Why is the cost per filled pound above the grease price?

Fixed handling is spread across the filled pounds. At 420 lb and full coverage that spread adds $0.89 per pound; at 72% coverage it adds $1.24.

Why did V2 move to a mass basis in pounds?

Grease is a weighed, semisolid lubricant, and the fill station records pounds. The V1 volume allowed L or lb, an ambiguous basis, so no old volume value can be converted safely.

What counts toward coverage?

Coverage is the share of assemblies that receive fill on this batch. If the line greases only sealed units, enter the sealed share, and both the filled pounds and the variable cost fall.

Where should the cost limit come from?

Use the batch budget or the fill line in the quote. A premium grease raises the price per pound, so rerun the numbers before you approve the change.

Bearings, Gears & Power Transmission calculator

Lubrication Fill Cost Calculator

Total the grease charged to a fill batch and the fixed handling behind it, then price every filled pound. The cost per filled pound is the figure to compare with a quote or a budget limit.

What this calculator does

Batch cost of lubricant plus fixed handling, with the cost per filled pound measured against a cost limit.

Formula used

Filled pounds = fill volume × coverage ÷ 100
Variable lubricant cost = fill volume × price per pound × coverage ÷ 100
Total fill cost = variable lubricant cost + fixed fill handling cost
Cost per filled pound = total fill cost ÷ filled pounds
Cost over limit = total fill cost − cost limit

Inputs explained

Lubricant Fill Volume: Pounds of grease charged to the fill batch, from the batch ticket.
Lubricant Cost per Pound: Price per pound from the supplier invoice or current price list.
Assemblies Receiving Fill: Share of assemblies that receive fill, from the production routing.
Fixed Fill Handling Cost: Setup, cleanup and tooling charged to the batch, from the cost sheet.
Fill Cost Limit: Batch cost ceiling from the budget or the customer quote.

How to use the result

Best suited to pricing a grease fill batch, comparing premium grease against a limit, sizing coverage on a mixed build.
Batch totals only; purge, labor and rejected assemblies need their own cost rows. Cost per filled pound moves opposite the total when coverage changes.

Current U.S. benchmarks

The U.S. has 21,668 machinery manufacturing establishments employing about 1,086,146 workers (Census County Business Patterns, 2023).

Common questions

Why is the cost per filled pound above the grease price? Fixed handling is spread across the filled pounds. At 420 lb and full coverage that spread adds $0.89 per pound; at 72% coverage it adds $1.24.
Why did V2 move to a mass basis in pounds? Grease is a weighed, semisolid lubricant, and the fill station records pounds. The V1 volume allowed L or lb, an ambiguous basis, so no old volume value can be converted safely.
What counts toward coverage? Coverage is the share of assemblies that receive fill on this batch. If the line greases only sealed units, enter the sealed share, and both the filled pounds and the variable cost fall.
Where should the cost limit come from? Use the batch budget or the fill line in the quote. A premium grease raises the price per pound, so rerun the numbers before you approve the change.

Last reviewed 2026-10-01.