Greenhouse, Indoor Farming & Agri-Processing worked example

Packhouse Throughput at 61% line uptime: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop line uptime to 61%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Forecast clamshells, bags, or cases per shift through a leafy green or berry packhouse from line speed, scheduled run-hours, line uptime, and packout to confirm whether the packing schedule can clear the day's harvest.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Pack line speed: 1,800 clamshells / hour (held at the documented default)
  • Scheduled run-hours: 7 hours (held at the documented default)
  • Line uptime: 61 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 85)
  • Pack-fill packout: 95 % (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Gross pack potential = pack line speed × scheduled run-hours.
  • Saleable pack throughput works out to 7,302 clamshells at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Gross pack potential works out to 12,600 clamshells at these inputs.
  • Line downtime loss works out to 4,914 clamshells at these inputs.
  • Reject and giveaway loss works out to 384 clamshells at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where line uptime sits at 85% and the headline result is 10,175 clamshells, this scenario comes in 28.24% below the baseline at 7,302 clamshells.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to line uptime, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It assumes steady-state line speed and a single packout rate; a line with frequent product changeovers or variable fruit sizing will swing around this estimate.

Results at a glance

  • Saleable pack throughput: 7,302 clamshells (headline result)
  • Gross pack potential: 12,600 clamshells
  • Line downtime loss: 4,914 clamshells
  • Reject and giveaway loss: 384 clamshells

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Packhouse Throughput calculator, set line uptime to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.