Abrasive Blasting, Shot Peening & Surface Prep calculator
Blast Nozzle Wear and Compressed-Air Cost Calculator
Price nozzle wear as extra airflow, energy and consumed nozzle life over a loaded interval. Enter the new bore, measured worn bore, loaded hours, power, energy price and nozzle cost per hour.
What this calculator does
- Extra airflow, energy cost and consumed nozzle life caused by bore wear over a loaded blast interval.
Formula used
- Extra air (cfm) = chart airflow at the worn bore − chart airflow at the new bore
- Extra energy (kWh) = extra air ÷ 100 × specific power × loaded hours
- Energy penalty = extra energy × electricity rate
- Wear cost = energy penalty + nozzle cost per loaded hour × loaded hours
Inputs explained
- New Nozzle Orifice: Baseline bore when the nozzle was new.
- Measured Worn Orifice: Current bore measured with a nozzle gauge.
- Loaded Blast Interval: Nozzle-on hours being costed.
- Compressor Specific Power: Loaded power per 100 cfm delivered, measured or rated.
- Electricity Rate: Blended marginal energy rate for the interval.
- Nozzle Cost per Loaded Hour: Nozzle landed cost divided by expected loaded life.
How to use the result
- Best suited to nozzle replacement policy, compressed-air waste review, liner material comparison.
- Does not value production lost while the compressor is short of capacity. Does not replace inspection for liner fracture or unsafe nozzle condition. Utility demand charges need the separate energy cost calculator.
Current U.S. benchmarks
- As of Jul 2026, industrial electricity averages 9.8 cents per kWh across the U.S. (EIA), up 4.7% from a year earlier. State averages range widely, so plants should confirm against their own tariff.
Common questions
- Why does a small wear increase matter? Airflow rises with bore area. Wear can consume compressor reserve and add energy before the nozzle visibly fails, so the penalty grows faster than the diameter.
- Is 1/16 inch an automatic rule? It is cited manufacturer guidance for pressure-blast nozzles. Follow the actual nozzle manufacturer inspection and replacement requirements for your equipment.
- Does the total include lost production? No. This version isolates energy and consumed nozzle life so productivity effects are not invented without shop data.
- How do I get nozzle cost per loaded hour? Divide the landed nozzle price by the expected loaded life for the liner and abrasive. Segment history by media because wear rates differ substantially.
Last reviewed 2026-10-01.