Abrasive Blasting, Shot Peening & Surface Prep calculator
Abrasive Blast Masking Labor and Touch-Time Calculator
Masking labor is feature-driven, so count features rather than parts. Enter parts, masked features per part, application and removal touch time per mask, per-part verification time and a handling allowance.
What this calculator does
- Masking labor from part count, masked features, application and removal touch time, verification and an allowance.
Formula used
- Mask touches = parts × masked features per part
- Application labor = touches × application seconds ÷ 3,600
- Total labor = (application + removal + verification) × (1 + allowance % ÷ 100)
- Labor per part = total labor hours ÷ parts
Inputs explained
- Parts: Parts requiring the same masking method.
- Masked Features per Part: Ports, threads, bores or surfaces individually masked.
- Application Touch Time: Hands-on time to select, position and secure one mask.
- Removal Touch Time: Hands-on time to remove and stage one mask.
- Verification Time: Pre-blast and post-removal verification per part.
- Handling and Verification Allowance: Documented allowance for ordinary handling and variation.
How to use the result
- Best suited to quote labor, crew plan, masking method improvement.
- Does not select mask materials or validate blast resistance. One-time batch setup and crew scheduling are outside this touch-time model.
Common questions
- Why include removal? Removal and final verification consume real labor and can matter as much as application on parts with many masked features.
- How should I measure the touch times? Time several complete apply and remove cycles under normal handling and average them. Update the estimate after production operators run representative batches.
- Where do reusable plugs go? Their insertion and removal time is modeled here. Cleaning, inspection and replacement cost of the plugs belong in tooling or material cost.
- Should the allowance include breaks? Follow the company work-measurement policy. Do not duplicate planned downtime that scheduling already accounts for.
Last reviewed 2026-10-01.