How do you calculate autoclave cycle cost?

Multiply the cycle hours by the fully-burdened hourly rate, scale by the share chargeable to the job, then add the fixed setup and quality cost. With 14 cycle hours at $360/hr fully charged plus $950 fixed, that is $5,040 variable plus $950, or $5,990 total.

What goes into the hourly autoclave operating rate?

It should bundle natural gas or electric heating, nitrogen or air for pressurization, vacuum pump power, vessel depreciation, maintenance reserve, and a share of operator and facility overhead. A realistic fully-burdened rate for an aerospace-class autoclave often lands between $250 and $500 per cycle hour.

How do I lower autoclave cost per part?

Nest more parts into each load so the fixed $950 and the cycle hours are shared across more pieces. In the example, $5,990 across 14 part-slots is $427.86 per part; doubling the parts per load roughly halves the per-part figure.

Why is cost per part so high in the example?

Because the example treats the 14 figure as part-slots, $5,990 divided by 14 gives $427.86 per part. A long high-pressure cure for a small number of large structural parts will always show a high per-part cure cost, which is why load planning matters.

Should I include depreciation in the operating rate?

Yes for true cost decisions and capital justification. A modern large-bore autoclave can run seven figures, so its depreciation per cycle hour is a material component you should not leave out when comparing in-house cure to outsourcing.

Autoclave cure vs out-of-autoclave (OOA) cost?

OOA prepregs cure in an oven under vacuum only, eliminating the pressurization gas and the high-burden vessel, so per-cycle cost is often far lower. The trade is potential porosity and tighter process control, which this calculator does not score.

Composites, Fiberglass & Advanced Materials calculator

Autoclave Cycle Cost Calculator

Autoclave cycle cost is the fully-burdened dollar figure for running one cure cycle, combining the variable cost of the hours the vessel is occupied with the fixed setup, bagging, and quality costs tied to the load. Composites manufacturing engineers, estimators, and shop schedulers use it because the autoclave is usually the most expensive and most constrained asset on the floor, so every hour of pressure-and-temperature time carries real money in gas, power, nitrogen, and depreciation. Pricing a part correctly means knowing what its slice of the cycle actually costs, not just the labor to lay it up. This calculator separates the variable hourly burn from the fixed per-load overhead so you can see both the total and the cost per part.

What this calculator does

Estimate cost assigned to an autoclave cure cycle for advanced composite parts.
costing autoclave cure cycles by batch or part family
It computes the total cost of an autoclave cure cycle by multiplying cycle hours by the burdened hourly rate and adding fixed per-load setup and quality cost.

Formula used

Variable autoclave cycle cost = autoclave cycle hours or part slots × autoclave operating cost × cycle cost scope included
Total autoclave cycle cost = variable autoclave cycle cost + fixed autoclave setup and quality cost

Inputs explained

Autoclave cycle hours run for this job:
Fully-burdened autoclave operating rate:
Share of cycle chargeable to this job:
Fixed setup, tooling load, and quality cost:

How to use the result

Use it when quoting composite parts, justifying a second autoclave, or deciding how many parts to nest into one load to dilute fixed cost.
It assumes a flat hourly burden; in reality energy draw spikes during ramp-up and hold, so a long-soak cure can cost more per hour than the average rate implies.

Current U.S. benchmarks

The producer price index for plastic resins and materials stands at 319.371 (BLS, May 2026), up 19.5% from a year earlier. Quotes priced off last quarter's material cost miss this move.
Steel mill PPI stands at 348.53 (BLS, May 2026), up 6.7% from a year earlier. New factory orders are up 2.3% year over year (Census).

Common questions

How do you calculate autoclave cycle cost? Multiply the cycle hours by the fully-burdened hourly rate, scale by the share chargeable to the job, then add the fixed setup and quality cost. With 14 cycle hours at $360/hr fully charged plus $950 fixed, that is $5,040 variable plus $950, or $5,990 total.
What goes into the hourly autoclave operating rate? It should bundle natural gas or electric heating, nitrogen or air for pressurization, vacuum pump power, vessel depreciation, maintenance reserve, and a share of operator and facility overhead. A realistic fully-burdened rate for an aerospace-class autoclave often lands between $250 and $500 per cycle hour.
How do I lower autoclave cost per part? Nest more parts into each load so the fixed $950 and the cycle hours are shared across more pieces. In the example, $5,990 across 14 part-slots is $427.86 per part; doubling the parts per load roughly halves the per-part figure.
Why is cost per part so high in the example? Because the example treats the 14 figure as part-slots, $5,990 divided by 14 gives $427.86 per part. A long high-pressure cure for a small number of large structural parts will always show a high per-part cure cost, which is why load planning matters.
Should I include depreciation in the operating rate? Yes for true cost decisions and capital justification. A modern large-bore autoclave can run seven figures, so its depreciation per cycle hour is a material component you should not leave out when comparing in-house cure to outsourcing.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.