herrmann for the ultrasonics, Weiss for the index table and SMC for pneumatics.
How Much Does a Plastic Staking Station Cost?
The station AMD Machines quoted came to between $160,000 and $200,000 with shipping and commissioning. It was a budgetary quote in US dollars, and it priced the station, an optional shipping line and five days of commissioning, shown here as ranges:
| Line | Price range |
|---|---|
| Staking station, FOB AMD's plant in Querétaro, Mexico | $150,000–$190,000 |
| Shipping with insurance (optional) | Under $5,000 |
| Commissioning, 5 days | $6,000–$8,000 |
| Total with shipping and commissioning | $160,000–$200,000 |
VAT was not included, and the AMD Machines quote was valid for 30 days.
Where does that sit against the ranges AMD Machines publishes? On our thermal joining page, we say: "A standalone ultrasonic welding station with servo actuation, process monitoring, and safety guarding typically runs $75,000 to $150,000 depending on complexity. Multi-station systems with robotic loading, vision inspection, and leak testing can range from $250,000 to $750,000+." This station lands above the standalone band, because it carries two staking processes, six staking points and an index table, and below the multi-station band, because it has no robot, vision or leak test. Our guide to what automation costs says: "Simple single-station cells — one press-fit, one screwdriving operation, basic verification — start from ~$100K." A single station with two joining processes and six heads sits well above that floor.
Payment terms in the AMD Machines quote were 40% with the purchase order, 30% at design approval, 20% at approval in AMD's plant and 10% at approval in the customer's facility.
What moves the price of a staking station most:
- How many staking points, and with which process. Each ultrasonic pole in this AMD Machines quote had its own actuator, converter and sonotrode, and two generators powered the four. Every added pole adds tooling.
- One process or two. Running ultrasonic and heat staking in one machine means two sets of tooling, each with its own controls, and a combined head. A part that can be staked one way costs less to automate.
- How the part is presented. A two-position index table with a lifting fixture costs more than a fixed nest, and gives a load position away from the tooling.
- Brand standards. Quoting to a buyer's required PLC, ultrasonic, indexer and pneumatic brands fixes part of the bill of materials.
- Validation requirements. Specific validation requirements beyond the standard run-off can add cost.
Why Use Ultrasonic Staking and Heat Staking in One Station?
The armrest carries two plates: a PA6 plastic plate held by four poles and a metal plate held by two. AMD's engineering team assigned the joining method per plate. In the AMD Machines quote, the four poles holding the PA6 plate are staked ultrasonically, by four Herrmann VE35 actuators driving 35 kHz sonotrodes, and the two poles holding the metal plate are heat staked by heated tips under PID temperature control. The quote doesn't state a reason for the split, so we won't invent one.
What the design does show is how to keep two processes in one machine simple. The ultrasonic and heat-staking tooling sit on one mechanism, and a single pneumatic cylinder moves that combined head into the process position. Both processes run at the same process position on one fixture.
If you're scoping a part with poles that hold different components, confirm the process for each pole with trials on sample parts before you write the specification. The answer sets the tooling count and much of the price.
Why a Two-Position Rotary Index Table?
In general, a manually loaded staking machine has to keep hands away from hot tips and vibrating sonotrodes. The Weiss index table has two positions: parts are loaded at one, and staking happens at the other, behind the station's guarding with a polycarbonate window for protection during the process. While the table holds the part at the process position, a pneumatic cylinder lifts the fixture from below to position the part.
Why Ask for the Buyer's Brand Standards Before Quoting?
Before quoting, AMD's engineering team asked the buyer for its PLC, safety and pneumatics standards so the machine would be quoted to them, and offered AMD's standard components otherwise. The quote's design basis lists Siemens, Herrmann, Weiss and SMC as the preferred component brands. Asking that question first avoids requoting a machine after the plant's maintenance team reviews it.
How Does the Staking Cycle Run?
From the mechanisms the quote describes, the cycle runs:
- The armrest, with both plates in place, is loaded into the custom fixture on the table's aluminum plate at the load position.
- The table indexes the part to the process position.
- A pneumatic cylinder below the table lifts the fixture to position the part.
- A pneumatic cylinder moves the combined staking head into process position.
- The four poles holding the PA6 plastic plate are staked ultrasonically, and the two poles holding the metal plate are heat staked, with the tips held at temperature by PID control (the quote does not state the order).
- The table indexes back, and the finished part is unloaded.
AMD Machines based the 45-second cycle in the quote on simulation results, not on a timed machine.
What Safety Does a Staking Station Need?
The AMD Machines quote guarded the station with safety light curtains, aluminum-profile guarding with a polycarbonate window, and service doors with two safety magnetic interlocks. Two emergency stops, one at the worktable and one at the secondary cabinet, and a safety relay complete the circuit. The quote also lists an HID proximity card reader.
For a US plant, it's worth stating in your request for quote that you want the control panel built to UL 508A, the machine's electrical equipment to NFPA 79, and the safeguarding assessed against the ANSI B11 machine safety standards, so that's priced in from the start.
What Does the Quote Include and Leave Out?
The AMD Machines quote included:
- design, manufacturing and debugging of the station
- programming
- validation at AMD's plant: an empty test, a production lot of 300 parts or as required, and a checklist
- manuals and a documentation package in two digital copies and one printed copy
- a 12-month warranty on parts AMD builds, with bought-out components covered by their suppliers' warranties, valid once the machine is paid
Shipping with insurance was priced as an option, and five days of commissioning as a separate line in the total.
The buyer is responsible for:
- freight, unless the shipping option is taken, since the station is priced FOB AMD's plant
- VAT
- part drawings, 2D and 3D files, and sample parts
- the cost of changes after the order, which are quoted separately
- any specific validation requirements beyond the standard run-off, which may cost extra
How Long Does It Take to Build a Staking Station?
AMD Machines quoted a lead time of 16 to 18 weeks, depending on its workload at the time of the purchase order. The station is built and validated at AMD's plant in Querétaro, Mexico; shipping, if taken, and the five-day commissioning follow.
For comparison, AMD Machines delivers simple machines in as little as 6 weeks and complex systems in 24–26 weeks, vs. 40–42 weeks typical for overseas builders. A single manually loaded station with two staking processes lands between the two. See our custom automation lead times for what sets the schedule.
What Should You Send to Get a Staking Station Quoted?
AMD Machines quotes a staking station from your part, your components and your standards. Send:
- 3D models and 2D drawings of the part and of every component the poles must hold, with each pole marked
- the material of the part and of each captured component
- your target cycle time, annual volume and shifts
- whether an operator loads the machine or it sits in an automated line
- your plant voltage and preferred brands for PLC, HMI, ultrasonics, pneumatics and safety
- your validation requirements
- sample parts and components for staking trials
If the station will run in a line, our custom assembly machines page shows how staking fits alongside pressing, fastening and test stations.
Staking Station FAQ
How much does a plastic staking station cost?
The single manually loaded station AMD Machines quoted in 2026 came to $160,000–$200,000 with shipping and five days of commissioning, or $150,000–$190,000 for the station alone at AMD's plant. It staked six poles, four ultrasonically and two by heat staking, on a two-position index table. A station with fewer poles or a single process would cost less.
What is the difference between ultrasonic staking and heat staking?
Ultrasonic staking melts the post with high-frequency vibration from a sonotrode, 35 kHz in this AMD Machines quote. Heat staking melts it with heated tips in direct contact, held at temperature by a controller. Both reform the post into a head that captures the mating component. For process detail, see our guides to ultrasonic joining of plastics and heat staking.
Can one machine run both ultrasonic and heat staking?
Yes. The station AMD Machines quoted mounts the ultrasonic and the heat-staking tooling on one mechanism and runs both processes at a single process position, so the part is located once.
What cycle time does a staking station run?
It depends on the number of poles, the process and how the part is loaded. The station in this AMD Machines quote was designed for a cycle of about 45 seconds per part, based on simulation results.
If you're budgeting a staking machine, send us your part and components and AMD Machines will tell you which process fits each pole and what the station costs.