Interactive Buyer Tool
26-Station Ground-Rail Line Throughput Calculator
Model door output from takt, fixture cavities, curing dwell, shift pattern and line efficiency. The tool warns when the selected takt and usable curing stations do not provide the minimum cure time you entered.
Tool rev. October 2026
This calculator is for refrigerator doors and insulated lids, not cabinet bodies or finished refrigerators. Capacity is only meaningful when the line provides enough curing dwell after the loading, injection and unloading stations are excluded.
Throughput calculator
Adjust the inputs and check the feasibility message first. Output equals indexes per hour × fixture cavities × OEE. Total stations determine curing dwell; they do not multiply hourly output.
Estimated output
Planning estimate only. Confirm the door drawing, fixture cavities, handling sequence, PU formulation, temperature and cure time before using this result for purchasing.
Get a line study for these numbersHow the calculation works
No black box. Four steps turn a takt time into an annual figure, and one honest caveat keeps the station count where it belongs.
1 · Doors per hour
Indexes per hour = 3,600 ÷ takt. Multiply by approved fixture cavities and OEE. A single-cavity fixture does not become 26 cavities because the line has 26 stations.
2 · Per shift and per day
Doors per hour × productive hours per shift gives shift output. Multiply by shifts per day and working days per year for planning figures.
3 · Per year
Daily output × working days per year (after holidays and planned maintenance) gives the annual capacity that a payback model is built on — typically 300 working days.
4 · Station count ≠ hourly rate
The 26 stations do not multiply the rate. Effective curing stations = total stations − loading/injection/unloading stations. Available cure dwell = effective curing stations × takt.
What moves the real number
The calculator gives a clean estimate. On the floor, five variables decide whether you hit it. Each one is a question to settle before you sign a line order.
Cabinet size and wall thickness
Different door and lid constructions need different shot weights and cure conditions. Use the real product drawing and approved foam process.
Curing dwell
PU must remain clamped for the approved minimum dwell. If usable curing stations × takt is too short, the tool marks the setup infeasible instead of presenting the output as valid.
Manual pour and load time
Door loading, insert placement, injection, closing and unloading must fit the selected line takt or be divided across dedicated stations.
Line efficiency (OEE)
Changeovers between cabinet models, short stops, material refills and start-up scrap all pull efficiency below 100%. A well-run single-product line sits around 85%; a high-mix line runs lower. Model the number you can sustain.
Material and steam supply
A 200 m³/h steam supply and stable PU metering keep the rail moving. If polyol/iso temperature drifts or steam capacity is short, density and cure suffer and the line slows to protect quality.
See the refrigerator manufacturing solution behind the line
This calculator covers the door-foaming operation only. The refrigerator solution explains how door fixtures, the ground-rail line and the integrated PU dosing and mixing system are configured separately from cabinet-body foaming.
View the refrigerator manufacturing solutionThroughput calculator — FAQ
How many doors can a 26-station ground-rail line produce?
The estimate depends on takt, approved fixture cavities and OEE, and is valid only when the usable stations provide the required cure dwell. Door output must not be reported as cabinet-body or finished-refrigerator output.
Why does the calculator default to a 20-second cycle?
Twenty seconds is the current reference index time for this line configuration. It is not universal: loading, injection, fixture design and the approved cure time must all support it.
Does adding more stations make the line faster?
No. A ground-rail line releases the number of doors held in one indexed fixture. More usable stations increase curing dwell and work-in-process, not doors released per index.
What line efficiency should I assume?
For a well-run line producing one or two cabinet models, 80–88% is realistic once changeovers, short stops and start-up scrap are counted. A high-mix line with frequent model changes runs lower. The 85% default is a sensible planning figure; model the efficiency you can actually sustain.
Is this estimate good enough to plan an investment?
It is good enough to scope the decision — to see whether one line, two shifts or a faster takt gets you to your target volume. Before you commit, send us your cabinet classes, wall thicknesses and target volume and we will return a configured line study with a takt, station count and capacity matched to your product.
Want these numbers configured to your cabinets?
Send us your door drawings, wall construction, model mix, target output and available layout. We will check the fixture, handling sequence, curing dwell and integrated dosing system together.
Request a line study