Metals, Steel, Aluminum & Coil Processing worked example

Blanking Utilization at 98% target blanking utilization: a worked example

What does the result look like when target blanking utilization reaches 98%? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. Use it when reviewing a blanking layout and you want material utilization against target before releasing the die or nest.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Blank area used per sheet: 360 in² (unchanged)
  • Sheet or strip area: 480 in² (unchanged)
  • Target blanking utilization: 98 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 85)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Blanking utilization = blank area used per sheet ÷ sheet or strip area) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 75 % for blanking utilization, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 23 points for utilization gap.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 360 value for blank area used per sheet.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 480 value for sheet or strip area.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where target blanking utilization sits at 85% and the headline result is 75 %, this scenario lands almost exactly on the baseline at 75 %.
  • A figure at this level is achievable when target blanking utilization is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. It is a pure area ratio and ignores whether the skeleton scrap is recoverable at scrap value — high utilization is good, but a low-utilization layout with a strong scrap-credit market may still cost less per part.

Results at a glance

  • Blanking utilization: 75 % (headline result)
  • Utilization gap: 23 points
  • Blank area used per sheet: 360 value
  • Sheet or strip area: 480 value

Run it with your numbers

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

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.