Lasers, Optics & Photonics Manufacturing worked example

Lens Coating Cost at 68% coating yield: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop coating yield to 68%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Calculate total optical coating cost for a production batch by combining the number of lens surfaces, per-surface coating cost, coating yield (good layers), and fixed chamber setup charges.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Number of surfaces to coat: 120 surfaces (held at the documented default)
  • Coating cost per surface: 28 $ / surface (held at the documented default)
  • Coating yield (surfaces meeting spec): 68 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 94)
  • Fixed chamber setup cost: 450 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Variable coating cost = surfaces to coat x coating cost per surface x coating yield / 100.
  • Total lens coating cost works out to 2,735 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Cost per coated surface works out to 22.79 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • Variable coating cost works out to 2,285 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed chamber setup cost works out to 450 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where coating yield sits at 94% and the headline result is 3,608 $, this scenario comes in 24.21% below the baseline at 2,735 $.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to coating yield, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It treats coating cost per surface as flat, so it does not model stack complexity differences, substrate-specific masking, or rework loops where failed surfaces are recoated.

Results at a glance

  • Total lens coating cost: 2,735 $ (headline result)
  • Cost per coated surface: 22.79 $ / piece
  • Variable coating cost: 2,285 $
  • Fixed chamber setup cost: 450 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Lens Coating Cost calculator, set coating yield to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.