Driving Efficiency with Technical Upgrades and Smart Investment

Project Overview

One of the biggest challenges at a Procter & Gamble site where our team was executing projects was a capacity constraint. The first question was whether it was more economical to increase the speed of existing lines or to purchase and deploy additional lines. The second was to understand what it would take technically to substantially increase the speed of cutting-edge production lines. The project was structured in phases, beginning with R&D to determine the limits of increasing line speed, followed by cost analysis for deploying additional lines, and finally evaluating the investment required to roll out the first phase across multiple lines if the R&D results were positive.

Case Study: Increasing Line Speed at a Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Site

Introduction

Manufacturers often face the challenge of balancing rising demand with capital investment decisions. At one Procter & Gamble site, the production team faced a critical capacity constraint. Leadership needed to determine whether it was more cost-effective to invest in entirely new production lines or to increase the performance of the existing ones. Joltek was engaged to lead the technical and business evaluation, develop a clear business case, and manage the execution of key upgrades.

The Challenge

The site operated cutting-edge, high-speed production lines, yet demand forecasts showed that current capacity would soon be insufficient. Leadership faced two pressing questions:

1. Was it more economical to increase throughput by accelerating existing lines, or would additional lines be required?
2. If line speed increases were viable, what technical modifications and investments would be necessary to achieve stable performance without compromising quality or reliability?

This project demanded not only deep technical expertise but also a rigorous business case to weigh capital costs, operational risks, and long-term scalability.

The Approach

Phase 1: Business Case Development

We began with a holistic assessment of both options: line speed increases versus new line deployment.

• Financial modeling was conducted to compare capital expenditure for new equipment against the incremental cost of upgrading existing lines.
• Scenario analysis considered downstream impacts such as material supply, staffing, and utility requirements.
• ROI evaluation framed leadership’s decision-making around both short-term gains and long-term flexibility.

This ensured the project was not just a technical exercise, but also a strategic investment decision.

Phase 2: Technical Feasibility and R&D

The R&D effort focused on identifying system constraints that limited line speed. Our team worked alongside OEMs and integrators to:

• Analyze VFDs and servo drives for performance and failure risks at higher operating speeds.
• Test Cognex vision systems to ensure product inspection could maintain accuracy at faster throughputs.
• Evaluate bottlenecks in synchronization between equipment and control logic.
• Conduct controlled trials to validate system behavior under increased loads.

This phase provided leadership with data-driven insights into which upgrades were necessary and which were optional.

Phase 3: Execution and Integration

Once feasibility was established, the project transitioned into execution. Key responsibilities included:

• Managing system integrators responsible for PLC programming, SCADA adjustments, and equipment interfacing.
• Coordinating electrical crews for installation of upgraded drives, controls, and supporting infrastructure.
• Supervising commissioning and testing to validate performance under real production conditions.
• Training operators and maintenance teams to adapt to new performance standards and equipment behavior.

Throughout execution, risk was closely managed to minimize disruption to ongoing production.

The Result

The phased approach delivered clarity and measurable value:

• Leadership received a comprehensive business case comparing incremental upgrades against new line investment.
• Technical upgrades were successfully implemented, including VFDs, servo drives, and vision systems, enabling substantial line speed improvements.
• The upgraded line delivered a double-digit increase in throughput, reducing the need for additional shifts and deferring major capital expenditures.
• A clear roadmap was developed for applying the same upgrades to other lines across the facility.

This project highlighted how aligning technical execution with business strategy can unlock hidden capacity, avoid unnecessary capital spend, and extend the life of existing assets.

Lessons Learned

1. Integration is critical: accelerating one piece of equipment is meaningless unless the entire line can stay synchronized.
2. Business case discipline matters: leadership trusted the technical upgrades because they were framed within clear financial outcomes.
3. Cross-functional management drives success: coordinating integrators, electrical crews, and OEM support ensured the project stayed on schedule and delivered results.
4. Small component choices have large impacts: vision systems, drives, and control logic all became make-or-break factors once line speed increased.

Conclusion

Capacity constraints are inevitable in high-volume manufacturing. This project demonstrated that with the right technical expertise, business analysis, and disciplined execution, manufacturers can often unlock significant performance gains without the cost of major new capital investment.

At Joltek, we specialize in bridging these worlds: combining hands-on technical knowledge with strategic insight to deliver results through strategy, alignment, and execution.

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