CNC Machining worked example

Fixture Amortization with fixture or workholding investment of 12,000 $: a worked example

What does the result look like when fixture or workholding investment reaches 12,000 $? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. allocating workholding cost to a CNC quote, fixture ROI review, or repeat-production program

The inputs for this scenario

  • Fixture or workholding investment: 12,000 $ (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 4,800)
  • Expected production quantity over fixture life: 6,000 parts (unchanged)
  • Utilization or scrap adjustment factor: 1 x (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Fixture Amortization = fixture or workholding investment ÷ expected production quantity × utilization or scrap factor) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 2 $ / part for base fixture amortization, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 2 value for raw ratio.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 1 x for conversion factor.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 6,000 value for expected production quantity.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where fixture or workholding investment sits at 4,800 $ and the headline result is 0.8 $ / part, this scenario comes in 150% above the baseline at 2 $ / part.
  • A figure at this level is achievable when fixture or workholding investment is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. It assumes the full expected quantity actually runs — if the program is cancelled early or volume falls short, the real per-part cost is higher than quoted.

Results at a glance

  • base fixture amortization: 2 $ / part (headline result)
  • Raw ratio: 2 value
  • Conversion factor: 1 x
  • expected production quantity: 6,000 value

Run it with your numbers

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

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.