Launching a new line: a 14-day checklist
How a new production line is commissioned: a 14-day checklist from first start-up to full throughput, the stages and typical mistakes.
The line is installed, the equipment connected — but this is not yet a launch. Between “the equipment is in place” and “the line delivers planned throughput” lie two weeks of systematic work. In this article we share our 14-day line commissioning checklist: from cold checks to reaching full tempo.
Days 1–3: cold checks
The first stage runs without product and without load. The task is to make sure the mechanics and electrics are installed correctly before feeding raw material.
What we check in cold mode:
- Drive rotation direction — so the conveyor runs the right way;
- Belt tension and absence of mat tracking sideways;
- Triggering of emergency stops on each section;
- Route geometry: gaps, heights, section alignment;
- Tightness of pneumatic and hydraulic connections.
Belt tracking is monitored separately. A freshly installed mat almost always needs adjustment: it is run empty for 15–30 minutes and tuned with tension screws until the belt stops creeping toward the edge. A mistracked belt under load slides onto the frame, frays its edge and fails within a few shifts. We also check the drives’ starting current: it must not exceed the rating, otherwise the motor protection will trip under load. A mistake found at this stage costs an hour. The same mistake under load can cost a spoiled batch of product.
Days 4–6: start-up under load
Next the line is started with trial product but at reduced speeds. This is the most critical stage: problems invisible at idle surface here.
Engineer’s tip. Do not push the line straight to design speed. On our projects the first day under load we run at 50–60% tempo, the second at 70–80%. This way minor defects appear gradually and without breakdowns, not as an avalanche at full speed.
At this stage transfer points between conveyors are tuned, scrapers adjusted, and the behaviour of the product on curves and inclines is checked. It is precisely under load that the typical launch defects surface: breakage of delicate product at drop points, belt slippage on start-up, mat skew under real weight, run-out of unbalanced drums. Each defect is recorded in a commissioning log with its cause and the action taken — this log later becomes part of the line passport.
Days 7–9: tuning and reaching tempo
Days seven to nine bring the line up to design speed and coordinate the tacts of adjacent sections. Here the engineer balances the system so the product flows evenly without jams or downtime. The key balancing rule: the speed of each following section must be slightly higher than the previous one, otherwise product accumulates at the transition point. The difference is small — a few per cent — but without it the line “breathes” with jams.
| Day | Stage | Target throughput |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Cold checks | 0% (no product) |
| 4–6 | Start-up under load | 50–80% |
| 7–9 | Reaching tempo | 80–95% |
| 10–12 | Staff training | 90–100% |
| 13–14 | Control run | 100% |
The throughput margin we build in during design lets the line calmly reach 100% without running at its limit. For more on the approach, see articles tagged launch.
Typical launch mistakes
Over years of commissioning we see the same mistakes that wreck the schedule. The first — an attempt to skip the cold checks and feed product straight away “because of deadlines”. The second — reaching full speed on the very first day under load. The third — saving on staff training: the crew leaves, the operators are left alone with an unfamiliar line, and throughput collapses.
A separate category is supply mistakes. If a spare belt, scrapers or seals have not been delivered by launch, the first serious defect stops the line for weeks of waiting. That is why we draw up the list of spare parts for stock before installation, not after. And one more thing: a line cannot be considered launched if it works only in the presence of the commissioning crew. The real criterion is stable operation by the customer’s own staff.
Days 10–12: staff training
A line tuned by an engineer does not yet mean a working line. Until operators master the equipment, throughput rests on the presence of the commissioning crew.
These three days are devoted to staff: operators learn to start and stop the line, change over units, react to typical faults. In parallel they work under our engineers’ supervision — a safe environment for first mistakes. A separate training block is safety: where the emergency stops are, which the nip points are, why any intervention in a unit is only with the line fully stopped.
Days 13–14: control run and handover
The last two days are a control run at full throughput by the customer’s own staff, without our crew’s involvement. If the line holds the planned figures shift after shift — it is accepted.
The handover includes a full package: the equipment passport, operating and maintenance instructions, a list of spare parts for stock, the commissioning log with all detected defects and actions taken. Separately we hand over the planned maintenance schedule: when to check belt tension, lubricate bearings, monitor scraper wear. A line is considered commissioned not when it starts running but when it runs stably without us.
Conclusion
Launching a line is 14 days of structured work: cold checks, gradual start-up under load, reaching tempo, staff training and a control run. The main mistake is trying to reach full speed at once. Planning to launch a new line or an upgrade? Get in touch — we will run the commissioning to a proven schedule.
