Heat Exchanger, Coil & Radiator Manufacturing worked example

Tube Length Usage at 98% usable tube yield: a worked example

This scenario runs the tube length usage calculation on the strong side: 98% usable tube yield, with every other input held at its documented default. Use it before releasing a job, buying tube, or staging cut lengths when a shortage would stop finning, bending, expansion, brazing, or assembly.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Number of tubes required for the build: 500 tubes (unchanged)
  • Finished cut length per tube: 8 ft (unchanged)
  • Usable tube yield (good footage after scrap): 98 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 85)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Required tube footage = tubes required × cut length per tube ÷ usable tube yield) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 4,082 ft for required tube footage, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 4,000 ft for theoretical tube footage.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 81.63 ft for tube loss allowance.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 98 % for usable tube yield.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where usable tube yield sits at 85% and the headline result is 4,706 ft, this scenario comes in 13.27% below the baseline at 4,082 ft.
  • Use it when releasing a coil-stock purchase order or kitting material for a production run from a tube count and cut length. 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 tube footage: 4,082 ft (headline result)
  • Theoretical tube footage: 4,000 ft
  • Tube loss allowance: 81.63 ft
  • Usable tube yield: 98 %

Run it with your numbers

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

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.