Layout checklist
Bottled Water Filling Line Layout Checklist
Use this layout checklist to collect site facts before a PET bottled water filling line arrangement is approved. Record the building, equipment interfaces and material routes on one measured drawing. A preliminary sketch can start a discussion; it is not a released installation drawing or proof that a line fits.
Measure the Building From One Reference Point
Name the drawing revision, units, survey date and person responsible for the measurements. Locate objects from a common datum so separate sketches do not imply conflicting positions. The layout guide explains arrangement choices; this worksheet records the site evidence.
Measure the Building From One Reference Point - Planning Table
| Survey item | Record | Check before layout release |
|---|---|---|
| Usable building envelope | Clear internal length, width, height and changes in floor level. | Exclude structural obstructions and areas unavailable for equipment. |
| Columns and fixed services | Position and dimensions from the chosen datum; overhead restrictions. | Include projections, low beams and services that affect access or lifting. |
| Doors and delivery route | Clear opening width/height, turns, thresholds and route from unloading. | Compare with actual shipment or module dimensions, not assembled-machine footprint alone. |
| Floor and drainage | Known floor condition, drains, slopes, pits and restricted areas. | Have the responsible qualified parties confirm loads, drainage and any required local works. |
| Retained machines | Outline, operating side, transfer height and connection coordinates. | Verify measurements on site rather than relying only on an old plan. |
Trace Material and People Routes Through the Proposed Line
A layout must support normal replenishment as well as equipment placement. Mark the routes below separately, then check where they intersect. The arrangement should follow the site hygiene and safety plan; this checklist does not prescribe statutory clearances.
Trace Material and People Routes Through the Proposed Line - Planning Table
| Route | Start and destination | Conflict to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Bottles or preforms | Storage/loading or blower to the rinser infeed. | Incoming supplies crossing finished-load movement or blocking bottle handling. |
| Caps, labels and pack materials | Material storage to each replenishment point. | Reels, cartons or pallets occupying operating and service space. |
| Finished packs | Packer exit through stacking/wrapping to dispatch. | Loads queuing at the line exit during an ordinary removal cycle. |
| People, cleaning and maintenance | Workstations, inspection points and service access. | Tasks requiring passage through restricted machine or vehicle areas. |
| Rejects and waste | Collection points to the approved removal route. | Reject containers and waste handling obstructing access or clean material flow. |
Match Every Utility Point to a Supplier Requirement
List the connection location and the conditions available at the machine. Keep measured site availability separate from the equipment demand. Review the utility requirements guide when defining the schedule.
Match Every Utility Point to a Supplier Requirement - Planning Table
| Utility | Site information | Supplier input needed |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical | Supply characteristics, connection location and documented available capacity. | Selected-machine loads, connection requirements and operating assumptions. |
| Product water and rinse supply | Source/route, storage, available conditions and connection boundary. | Required quality, flow, pressure and cleaning/rinse arrangements. |
| Compressed air | Source, pressure/flow evidence, quality and simultaneous plant users. | Service air versus blowing air, point-of-use duty and treatment requirements. |
| Cooling, heat and drainage | Available services and approved discharge routes where relevant. | Demands created by the chosen blower, labeler, packer and process equipment. |
Reserve Operating and Maintenance Space, Not Just Floor Area
Request the selected-machine drawings showing open doors, guards, parts-removal paths and service access. Add space for tools, launch-format parts and the actual replenishment tasks. A generic square-meter allowance cannot validate those envelopes.
- Keep supplier-specified access and locally required routes visible on the controlled drawing.
- Identify free accumulation positions separately from normally occupied conveyor positions.
- Reserve a named future upgrade with its connections and material routes, not an undefined empty rectangle.
- For replacement projects, mark removal and installation sequence, temporary storage and the planned production shutdown.
Record Layout Issues Before Freezing the Drawing
Use an issue register rather than approving a drawing with unexplained assumptions. These are illustrative issue types, not observations from a customer site.
Record Layout Issues Before Freezing the Drawing - Planning Table
| Open issue | Evidence or action needed | Closure record |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery doorway not measured | Compare surveyed opening and route with shipment dimensions. | Measurement reference, transport plan and responsible reviewer. |
| Packer exit overlaps pallet staging | Check the removal cycle and revise the route or staging position. | Updated layout revision with handling responsibility. |
| Drain location conflicts with equipment | Review the selected connection points and required local work. | Approved service drawing and named work owner. |
| Future blower only shown as a box | Define the proposed system, supporting air/cooling and bottle-transfer boundary. | Documented reservation basis, not an unconditional expansion promise. |
Send a Site Survey Package for Layout Review
Send the measured plan, dated photographs, machine/format list and utility schedule with unresolved items identified. Request a layout-based configuration; the equipment scope should match the same drawing revision.
- Site/drawing reference: [revision, date, units, measurement datum and survey contact].
- Building and access: [clear dimensions, columns, doors, levels, unloading and installation route].
- Line inputs/outputs: [bottle supply, product-water point, pack/pallet exit and retained equipment].
- Services and tasks: [utility coordinates, operating/maintenance envelopes, material routes and expansion assumptions].
- Release review: [open issues, owners, required evidence and authorized reviewers]. Do not use the preliminary sketch for fabrication or permanent utility placement.
Buyer questions
Questions Buyers Ask Before Quotation
Can I send a hand-drawn workshop sketch instead of CAD?
Yes for preliminary review if it includes units, clear measurements, columns, doors, utility points and material directions. Mark unknowns. A controlled supplier/site drawing is still needed before installation decisions.
Is the sum of machine footprints the required workshop area?
No. It omits service and operating envelopes, conveyors, material staging, pack removal and required access routes. Confirm the actual arrangement and tasks rather than applying a universal area multiplier.
What should be measured on the machine delivery route?
Record clear openings, turns, thresholds, levels and overhead restrictions between unloading and final position. Compare them with the shipment or installation-module dimensions and the agreed handling method.
Who approves the final filling line layout?
The project should name the responsible equipment, site and installation reviewers. The supplier confirms its equipment interfaces while the responsible local parties address building, services and applicable safety requirements. Record the drawing revision and unresolved conditions.
When should a layout survey be updated?
Update it when a launch format, machine, retained interface, building constraint or material route changes. Check connected utility and installation documents so an old drawing is not used alongside a new equipment list.
Review Your Workshop Before Fixing the Line Layout
Send your measured workshop plan, bottle size, target output and country. Identify existing machines and open site questions so the configuration can be reviewed against real constraints.