How do you calculate aluminum extrusion order yield?

Divide the accepted shipped quantity by the total produced or planned quantity and multiply by 100. With 9,400 accepted out of 10,800 produced, yield is 9,400 / 10,800 x 100 = 87.04%.

What is a good order yield for aluminum extrusion?

Mature presses running standard solid profiles often hit 85-92% on a pounds basis. Thin-wall, complex hollows, or tight-tolerance work can sit lower at 75-85%. The 87.04% in this example is on-target for general profile work but 2.96 points under a 90% goal.

Why is my extrusion yield below target?

Common culprits are excessive butt and tongue loss, scrap at the stretcher from twist or bow, die-line and pickup rejects, and short lengths lost at the cut-to-length saw. Here the 2.96-point gap on 10,800 lb is roughly 320 lb of recoverable metal per run.

Should I measure yield in pounds, feet, or pieces?

Pounds is best for metal recovery and remelt cost. Feet suits length-sold profiles, and pieces suits cut-to-length parts. Use one unit consistently; mixing them produces a meaningless ratio.

What is the difference between order yield and recovery rate?

Order yield is accepted output over total input for a specific order. Recovery rate usually refers to billet-to-extruded metal conversion across the press. Order yield is narrower and customer-facing because it counts only what actually shipped accepted.

How does the yield gap to target work?

It is simply actual yield minus target yield in percentage points. An 87.04% actual against a 90% target gives a -2.96 point gap, telling you exactly how far the run fell short.

Aluminum Extrusion & Profile Manufacturing calculator

Aluminum Extrusion Order Yield Calculator

Order yield is the share of an extrusion run that actually ships as accepted, sellable profile versus the total quantity pressed or planned. Extrusion plant managers and quality engineers track it because aluminum is lost at every stage — front and back-end butt-off, die lines, dimensional rejects at stretch, scratched faces, and short lengths after saw cut. A run that presses 10,800 lb but only ships 9,400 accepted lb is bleeding 13% to scrap and rework, and that recovery metal goes straight back into remelt at a cost. Comparing actual yield to a target rate tells you immediately whether a press, die, or alloy is performing or quietly eroding margin.

What this calculator does

Calculate order yield from accepted shipped quantity, total planned or produced quantity, and the target order yield percentage.
an estimator or production manager needs to compare actual order yield with the recovery used in the quote
It computes actual order yield as accepted shipped quantity divided by total produced or planned quantity, times 100, then subtracts your target rate to show the gap in points.

Formula used

Actual order yield = accepted shipped extrusion quantity ÷ total produced or planned quantity × 100
Order yield gap to target = actual order yield - target order yield

Inputs explained

Accepted shipped extrusion quantity:
Total produced or planned quantity:
Target order yield rate:

How to use the result

Use it at run close-out or order close-out to grade a die, alloy, or press line against your committed yield, and to flag orders that need a re-press or material true-up.
Yield in pounds, feet, and pieces behave differently — a high pound yield can still hide a poor piece yield if you lose many short lengths, so pick one consistent unit per calculation.

Current U.S. benchmarks

The producer price index for aluminum mill shapes stands at 404.859 (BLS, May 2026), up 36.8% from a year earlier. Quotes priced off last quarter's material cost miss this move.
The U.S. has 3,569 primary metal manufacturing establishments employing about 354,911 workers (Census County Business Patterns, 2023).

Common questions

How do you calculate aluminum extrusion order yield? Divide the accepted shipped quantity by the total produced or planned quantity and multiply by 100. With 9,400 accepted out of 10,800 produced, yield is 9,400 / 10,800 x 100 = 87.04%.
What is a good order yield for aluminum extrusion? Mature presses running standard solid profiles often hit 85-92% on a pounds basis. Thin-wall, complex hollows, or tight-tolerance work can sit lower at 75-85%. The 87.04% in this example is on-target for general profile work but 2.96 points under a 90% goal.
Why is my extrusion yield below target? Common culprits are excessive butt and tongue loss, scrap at the stretcher from twist or bow, die-line and pickup rejects, and short lengths lost at the cut-to-length saw. Here the 2.96-point gap on 10,800 lb is roughly 320 lb of recoverable metal per run.
Should I measure yield in pounds, feet, or pieces? Pounds is best for metal recovery and remelt cost. Feet suits length-sold profiles, and pieces suits cut-to-length parts. Use one unit consistently; mixing them produces a meaningless ratio.
What is the difference between order yield and recovery rate? Order yield is accepted output over total input for a specific order. Recovery rate usually refers to billet-to-extruded metal conversion across the press. Order yield is narrower and customer-facing because it counts only what actually shipped accepted.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.