Foundry & Forging calculator

Riser Yield Impact Calculator

Measure the share of poured metal in risers and quantify the mass difference from your riser-share target.

What this calculator does

  • Measure the share of poured metal in risers and quantify the mass difference from your riser-share target.

Formula used

  • Riser share = riser weight ÷ total pour weight × 100
  • Share headroom = maximum riser share − measured riser share
  • Target riser weight = total pour weight × maximum riser share ÷ 100
  • Excess riser weight = max(0, riser weight − target riser weight)
  • Accepted casting yield = accepted casting weight ÷ total pour weight × 100

Inputs explained

  • Riser and Feeder Weight: Removed risers and feeders weighed for the same lot.
  • Total Pour Weight: Measured casting, rigging and other metal in the pour.
  • Maximum Riser Share: Riser mass target from the approved methoding review.
  • Accepted Casting Weight: Accepted net casting mass from the same pour.

How to use the result

  • Best suited to a lower riser target requires Review, a higher riser target has more headroom.
  • Reducing riser weight requires separate feeding, shrinkage and quality validation.

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

  • Does this size a riser? No. It checks the mass share of an existing or proposed method against your entered target.
  • Can I remove all excess riser weight? Only after feeding and quality validation. The mass target alone cannot establish adequate feeding.
  • Why is casting yield separate? Risers are only one destination for poured metal. Gates, rejected castings and other material also reduce accepted yield.
  • Should remelt credit change the riser share? No. The share describes one pour even when the removed risers are later remelted.

Last reviewed 2026-10-06.