Ceramic, Tile & Sanitaryware Manufacturing worked example

Shrinkage Allowance Cost with fired pieces requiring shrinkage allowance of 30,000 pieces: a worked example

Push fired pieces requiring shrinkage allowance up to 30,000 pieces and the picture changes. This example computes every intermediate figure at that operating point. a ceramic plant is costing the extra green body material and handling needed because of drying and firing shrinkage

The inputs for this scenario

  • Fired pieces requiring shrinkage allowance: 30,000 pieces (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 12,000)
  • Added green body cost per fired piece: 0.18 $ / piece (unchanged)
  • Fixed mold, die, or size-control cost: 650 $ (unchanged)
  • Added handling, inspection, and overhead cost: 420 $ (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Added green body allowance cost = fired pieces requiring allowance × added green body cost per fired piece) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 6,470 $ allowance cost for total shrinkage allowance cost, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 0.22 $ / piece for shrinkage allowance cost per fired piece.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 5,400 $ for added green body allowance cost.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 1,070 $ for fixed mold and handling adders.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where fired pieces requiring shrinkage allowance sits at 12,000 pieces and the headline result is 3,230 $ allowance cost, this scenario comes in 100% above the baseline at 6,470 $ allowance cost.
  • It totals the added green-body material cost plus fixed mold or die cost and extra handling and overhead attributable to firing shrinkage. The value of this scenario is the size of the gap it exposes: that gap, priced out over a year, is the budget you can justify spending to close it.

Results at a glance

  • Total shrinkage allowance cost: 6,470 $ allowance cost (headline result)
  • Shrinkage allowance cost per fired piece: 0.22 $ / piece
  • Added green body allowance cost: 5,400 $
  • Fixed mold and handling adders: 1,070 $

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Shrinkage Allowance Cost calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.