Do I include unattended soak time?

Include only labor actually required during the soak. Unattended furnace time is not automatically person-hours.

How do I record a two-person lift?

Multiply its elapsed minutes by two before adding it to the measured person-minutes per load.

No. It is a labor budget; simultaneous tasks and equipment access can still constrain the schedule.

Enter fixed tasks in additional shift labor unless they are already counted in per-load handling.

Heat Treatment, Furnaces & Thermal Processing calculator

Estimate the hands-on labor needed for the scheduled furnace loads. Enter observed handling work, additional shift tasks and available person-hours.

Size heat treat handling labor from measured person-minutes and compare it with staffed hours.

Handling labor = loads × handling person-minutes per load ÷ 60
Required labor = handling labor + additional shift person-minutes ÷ 60
Labor margin = available person-hours − required person-hours
Supported loads = floor(max(0, available minutes − fixed minutes) ÷ handling minutes per load)

Loads to Process: Number of planned furnace loads needing handling.
Handling Labor per Load: Observed total person-minutes to charge, transfer and unload.
Additional Shift Labor: Recorded setup and documentation labor outside load handling.
Available Labor: Staffed task hours after breaks and other assignments.

Best suited to heat treat staffing budget, handling workload comparison.
This labor budget does not predict furnace cycle duration. Required simultaneous staffing must be checked in the operating procedure.

Industrial electricity averages 9.77 cents per kWh across the U.S. (EIA, Jul 2026), up 4.7% from a year earlier. Energy-intensive steps carry this directly into unit cost.

Do I include unattended soak time? Include only labor actually required during the soak. Unattended furnace time is not automatically person-hours.
How do I record a two-person lift? Multiply its elapsed minutes by two before adding it to the measured person-minutes per load.
Does supported load count prove the schedule works? No. It is a labor budget; simultaneous tasks and equipment access can still constrain the schedule.
Where do paperwork and shift setup belong? Enter fixed tasks in additional shift labor unless they are already counted in per-load handling.

Last reviewed 2026-10-06.