Battery Recycling & Materials Recovery worked example

Cell Sorting Throughput Capacity at 99% sorter uptime: a worked example

What does the result look like when sorter uptime reaches 99%? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. a facility needs to confirm whether cell grading, voltage checks, or SOH sorting can keep up with incoming modules and cells

The inputs for this scenario

  • Cells sorted per cycle: 240 cells/cycle (unchanged)
  • Available sorting cycles: 30 cycles (unchanged)
  • Sorter uptime: 99 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 86)
  • Accepted sort yield: 94 % (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Gross cells presented to sorter = cells sorted per cycle × available sorting cycles) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 6,700 cells for accepted sorted-cell capacity, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 7,200 cells for gross cells presented to sorter.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 72 cells for cells lost to sorter downtime.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 428 cells for cells requiring retest or hold.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where sorter uptime sits at 86% and the headline result is 5,820 cells, this scenario comes in 15.12% above the baseline at 6,700 cells.
  • A figure at this level is achievable when sorter uptime is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. It assumes a steady cells-per-cycle and a stable accepted yield; a degraded incoming pack mix or a drifting sorter calibration will lower real yield below the entered figure.

Results at a glance

  • Accepted sorted-cell capacity: 6,700 cells (headline result)
  • Gross cells presented to sorter: 7,200 cells
  • Cells lost to sorter downtime: 72 cells
  • Cells requiring retest or hold: 428 cells

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Cell Sorting Throughput Capacity calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.