When production capacity reaches its limit, building a new facility may seem like the obvious next step. But more capacity doesn’t always require more floor space.
For manufacturers with unused vertical space or inefficient product flows, retrofitting can provide a faster and more cost-effective alternative. The key question is: are you making the best use of the space you already have?
Retrofit before you rebuild
Building a new facility offers complete freedom. You can create a new layout, install new equipment and design around future production requirements.
But it also comes with significant investment, longer project timelines and a longer wait before that investment starts delivering returns.
A factory retrofit takes a different approach. Instead of starting from scratch, it focuses on improving the existing production environment.
This could mean modernizing equipment, redesigning product flows, removing bottlenecks or introducing automation exactly where it has the greatest impact.
The goal isn’t simply to fit more equipment into the same building. It’s about creating a smarter and more efficient flow within the space already available.
Think cubic, not square
When manufacturers run out of floor space, the first thought is often to expand outward.
But there’s another dimension available: height.
Vertical conveying makes it possible to transport products between different elevations while requiring relatively little floor space.
This can be especially valuable when long incline conveyors occupy space that could otherwise be used for production, processing, storage or additional automation.
Depending on the application and layout, replacing traditional conveying methods with compact vertical conveying can reduce conveyor footprint by up to 80%.
In other words:
Don’t just think in square meters. Think in cubic meters.
How can Spiral Conveyors help with a factory retrofit?
An Apollo Spiral Conveyor continuously moves products up or down between different elevations while maintaining a compact footprint.
This makes Spiral Conveyors particularly suitable for retrofit projects where:
- floor space is limited;
- existing incline conveyors take up valuable production space;
- different production levels need to be connected;
- an elevator or lift is restricting continuous product flow;
- additional production capacity needs to fit within an existing facility.
Instead of designing your building around the conveyor, vertical conveying allows you to adapt the product flow to the space you already have.
This can open up valuable floor space while maintaining the continuous movement of products through the production process.
Retrofit without putting production on hold
Creating additional capacity isn’t only a question of space. Time matters too.
A completely new facility can take years from initial planning to full operation. A well-planned retrofit can often be implemented much faster and, depending on the project, introduced in stages.
This can help minimize disruption to existing production while allowing improvements to start delivering value sooner.
Less disruption. Faster implementation. Earlier returns.
More than just saving space
A successful retrofit shouldn’t start with a machine. It should start with the product flow.
Where are products waiting? Where are the bottlenecks? Which conveyors are using more floor space than necessary?
Could products move vertically instead of horizontally? Where is existing equipment limiting throughput?
By looking at the complete process first, manufacturers can identify where targeted changes can have the greatest impact.
Modernizing material handling equipment can potentially help improve throughput, reduce maintenance requirements and make better use of the existing facility — without completely redesigning the production environment.
When is rebuilding the better option?
Retrofitting isn’t always the right answer.
If the existing site’s infrastructure has reached its limits, there is no realistic room for future growth or production requires a fundamentally different layout, a new facility may be the better long-term investment.
That’s why the decision shouldn’t simply be retrofit versus rebuild.
It should start with understanding what your existing facility is still capable of.
Before you build bigger, look up
Increasing capacity doesn’t automatically mean increasing your building footprint.
Sometimes the opportunity is already there: above your existing production floor.
By using vertical space and optimizing product flow, manufacturers can potentially create additional capacity, free valuable floor space and get more from the facility they already have.
Ready to get more from your existing space?
Before investing in additional floor space, it can be worth exploring how much capacity is still hidden within your existing facility.
Our vertical conveying experts can help you explore how smarter product flow and better use of vertical space could support your operation.
