Lasers, Optics & Photonics Manufacturing worked example

Photonics Packaging Cost at 99% packaging process yield: a worked example

Push packaging process yield up to 99% and the picture changes. This example computes every intermediate figure at that operating point. Use this when costing hermetic sealing, fiber pigtail packaging, or butterfly/TO-can packaging for a production lot, or comparing package types for cost optimization.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Devices to package: 500 units (unchanged)
  • Packaging cost per device: 35 $ / unit (unchanged)
  • Packaging process yield: 99 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 96)
  • Fixed tooling and NRE cost: 1,200 $ (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Variable packaging cost = devices x packaging cost per device x packaging yield / 100) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 18,525 $ for total photonics packaging cost, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 37.05 $ / piece for packaging cost per good device.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 17,325 $ for variable packaging cost.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 1,200 $ for fixed tooling and nre cost.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where packaging process yield sits at 96% and the headline result is 18,000 $, this scenario comes in 2.92% above the baseline at 18,525 $.
  • It computes total packaging cost by combining yield-adjusted variable packaging cost with fixed tooling and NRE. The value of this scenario is the size of the gap it exposes: that gap, priced out over a year, is the budget you can justify spending to close it.

Results at a glance

  • Total photonics packaging cost: 18,525 $ (headline result)
  • Packaging cost per good device: 37.05 $ / piece
  • Variable packaging cost: 17,325 $
  • Fixed tooling and NRE cost: 1,200 $

Run it with your numbers

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

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.