Aluminum Extrusion & Profile Manufacturing worked example

Aluminum Billet Yield Calculator at 63% target billet recovery yield: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop target billet recovery yield to 63%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Calculate billet-to-profile yield from recovered extruded weight, billet input weight, and the target recovery rate for an aluminum extrusion run.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Recovered good profile weight: 8,650 lb (held at the documented default)
  • Total billet input weight: 10,000 lb (held at the documented default)
  • Target billet recovery yield: 63 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 88)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Actual billet-to-profile yield = recovered good profile weight ÷ total billet input weight × 100.
  • Actual billet-to-profile yield works out to 86.5 % yield at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Yield gap to target works out to -23.5 points at these inputs.
  • Recovered good profile weight works out to 8,650 lb at these inputs.
  • Total billet input weight works out to 10,000 lb at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where target billet recovery yield sits at 88% and the headline result is 86.5 % yield, this scenario lands almost exactly on the baseline at 86.5 % yield.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to target billet recovery yield, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It is a weight-based yield only — it does not separate where the loss went (butt end, front/back scrap, transverse weld, stretcher grip, saw kerf), so a low number tells you that loss occurred, not the root cause.

Results at a glance

  • Actual billet-to-profile yield: 86.5 % yield (headline result)
  • Yield gap to target: -23.5 points
  • Recovered good profile weight: 8,650 lb
  • Total billet input weight: 10,000 lb

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Aluminum Billet Yield Calculator calculator, set target billet recovery yield to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.