Production Startup
Water bottling plant turnkey: stages, timelines, budget
Equipment is the smaller part of a water project by time and a significant but not the only part by money. The real schedule is determined by documents, the site and utility networks.
What turnkey means
Turnkey means one contractor is responsible for the result: from concept and business plan to bringing the line to design capacity and training the personnel. The customer receives a working production, not a set of machines on the site.
The key value of this approach is a single point of responsibility. When equipment, water treatment, engineering and installation are purchased from different suppliers, the interfaces between them become a no-one's-land.
Project stages
- 1
Concept and financial model
Assortment, volumes, sales channels, cost and payback calculation. 3-6 weeks.
- 2
Water source and analysis
Well or municipal supply, extended seasonal analysis. 4-12 weeks.
- 3
Site
Selection or audit of premises, evaluation of power, water and sewer capacity. 4-8 weeks.
- 4
Engineering
Process flow diagram, layout, engineering sections, equipment specification. 6-10 weeks.
- 5
Manufacturing and delivery
Equipment production, acceptance, logistics and customs clearance. 12-24 weeks.
- 6
Installation and commissioning
Installation, piping, cold and hot trials. 6-10 weeks.
- 7
Certification and ramp-up
Product registration, production control, personnel training. 4-8 weeks.
Approximate budget structure
| Item | Share of budget |
|---|---|
| Filling line and packaging | 40-55% |
| Water treatment | 8-15% |
| Engineering: compressor, cooling, compressed air | 10-15% |
| Construction and installation works, floor | 10-20% |
| Logistics and customs | 5-10% |
| Commissioning, training, documentation | 3-7% |
How timelines are shortened
- Parallel tracks
- Documents and the site are prepared simultaneously with equipment manufacturing, not after.
- Early water analysis
- Seasonal analysis is ordered in the first project week: it determines the whole scheme.
- Ready layout solutions
- Typical line projects shorten the engineering stage by several weeks.
- Single contractor
- Removes time spent coordinating interfaces between suppliers.
FAQ
How long does the whole project take?
From the first meeting to the first shipment is usually 10-18 months. Manufacturing and installing the line is the smaller part of this timeline.
Can we start small and expand?
Yes, this is a working strategy. It is important to reserve in the layout and utilities for a second line, otherwise expansion will require shop rework.
What is the typical payback?
With adequate sales — from 18 months. The figure strongly depends on the retail price in the region, logistics radius and packaging cost.
Read next
Ready solutions
Equipment catalog
Project services
Related projects
Calculation on the topic
We will calculate your line
Describe the product, packaging formats and planned volume — we will prepare a line scheme, specification and preliminary budget estimate with payback.
- Line scheme and unit specification for your product
- Budget range and payback period
- Site requirements: power, water, personnel