In this phase, the focus is on
securing all legal rights and permits:

• Land acquisition: Finalize purchase or lease of the industrial land if not already owned. Register the land and ensure zoning approvals for a recycling facility. 
• Company registration and permits: Register the project as an industrial entity if needed, and apply for necessary licenses (e.g., commercial registration, environmental permit, municipal building permit). Obtain approvals from the National Centre for Environmental Compliance (for the EIA) and any other relevant bodies. This phase ends with having full legal clearance to start building and installing equipment by month 4.   

Once approvals are in hand, detailed design work proceeds:

• Factory layout and architectural design: Design the site layout including the placement of the main processing hall, storage areas, office, utilities, waste treatment area, etc. Ensure optimal workflow and safety considerations are incorporated. 
• Engineering plans: Develop structural engineering drawings for the building and foundations (especially for heavy equipment zones), electrical single-line diagrams and load calculations (since machinery like extruders require substantial power), plumbing and drainage plans (particularly for the washing line effluent and recycling system), and HVAC/ventilation plans (for worker comfort and to vent any fumes from processing). 
• Machinery layout: In coordination with equipment suppliers, create a machinery layout on the factory floor plan showing where each machine will sit, service access space, and conveyance links between stages. Utility connection points (power, water, compressed air) for each machine are planned. By the end of Phase 3, we will have complete blueprints and technical specifications, which will also be used for soliciting construction bids and finalizing equipment orders.

With designs ready, ordering long lead items begins:

• Vendor selection: Evaluate and select suppliers for the recycling line machinery. Negotiate contracts for the shredder, washer, extruder, pelletizer, and auxiliary  systems. Ensure the equipment meets the required capacity and quality standards. (Preference may be given to reputable international manufacturers with local support.)
• Place orders: Issue purchase orders for the equipment. Many industrial machines have lead times of several months. The extruder and washing line, for example, might have a 4–6 month manufacturing lead time.
• Utility infrastructure procurement: Order transformers, generators, water treatment units, etc., as needed. Also procure materials for construction (steel, cement) in parallel if advantageous to lock prices.
• Start recruitment of key personnel in this period as well (especially the Factory Manager or Project Engineer who can oversee the later phases).
• By Month 9, major equipment should be on order and scheduled for delivery in Phase 6.

Physical construction on site takes place: 

• Site preparation (Month 10): Clear and grade the land. Set out foundations according to the design (heavy machinery might need isolated reinforced concrete pads). 
• Civil construction (Months 11–13): Erect the steel structure of the main factory building, construct office space, restrooms, and any other structures (e.g. storage sheds). Install roofing, wall cladding, and flooring. Develop the site – internal roads or driveways for truck access, loading dock, perimeter fence, etc.
• Utilities installation (Months 14–15): Install electrical systems (connect to grid, install transformer and main distribution panels), lighting, and power outlets for machines. Lay plumbing lines for water supply and drainage; set up the effluent treatment plant for the wash water. Also, implement safety systems (fire alarms, extinguishers/hose reels, emergency exits signage). 
• Throughout construction, adhere to quality and safety standards. By the end of Month 15, the facility building is ready to receive machinery. This phase is one of the longest in duration, reflecting the substantial work of building an industrial plant from scratch.

As equipment arrives (likely during months 15–16), installation begins:

• Equipment delivery: All major machinery delivered to site (scheduled so that building is ready to house them). Use cranes and forklifts to move heavy equipment into position. 
• Installation (Months 16–17): Machinery is anchored in place and assembled. Technicians from the equipment suppliers will typically supervise this. Connect each machine to power and utilities as per specifications. Connect inter-machine conveyors and material handling systems. 
• Integration and dry testing (Month 18): Once installed, each component is tested individually (motors run, controls calibrated) and then the line is tested as a whole (dry runs without waste input, to synchronize operations). The supplier engineers will commission the extruder (heat it up, run trial material) and adjust settings for optimal performance.
• Training during commissioning: This phase also doubles as hands-on training for Ansaam’s operators and technicians – they work alongside the supplier’s engineers to learn the ins and outs of the equipment.
• By the end of Month 18, the plant should be mechanically and electrically operational. We expect to have an initial batch of recycled pellets produced during testing, though not yet at full scale or consistent quality until Phase 7. 

While some key staff are already hired by this time, the bulk of hiring is completed here: 

• Complete hiring of all 17 initial staff (if not done progressively earlier). This includes operators, remaining labourers, QC personnel, etc.
• Intensive training program: Conduct safety training for all new hires. Provide operational training by having new operators shadow the initial team during the ongoing commissioning. If needed, send staff for specialized training courses (e.g. a course on plastics recycling process or maintenance of extruders).
• Establish Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and maintenance schedules and train staff on these documented processes.
• Essentially, by the end of Month 20, the full team should be in place and acquainted with their roles. The plant will be staffed and ready for continuous operation. 

This is the ramp-up period where the plant operates on a trial basis:

• Pilot production runs: Run the recycling line with real feedstock at gradually increasing volumes. The aim is to identify any bottlenecks or issues. During this phase, the product (pellets) is closely monitored for quality. Adjustments are made to the process parameters (e.g., washing temperature, extrusion speed, filtration) to fine-tune quality and throughput.
• Quality certification: Samples of the recycled pellets may be sent for external lab analysis to certify them for certain uses (especially if aiming for food-grade rPET, etc.). Simultaneously, process documentation is finalized (for example, establishing the optimal dwell time in washing for dirty agricultural film vs. relatively clean bottle flakes).
• Troubleshooting: Any mechanical issues that appear during initial heavy use are addressed (this often triggers minor fixes covered under supplier warranty). Calibration of instruments and sensors is confirmed. 
• By Month 22, the process should achieve stable operation at a significant fraction of full capacity (say 60-70% throughput), and the team will be confident in running the line continuously. 

The plant transitions to continuous commercial operations:

• Scale up to full production: Increase input volumes to reach the target throughput (e.g., 500+ tons/month). The plant shifts from testing mode to a production schedule fulfilling sales orders for recycled pellets.
• Continuous operation: Implement the regular production shifts pattern. The focus is now on meeting efficiency and yield targets and managing the supply chain (steady inflow of raw waste and outflow logistics to customers).
• Ongoing monitoring: Even as full operation starts, a close watch on all process metrics continues in these early months to ensure everything remains within desired parameters under load. Any final adjustments are made.
• After month 24, the project is considered fully operational and moves into normal business mode. 

Throughout the implementation, robust project management practices will be applied: progress will be tracked against this timeline, with buffer time built into critical path items when possible. The timeline also assumes no major delays in permits or procurement; proactive risk mitigation (like starting permit processes early and choosing reliable suppliers) helps keep it on schedule. Milestones such as “Building Ready”, “Equipment Installed”, “Trial Run Completed” will be used to measure progress. 

By the end of the 24-month implementation period, the expected key outputs are:

• A fully functional recycling plant with the capacity of approximately 600 tons per month of recycled plastic output.
  
• Employment of 17 trained staff operating the facility safely and efficiently.
• Established supply chain for waste input and customer base for output, with product quality meeting market and regulatory standards.
• All necessary certifications and compliance measures in place (environmental, quality, etc.). 

This timeline and plan ensure that the Ansaam Plastic Recycling Factory is delivered on time and on budget, ready to fulfil its intended role in the market and community.