Composites, Fiberglass & Advanced Materials worked example

Composite Part Cost at 72% share of part cost included: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop share of part cost included to 72%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Estimate total cost for a finished composite, fiberglass, or advanced material part.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Composite parts in this cost scope: 36 parts (held at the documented default)
  • Direct cost per composite part: 1,280 $ / part (held at the documented default)
  • Share of part cost included: 72 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 100)
  • Fixed tooling, engineering, and qualification cost: 6,200 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Variable composite part cost = composite parts in the cost scope × direct cost per composite part × part cost scope included.
  • total composite part cost works out to 39,378 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • composite part cost per part or job works out to 1,094 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • variable composite part cost works out to 33,178 $ at these inputs.
  • fixed tooling, engineering, and qualification cost works out to 6,200 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where share of part cost included sits at 100% and the headline result is 52,280 $, this scenario comes in 24.68% below the baseline at 39,378 $.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to share of part cost included, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It assumes a flat direct cost per part; in practice early units cost more as the layup learning curve and first-article inspection are absorbed.

Results at a glance

  • total composite part cost: 39,378 $ (headline result)
  • composite part cost per part or job: 1,094 $ / piece
  • variable composite part cost: 33,178 $
  • fixed tooling, engineering, and qualification cost: 6,200 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Composite Part Cost calculator, set share of part cost included to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.