Why does cost per body change with scope?

The fixed setup and tooling charge spreads over the machined bodies. A wider scope gives more bodies to carry it, so cost per machined body falls while total cost rises.

Which bodies belong in the run count?

Enter every body the run produces, machined or not. Scope selects the share that receives the machining operation, and the fixed charge lands only on the machined bodies.

What does cost versus target above 100% mean?

Cost per machined body sits above your entered target. A value of 110% means the body costs 10% more than the target, so check the loaded rate or the scope.

Was the old cost per valve body wrong?

It divided total cost by every body in the run, including bodies never machined. This page divides by the machined bodies, the population that absorbs the charge, so the number is higher and correct.

Industrial Valves, Actuators & Flow Control calculator

Valve Machining Cost Calculator

Find the machining cost a production run carries when only part of the run is machined. Total cost rises with scope, while cost per machined body falls as the fixed setup and tooling charge spreads.

What this calculator does

Machining cost for the bodies actually machined, with the fixed charge spread and checked against a target.

Formula used

Machined bodies = bodies in run × machining scope ÷ 100
Variable machining cost = machined bodies × loaded cost per body
Total machining cost = variable machining cost + fixed setup and tooling charge
Cost per machined body = total machining cost ÷ machined bodies
Cost versus target = cost per machined body ÷ target × 100

Inputs explained

Valve Bodies in Run: Valve bodies the production run turns out.
Loaded Machining Cost per Body: Loaded machining cost for one body, labor and burden included.
Machining Scope Included: Share of the run that receives the machining operation.
Fixed Setup and Tooling Charge: Setup and tooling charge that stands regardless of scope.
Target Cost per Machined Body: Cost per machined body your routing or quote targets.

How to use the result

Best suited to quoting a partial run machining scope, checking per-body cost against a target, seeing setup cost spread on a longer run.
Mixed rates across a run need one calculation per rate group. Rework and scrap after machining are outside this cost model.

Current U.S. benchmarks

The U.S. has 21,668 machinery manufacturing establishments employing about 1,086,146 workers (Census County Business Patterns, 2023).

Common questions

Why does cost per body change with scope? The fixed setup and tooling charge spreads over the machined bodies. A wider scope gives more bodies to carry it, so cost per machined body falls while total cost rises.
Which bodies belong in the run count? Enter every body the run produces, machined or not. Scope selects the share that receives the machining operation, and the fixed charge lands only on the machined bodies.
What does cost versus target above 100% mean? Cost per machined body sits above your entered target. A value of 110% means the body costs 10% more than the target, so check the loaded rate or the scope.
Was the old cost per valve body wrong? It divided total cost by every body in the run, including bodies never machined. This page divides by the machined bodies, the population that absorbs the charge, so the number is higher and correct.

Last reviewed 2026-10-01.