Composites, Fiberglass & Advanced Materials worked example

Laminate Thickness at 99% layup station uptime: a worked example

This scenario runs the laminate thickness calculation on the strong side: 99% layup station uptime, with every other input held at its documented default. checking whether laminate build capacity meets schedule demand

The inputs for this scenario

  • Laminate thickness added per build cycle: 0.13 in / cycle (unchanged)
  • Planned laminate build cycles: 48 cycles (unchanged)
  • Layup station uptime: 99 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 92)
  • Laminate first-pass yield: 96 % (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Gross laminate thickness = laminate thickness added per build cycle × planned laminate build cycles) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 5.7 in for good laminate thickness, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 6 in for gross laminate thickness.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 0.06 in for laminate thickness lost to downtime.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 0.24 in for laminate thickness lost to scrap or rework.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where layup station uptime sits at 92% and the headline result is 5.3 in, this scenario comes in 7.61% above the baseline at 5.7 in.
  • Use it during layup planning or capacity reviews when you need to know whether a planned number of plies or build cycles will deliver the required cured thickness after real-world losses. Treat this as a target state: the delta against the baseline quantifies what the improvement is worth before you commit to chasing it.

Results at a glance

  • good laminate thickness: 5.7 in (headline result)
  • gross laminate thickness: 6 in
  • laminate thickness lost to downtime: 0.06 in
  • laminate thickness lost to scrap or rework: 0.24 in

Run it with your numbers

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

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.