HVAC Ductwork, Air Handling & Mechanical Products worked example

Shop Throughput at 99% shop efficiency: a worked example

This scenario runs the shop throughput calculation on the strong side: 99% shop efficiency, with every other input held at its documented default. Use this when loading a fabrication shop with new ductwork orders and you need to know whether the plasma table, press brake, or Pittsburgh seam lock will keep up with the delivery schedule. Use the adjusted throughput rate to work backwards from the delivery date to the start date, or to identify where the bottleneck sits in the process.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Duct sections completed in period: 120 sections (unchanged)
  • Shift runtime: 8 hr (unchanged)
  • Shop efficiency: 99 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 88)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Raw shop throughput = duct sections completed รท shift runtime) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 14.85 units / hr for effective throughput, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 15 units / hr for raw throughput.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 99 % for efficiency.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 8 hr for runtime.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where shop efficiency sits at 88% and the headline result is 13.2 units / hr, this scenario comes in 12.5% above the baseline at 14.85 units / hr.
  • Use it for capacity planning, quoting lead times, and tracking whether a fabrication line is hitting its target sections-per-hour pace. 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

  • Effective throughput: 14.85 units / hr (headline result)
  • Raw throughput: 15 units / hr
  • Efficiency: 99 %
  • Runtime: 8 hr

Run it with your numbers

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

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.