Why is the headline in minutes per mold?

Cycle time describes one repeat of the process. The supporting lot-time row multiplies that cycle by the required mold count.

Where does the allowance percentage come from?

It is measured additional handling divided by making, core setting and closing time. No guessed allowance multiplier is applied.

Can I use this for automatic overlapping stages?

No. Measure the actual repeat interval or model the overlapping work separately.

Does zero molds make cycle time zero?

No. The measured cycle stays the same, while the order duration becomes zero.

Foundry & Forging calculator

Mold Cycle Time Calculator

Find the elapsed cycle for a mold moving through sequential work stages. Enter observed making, core setting, closing and additional handling times plus the order quantity.

What this calculator does

Add observed sequential molding stages to find cycle duration and the time required for a mold order.

Formula used

Base minutes = making + core setting + closing
Cycle minutes = base minutes + additional handling
Lot hours = molds required × cycle minutes ÷ 60
Handling allowance = additional handling ÷ base minutes × 100
Complete mold rate = 60 ÷ cycle minutes

Inputs explained

Molds Required: Mold quantity on the production order.
Mold Making Time: Observed forming and stripping time per mold.
Core Setting Time: Timed core placement performed before this mold closes.
Mold Closing Time: Observed closing and clamping time per mold.
Additional Handling Time: Measured additional handling and waiting per mold.

How to use the result

Best suited to manual molding time study, mold order scheduling.
Parallel molding lines and overlapping core setting require a measured station repeat interval. Pouring, solidification and downstream cooling are excluded.

Current U.S. benchmarks

The producer price index for steel mill products stands at 381.162 (BLS, Aug 2026), up 23.4% from a year earlier. Quotes priced off last quarter's material cost miss this move.
The U.S. has 3,569 primary metal manufacturing establishments employing about 354,911 workers (Census County Business Patterns, 2023).

Common questions

Why is the headline in minutes per mold? Cycle time describes one repeat of the process. The supporting lot-time row multiplies that cycle by the required mold count.
Where does the allowance percentage come from? It is measured additional handling divided by making, core setting and closing time. No guessed allowance multiplier is applied.
Can I use this for automatic overlapping stages? No. Measure the actual repeat interval or model the overlapping work separately.
Does zero molds make cycle time zero? No. The measured cycle stays the same, while the order duration becomes zero.

Last reviewed 2026-10-06.