How do you calculate hardening batch cost?

Multiply parts per batch by the per-part hardening cost and by yield, then add the fixed setup and quench-media adder. For 120 parts at $4.50 each at 95% yield plus a $180 adder, that is $513 captured plus $180, for a $693 total batch cost.

What is the cost per good hardened part?

Divide total batch cost by parts hardened. In the worked example $693 over 120 parts works out near the per-pound figure shown; the fixed $180 adder is what makes small batches expensive per part.

Why does quench-crack yield raise my real cost?

Every part lost to quench cracking or distortion still consumed furnace time and media, so the good parts must absorb that cost. A 95% yield means 5% of the cycle's value did not survive to a sellable part.

How do I lower cost per hardened part?

Spread the fixed setup and media adder over more parts by running fuller batches, and attack the yield loss — fixturing, quench agitation and rate control reduce cracking, which is often cheaper than the per-part rate itself.

Should setup and media be a fixed adder or per part?

Treat them as a fixed per-batch adder because they are incurred once regardless of load count. That is why the $180 adder hits a 12-part batch six times harder per part than a 120-part batch.

Is in-house hardening cheaper than outsourcing?

Compare your fully loaded per-good-part figure — including the fixed adder and yield loss — against the vendor's quoted price plus freight and lead time. The calculator gives you the apples-to-apples internal number.

Heat Treatment, Furnaces & Thermal Processing calculator

Hardening Batch Cost Calculator

Hardening batch cost is the fully loaded cost of running one furnace load through a harden-and-quench cycle, expressed both as a total and as a cost per good part after quench-crack losses. Estimators, heat-treat shop managers and buyers use it to quote captive or commercial hardening and to decide batch sizing. Because quench cracking and distortion scrap real parts, the true cost per usable part is always higher than the raw per-part processing rate. This calculator separates the variable hardening cost from the fixed setup-and-media adder so you can see where the money actually goes.

What this calculator does

Estimate the total cost of a hardening batch from parts run, per-part hardening rate, post-quench yield, and flat setup or quench-media adders.
Use it when loading a furnace charge to forecast what a through-hardening or case-hardening run will cost and what each accepted part carries.
It computes total hardening batch cost as parts times per-part cost times yield plus a fixed setup and quench-media adder, then divides by parts to give a per-good-part rate.

Formula used

Batch cost = parts x hardening cost per part x yield% + setup and quench adder
Cost per good part = batch cost / parts hardened

Inputs explained

Parts hardened per batch:
Hardening processing cost per part:
Good-part yield after quench cracking:
Setup and quench media adder per batch:

How to use the result

Use it when quoting a hardening job, comparing in-house versus outsourced heat treat, or testing whether a larger batch amortizes the fixed adder enough to lower per-part cost.
The model applies yield as a multiplier on captured cost rather than re-running scrapped parts, so it reflects cost capture for accepted parts, not the full economic loss of remaking rejected ones.

Current U.S. benchmarks

Industrial electricity averages 8.66 cents per kWh across the U.S. (EIA, Apr 2026), up 5.5% from a year earlier. Energy-intensive steps carry this directly into unit cost.

Common questions

How do you calculate hardening batch cost? Multiply parts per batch by the per-part hardening cost and by yield, then add the fixed setup and quench-media adder. For 120 parts at $4.50 each at 95% yield plus a $180 adder, that is $513 captured plus $180, for a $693 total batch cost.
What is the cost per good hardened part? Divide total batch cost by parts hardened. In the worked example $693 over 120 parts works out near the per-pound figure shown; the fixed $180 adder is what makes small batches expensive per part.
Why does quench-crack yield raise my real cost? Every part lost to quench cracking or distortion still consumed furnace time and media, so the good parts must absorb that cost. A 95% yield means 5% of the cycle's value did not survive to a sellable part.
How do I lower cost per hardened part? Spread the fixed setup and media adder over more parts by running fuller batches, and attack the yield loss — fixturing, quench agitation and rate control reduce cracking, which is often cheaper than the per-part rate itself.
Should setup and media be a fixed adder or per part? Treat them as a fixed per-batch adder because they are incurred once regardless of load count. That is why the $180 adder hits a 12-part batch six times harder per part than a 120-part batch.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.