Adhesives, Sealants & Industrial Bonding worked example

Surface Prep Workload at 25% masking and dry-time allowance: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop masking and dry-time allowance to 25%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Estimate surface preparation labor hours from bonded surfaces, prep throughput, and contamination allowance.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Surfaces needing prep: 320 surfaces (held at the documented default)
  • Surface prep throughput: 2.4 surfaces/min (held at the documented default)
  • Masking/dry-time allowance: 25 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 35)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Base surface prep time = surfaces needing prep รท surface prep throughput.
  • Surface prep workload works out to 167 hr at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Base surface prep time works out to 133 hr at these inputs.
  • Prep allowance applied works out to 25 % at these inputs.
  • Surface prep throughput works out to 2.4 surfaces/min at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where masking and dry-time allowance sits at 35% and the headline result is 180 hr, this scenario comes in 7.41% below the baseline at 167 hr.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to masking and dry-time allowance, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. The allowance is a flat percentage uplift, so it does not model long fixed primer cure cycles or parallel masking that overlaps prep on separate stations.

Results at a glance

  • Surface prep workload: 167 hr (headline result)
  • Base surface prep time: 133 hr
  • Prep allowance applied: 25 %
  • Surface prep throughput: 2.4 surfaces/min

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Surface Prep Workload calculator, set masking and dry-time allowance to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.