Fixture, Gauge & Workholding Management worked example

Workholding Automation Payback with automated workholding investment of 42,500 $: a worked example

This worked example runs the workholding automation payback numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: automated workholding investment of 42,500 $ instead of the typical 85,000 $. Estimate payback for automated or assisted workholding such as hydraulic clamps, pneumatic clamps, robot-loaded fixtures, pallet pools, or zero-point automation.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Automated workholding investment: 42,500 $ (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 85,000)
  • Annual automation savings: 42,000 $ / yr (held at the documented default)
  • Annual automation support cost: 9,000 $ / yr (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Net annual workholding automation payback savings = annual automation savings - annual automation support cost.
  • Workholding Automation Payback payback period works out to 1.29 yr at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Net annual workholding automation payback savings works out to 33,000 $ / yr at these inputs.
  • Automated workholding investment works out to 42,500 $ at these inputs.
  • Five-year net workholding automation payback value works out to 122,500 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where automated workholding investment sits at 85,000 $ and the headline result is 2.58 yr, this scenario comes in 50% below the baseline at 1.29 yr.
  • Use it when evaluating a capital purchase of automated workholding and you need a simple payback figure for a justification or AFE. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.

Results at a glance

  • Workholding Automation Payback payback period: 1.29 yr (headline result)
  • Net annual workholding automation payback savings: 33,000 $ / yr
  • Automated workholding investment: 42,500 $
  • Five-year net workholding automation payback value: 122,500 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Workholding Automation Payback calculator, set automated workholding investment to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.