Foundry & Forging worked example

Mold Cycle Time at 14% molding allowance: a worked example

This scenario runs the mold cycle time calculation on the strong side: 14% molding allowance, with every other input held at its documented default. Use it when planning green sand, no-bake, permanent mold, investment shell, or die-casting mold cycles against shift demand.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Molds required: 180 molds (unchanged)
  • Mold completion rate: 28 molds / hr (unchanged)
  • Molding allowance: 14 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 12)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Base mold cycle time = molds required รท mold completion rate) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 7.33 hr for required mold cycle time, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 6.43 hr for base mold cycle time.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 14 % for molding allowance.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 28 pieces / min for mold completion rate.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where molding allowance sits at 12% and the headline result is 7.2 hr, this scenario comes in 1.79% above the baseline at 7.33 hr.
  • Use it when scheduling a molding run, balancing mold supply against pouring capacity, or quoting lead time for a casting order. 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

  • Required mold cycle time: 7.33 hr (headline result)
  • Base mold cycle time: 6.43 hr
  • Molding allowance: 14 %
  • Mold completion rate: 28 pieces / min

Run it with your numbers

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

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.