Capacity Planning, Project Management – Hotel Chocolat

Capacity Planning, Project Management & Project Engineering to scope and install a new chocolate moulding line within Hotel Chocolat’s Hadley Park Facility.

The Challenge

With an aspiration to increase throughput and capacity planning and improve consistency whilst considering resourcing requirements ongoing at their Hadley Park facility; Hotel Chocolat partnered with Protolan to deliver the installation of a new chocolate moulding circuit.

Delivering Success

To support the ongoing capacity of the factory Protolan removed an existing moulding line and relocated equipment to create a new one.

Capability included mould warming, decoration, filling, cooling, de-moulding, robotic product pack placement and in-line product wrapping. In conjunction with capability we optimised the line volumetrically by installing a stainless platform enabled the cooling process to be created on a first-floor level.

To ensure full automation capability, an optimised mould re-design was implemented, and a new flow wrapper was installed to deliver maximum production flexibility and efficiency.

Main challenges:

1) Ensuring the robotic “product to pack” process was streamlined because of the range in product size and design.
2) The project took place within a live working environment and it was imperative that there was no disruption to ongoing output

Alongside the project a new “future proofed” mould wash facility was created to support site and capacity expansion (included civils alternations as well as construction).

Services Delivered

Project Management | Project Engineering | Food Capacity Planning

Food Production Review for New Ready Meals Factory

Food Production Review for New Ready Meals Factory
The Project

Food production review for multi-million-pound scheme to deliver manufacturing excellence for a new Ready Meals Factory in Texas, USA.

The Challenge

With the development of a new factory in Texas, our client required a comprehensive production review to ensure capacity planning, process flows, and equipment
procurement to be able to meet the specific requirement of their customers.

Delivering Success

Protolan applied a four-stage process including feasibility, design and procurement, implementation, and commissioning. Our project engineers worked alongside our client to co-ordinate front-end capacity work which enabled a process flow model to be interactive and specifically identify bottlenecks. Equipment specification comprised of the selection, coordination, delivery and installation and commissioning of all preparation, cooking, cooling, packaging and ancillary equipment to ensure the customer had all elements necessary to launch a high volume, multi-component ready meals process.

Protolan delivered a multifaceted approach utilising 3D modelling to ensure that specialist process equipment procured from the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy and UK were all coordinated, delivered, installed and commissioned within the facility.

Protolan advised on building and infrastructure to ensure best practice hygienic design across the factory.

We delivered a full package service including:

This successful project is now operational and delivering products for our client’s customers.

Food Production Capacity Increase for Morrisons

Food Production Capacity Increase

Morrisons is the UK’s 2nd largest fresh food manufacturer with 18 sites across the country. To ensure they continue to offer fresh food at a great value, they sought to increase food production capacity and develop technologically advanced, efficient and labour reducing facilities at their root vegetable production sites in Gadbrook and Rushden.

The Challenge

Morrisons goal was to increase capacity across root vegetable production at Gadbrook (as an initial phase), followed by a second phase at Rushden to consolidate potato packing from three packing facilities to two, whilst improving finished pack quality.

Delivering Success

Protolan has worked with Morrisons on several projects.

To deliver these schemes, Protolan was recruited to supply Food Project Management, Food Project Engineering and Food Capacity Planning.

We led both projects and worked closely with the management team involved to scope, procure, implement and commission the building and equipment through Workstream Management Project Process.

Protolan managed the removal of all existing process equipment and the redevelopment of the buildings resulting in a higher specification (including strip out and installation).

The end to end replacement of all process equipment delivered:

  • Potato conditioning by individual load
  • Washing equipment with optional use of a potato polisher
  • Optical grading to remove 98% of rejects and size grade the raw material (using 4k camera technology)
  • Automated delivery and storage of graded, washed raw material with automated delivery to the packing process (this was the first of its kind in the UK)
  • Packing lines with grading, weighing and Vertical Form Fill Seal and bulk packing capabilities
  • Checkweighers (linked to weigher for automated control of weights)

The projects had their similarities, but specific differences included:

  • New Waste Water Treatment Plant at Gadbrook recycling 90% of all process water
  • Upgrade to existing Waste Water Treatment Plant at Rushden
  • Raw material grading of off-field material at Rushden
  • First pass optical grading to eliminate 95% of material defects ahead of secondary optical grading process of 98% Rushden to eliminate all manual grading operations.

Both projects were a success, delivered to budget and on time to hit the site peak volume period of Christmas

Food Production Capacity Review to Manufacturing Facility

Food Production Capacity Review to Manufacturing Facility – Poland
The Project

Protolan implemented a food production capacity review and delivered Project Management and Project Engineering support to provide an extension to an existing manufacturing facility in Poland. This included the design, installation and commissioning of new Process Kitchen (sauce manufacturing plant) and High-Speed Filling/Packing Line. (Although inherently involved in other areas of the project, our role was focused around the Filling/Packing Line.)

The Challenge

The scope of the project was to design and deliver a new High-Speed Bottle Filling and Packing Line incorporating the latest technology and automation.

The project consisted of an extension of an existing manufacturing facility, installation of all new services, installation of a new Process kitchen and development and installation of a new high-speed filling and packaging line.

The high-speed filling and packaging line included a preform handling and bottle blowing system as well as a high-speed bottle filler. Protolan were involved in the

entire project, but with specific emphasis for our skills to deliver the filling and packaging lines. The project was completed entirely overseas at the manufacturing site in Poland. There was a major requirement to rapidly build our knowledge of Polish culture, regulations and working environment.

Another major concern was to ensure that the development of the process line was integrated into the Project to ensure alignment with building extension works and Process Kitchen installation.

Delivering Success

This project was challenging and a major success.

Protolan worked closely with the Polish site team and wider project delivery team, integrating across all work streams and project delivery teams. This ensured consistent communication in an environment where language and culture could have been a barrier.

Food Manufacturing Project Engineering and Capacity Planning

Food Manufacturing Project Engineering and Capacity Planning Support
The Project

A major capital investment project providing food manufacturing project engineering and capacity planning to accommodate a range of pot desserts for a premium manufacturer of ambient cakes and desserts.

The Challenge

Protolan were required to deliver Project Engineering & Capacity Planning resource for our client to support their site with mapping out all new products, assigning capacity and then establishing a set of planning rules that allowed the site team to effectively schedule all processes on a day to day basis.

Delivering Success

Protolan delivered a capacity planning model that developed a process map for all products and allocated these processes to new equipment. We worked to formulate a detailed capacity model which assigns volume to each process and subprocess and identifies raw material, intermediate and finished goods storage requirements. We also created a dynamic process flow plan that allows different scenarios to be reviewed and potential breach points/limitations identified.

To maximise opportunity Protolan established a set of planning rules that can effectively be used to map day to day production schedules. We also created a list of recommendations associated with equipment and plant that may release capacity/bottlenecks moving forward.

Our experienced team lead, design, and implement process improvements for Food Project Engineering and Capacity Planning and develop strategies for inventory and production.

We endeavour to identify a new way of doing things and see challenges from a different perspective.  We deliver clarity, clear thinking and answer the question of “how can we achieve manufacturing excellence?”

Food Capacity Planning Matters…

We believe Food Capacity Planning matters to food manufacturers.

A constant challenge is how to increase productivity, improve processes and maximise volumes.  Manufacturers are also looking to increase revenue and ensure food manufacturing facilities reach their potential.

This is where Food Capacity Planning matters.  It is also where Protolan can help.

We have a wealth of experience, across all sectors, delivering bespoke capacity planning models.

Our experienced team lead, design, and implement process improvements for Capacity Planning and develop strategies for inventory and production.

We endeavour to identify a new way of doing things and see challenges from a different perspective.  We deliver clarity, clear thinking and answer the question of “how can we achieve manufacturing excellence?”

Have a read of Capacity Planning Matters for more insight.

We have a wealth of experience, across all sectors, delivering bespoke capacity planning models.

Our experienced team lead, design, and implement process improvements for Capacity Planning and develop strategies for
inventory and production. We endeavour to identify a new way of doing things and see challenges from a different perspective. We
deliver clarity, clear thinking and answer the question of “how can we achieve manufacturing excellence?”