Efficiency increase of 23% in a dairy near Gostyń
We conducted a bottleneck analysis and helped obtain a subsidy for a new bottling line. The entire process from application to launch took 7 months.
We helped the Gostyńskie Pola Dairy modernize its machine park without financial risk. We focused on eliminating bottlenecks that were blocking the plant's development. Thanks to a subsidy from ARiMR, the client bought a new line that works faster and consumes less electricity.
The challenge
The plant in Gostyń struggled with an old bottling line that was already 15 years old. The machine broke down an average of 3 times a month, generating 13.5 hours of unplanned downtime. Every such failure is not only repair costs but also 1.8% of raw material losses during the restart of the system. The management wanted to increase exports to the Czech Republic, but the current production capacity did not allow for this. They lacked 2.37 million PLN for the investment and a clear plan on how to recover this money from EU funds.
Our approach
The Meridian Greater Poland team spent 4 days at the plant, measuring real work times and losses at each stage. We discovered that the main problem was not the bottling itself, but the slow bulk packaging at the end of the line. We prepared the documentation for a specific call for applications for the modernization of processing. We know the land and the numbers, so we immediately indicated which machines would meet environmental requirements, which gave additional points in the application assessment.
The solution
We implemented a new, fully automated bottling line with a water recovery system. Meridian Greater Poland took over all communication with the offices, from submitting the application to the final settlement of the subsidy. We shortened the machine washing process by 42 minutes per day thanks to the CIP system. Additionally, we installed simple production monitoring that shows the efficiency in real time on the shift manager's tablet. We got facts, not promises – the machines started according to the schedule.
Results
The dairy not only increased its work pace but also drastically lowered its operating costs. Thanks to the new technology, the plant signed 3 new contracts with retail chains that it was previously unable to serve. We watch the deadlines for you, so the settlement of the subsidy went through without any corrections from the office.
Timeline
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March 2024Technological audit and measurement of losses in the production hall
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May 2024Submission of a complete application for funding to ARiMR
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July 2024Signing the contract and approving the machine specification
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October 2024Assembly of the line and training of 14 service employees
"I was afraid we'd be stuck in paperwork for years. Meridian Greater Poland handled the offices, and we focused on production. The subsidy transfer came 19 days ahead of schedule."