Size a processing line in one sentence
Choose what you want to make and how much per day. The planner lays out the process steps, links the machines that do each one, and estimates throughput, raw material intake and equipment size.
How the estimate is calculated
Line throughput is your daily finished output divided by operating hours.
Raw material per day divides that output by a typical yield: about 0.97–0.98 L of product per litre of milk for liquid dairy, around 7.5 L of milk per kg of mozzarella, about 22 L of milk per kg of butter, roughly 6.5 kg of fresh tomatoes per kg of 28–30 °Brix paste, 0.6 L of juice per kg of fruit, and 8 L of soy milk per kg of dry beans.
Suggested equipment size takes the hourly raw-material flow, adds a 20% margin for cleaning and start-up, and rounds up to a standard machine size.
Reception buffer is a tank or silo that holds one day of raw intake, rounded up to a standard volume.
Real plants also depend on recipe, solids content, cleaning schedule and packaging speed, so treat these numbers as a starting point for a conversation with our engineers.
Planning questions
How many hours a day should a small dairy run?
Many small dairies process in one or two shifts (8–16 hours), leaving time for cleaning-in-place. Running longer lowers the hourly equipment size you need for the same daily output.
Why add a capacity margin?
Lines lose time to start-up, product changeovers and CIP. A 15–20% margin keeps you on target and leaves room to grow.
Can the planner size a line for several products?
Run it once per product. Shared sections such as reception, pasteurisation and CIP are then sized for the combined volume by our engineers.