Optimization of Water Consumption in HV100 Extraction and Hydration Process

Abstract

Water consumption in high-volume manufacturing environments represents a significant operational and sustainability challenge, particularly in rinse-intensive processes requiring continuous deionized (DI) water flow. Within the High Volume 100 (HV100) business unit, the Extraction and Hydration (E&H) process was identified as a major contributor to overall plant water consumption. This study evaluated a process optimization strategy to reduce DI water flow from 10 L/min to 5 L/min using a Lean Six Sigma DMAIC methodology. Engineering Study (ES), Operational Qualification (OQ), and Performance Qualification (PQ) activities were executed under worst-case and normal manufacturing conditions to verify that the proposed reduction maintained acceptable process performance and product quality. Results demonstrated that evaluated parameters remained within established acceptance criteria, while the proposed optimization is expected to reduce annual DI water consumption by approximately 50%, from nearly 34 million gallons to approximately 17 million gallons annually.