How much can this line really make?
Theoretical capacity assumes the line never stops and always runs at rate. Real capacity is what you can actually promise once losses are taken out. Enter your run rate, schedule and OEE to see both, and the hidden capacity sitting between them that you already own but lose to downtime. Numbers update as you type.
Your line and schedule
Use the ideal run rate (the nameplate or best sustained rate), not your current average, so the theoretical figure is a true ceiling.
Capacity you use vs capacity you own
Your capacity split appears here.
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The gap is only a guess until you measure it.
Real capacity moves with your OEE, and OEE is only honest when stops and speed are actually counted. The free OEE Tracker measures them at the line, so the capacity number you plan and promise against is real.
Open the free OEE TrackerReclaim the capacity you already own.
The gap between theoretical and real capacity is not a machine you need to buy, it is time the line loses to breakdowns, small stops and slow cycles. Fabrico puts the video of a stop next to its machine data where cameras are fitted, with AI-suggested likely causes, and lets a technician open the work order from the stop.
Book a Fabrico demo See how Fabrico tracks OEEWhy real capacity is the number you should plan against
It is tempting to plan and quote against theoretical capacity, the figure on the machine's nameplate. Do it and you will over-promise every time, because no line runs every scheduled minute at full rate with zero rejects. Real capacity, theoretical capacity multiplied by OEE, is what you can actually deliver. The difference between the two is not waste you have to accept, it is capacity you already paid for and are not getting. On a line at 65 percent OEE, roughly a third of the scheduled capacity is sitting in that gap, most of it recoverable without a single new machine. For how much of their full capacity US plants use, industry by industry, see the US capacity utilization by industry data from the Census.
The math
Theoretical capacity = ideal run rate times hours per shift times shifts per day times operating days. Real capacity = theoretical capacity times OEE. Lost capacity = theoretical capacity minus real capacity, which is the same as theoretical times one minus OEE. Because real capacity scales directly with OEE, a ten point OEE gain turns straight into ten points more output from the assets you already run.
A worked example: the numbers in the calculator
- Theoretical capacity = 600 units an hour × 8 hours × 2 shifts × 5 days = 48,000 units a week.
- Real capacity = 48,000 × 65% OEE = 31,200 units a week, 1,622,400 over a 52-week year.
- Lost capacity = 48,000 - 31,200 = 16,800 units a week, already paid for in machines, people and floor space.
What 10 OEE points are worth: at 75% the same line makes 36,000 units a week, 4,800 more. A shift at today's 65% makes 3,120 units (600 × 8 × 0.65), so the 10 points are worth more than one and a half extra shifts, with no extra shift to staff.
Where the lost capacity goes
OEE is availability × performance × quality, so the same 65% can hide very different problems. 85% × 85% × 90% is 65%, and so is 95% × 76% × 90%. The first line loses most to stops and slow running in equal parts; the second hardly stops but runs slow, which usually means micro-stops and speed loss. Split your OEE before you choose a fix: the six big losses calculator turns each factor into minutes, the hidden factory calculator sizes the micro-stops and the changeover calculator prices the setups.
Common mistakes
- Raising OEE on the wrong machine. A line makes what its slowest machine makes. More OEE on a machine that is not the bottleneck adds no output.
- One rate for a mixed product range. Units an hour differ by product. Calculate per product family, or plan in hours instead of units.
- Quoting the best week. Use an OEE you have held for a month or more, not the week everything ran.
- Forgetting the mix gets wider. More products mean more changeovers, and every changeover comes out of real capacity.
How do you calculate production capacity?
Multiply the ideal run rate by hours per shift, shifts per day and operating days for theoretical capacity, then multiply by OEE for real capacity. 600 units an hour, 8 hours, 2 shifts and 5 days is 48,000 units a week; at 65% OEE that is 31,200.
How much capacity does one OEE point add?
One OEE point adds 1% of theoretical capacity. On a line with 48,000 units a week of theoretical capacity, each point is 480 units a week.
Should I use nameplate rate or my average rate?
Use the ideal or best sustained rate for the theoretical figure, so it is a true ceiling. Your current average already has performance losses baked in, so using it would double-count those losses once you also apply OEE, and understate the capacity you are actually leaving on the table.
Does OEE already include the schedule?
No, and that is why they multiply cleanly. OEE measures losses inside planned production time; the schedule (shifts and days) sets how much planned time there is. If you also want to account for unscheduled time, look at TEEP, which extends the idea to all calendar hours.
How do I close the gap?
Measure where the losses are, then remove the biggest ones. The six big losses calculator shows which losses to attack first, the OEE calculator tracks the number that drives real capacity, and Fabrico shows camera video of each stop, where cameras are fitted, with a suggested cause so the hidden capacity actually comes back.
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