Aluminum Extrusion & Profile Manufacturing calculator
Aluminum Extrusion Scrap Recovery Value Calculator
Scrap recovery value tells an extrusion plant how much money its butt ends, transverse cuts, tongue scrap and reject profiles are actually worth once sold back as recoverable aluminum. Because 6xxx extrusion runs typically scrap 10-20% of billet weight, this recovered value is a real line item that offsets metal cost, and cost accountants and plant managers track it closely. The calculation takes recoverable scrap weight times a value per pound, applies a recovery share for what is genuinely sellable, then subtracts fixed handling and baling cost. The net figure is what hits the books, not the gross scrap value before handling.
What this calculator does
- Estimate recoverable aluminum scrap value from scrap weight, scrap price, recovery share, and fixed handling or segregation cost.
- a production or finance team needs to estimate scrap credit for an extrusion run or period
- It computes net scrap recovery value by multiplying recoverable weight by value per pound and a recovery share, then adding a fixed handling cost adjustment.
Formula used
- Gross recoverable scrap value = recoverable scrap weight × scrap value per pound × recoverable scrap share
- Net extrusion scrap recovery value = gross recoverable scrap value + fixed scrap handling cost
Inputs explained
- Recoverable scrap weight:
- Scrap value per pound:
- Recoverable scrap share:
- Fixed scrap handling cost:
How to use the result
- Use it when valuing scrap return on a run, negotiating a scrap dealer contract, or building metal cost into a quote.
- It assumes one blended value per pound; clean 6063 dross, painted scrap and dirty turnings sell at very different prices, so a single rate can mislead on mixed scrap.
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 scrap recovery value? Multiply recoverable weight by value per pound and recovery share for gross value, then apply the fixed handling cost. With 1,850 lb at $0.78, 92% recovery and a $250 handling line, net value is $1,577.56.
- What is a good scrap recovery share for extrusion? Clean 6xxx extrusion scrap recovers 90-95% of its weight as sellable metal. The 92% here is typical; painted, anodized or contaminated scrap recovers less because dealers downgrade it.
- How much is aluminum extrusion scrap worth per pound? Clean 6063 scrap commonly tracks $0.70-$0.95 per pound depending on LME aluminum and dealer spread. The $0.78 input here, blended to about $0.85 effective, sits in that band.
- Why subtract a fixed handling cost? Baling, transport and dealer fees reduce what you net. The $250 handling line here is part of the calculation, so the net $1,577.56 reflects real recovered cash, not gross scrap value.
- Does scrap value reduce my piece cost? Yes. Recovered scrap value offsets billet cost, so a run scrapping 1,850 lb at this rate puts about $1,578 back against metal cost, which you can credit into the quote.
Last reviewed 2026-05-12.