How do you calculate good prime feet after edge trim?

Multiply prime feet per cycle by available cycles to get gross feet, then multiply by line uptime and by yield after edge trim. With 500 ft/cycle times 20 cycles at 90% uptime and 97% yield, you get 8,730 good prime feet.

How much do I lose to edge trim alone?

In this example, after the 1,000 ft uptime loss the remaining feet lose 3% to trim, which is 270 ft. So edge trim costs 270 good feet on a 10,000 ft gross run.

What is the difference between uptime loss and edge trim loss?

Uptime loss is footage you never processed because the line was stopped; here that is 1,000 ft. Edge trim loss is footage you ran but sheared off the edges; here that is 270 ft.

What is a good edge-trim yield?

It depends on width, but 95-98% is typical when you only square the mill edge. Tight-width slitting with multiple cuts can drop yield further, so model it per job rather than assuming a flat number.

Why multiply uptime and yield instead of adding the losses?

They act in sequence: you first lose stopped time, then trim what actually ran. Multiplying 90% by 97% gives an effective 87.3% of gross feet as good prime, which is why 10,000 ft becomes 8,730 ft.

How do I count available cycles?

Count the number of coils or passes the line can complete in the period. Multiply by typical prime feet per cycle to get gross feet before any losses.

Metals, Steel, Aluminum & Coil Processing calculator

Edge Trim Loss Calculator

Edge trim loss estimates how many good prime feet you actually ship after losing strip to downtime and to the trim you shear off the coil edges. Slitting and cut-to-length planners use it to convert a theoretical run into the saleable footage that lands on the truck. Edge trim is unavoidable when you square up a mill edge or hit a tight width tolerance, but it is real yield walking into the scrap bin, and it compounds with every minute the line is stopped. Modeling both losses separately tells you whether to chase uptime or to re-nest your widths to give back less edge.

What this calculator does

Estimate good prime linear feet after edge trim from feet per cycle, available cycles, line uptime, and the yield left after trimming the edges.
Use it when a slitting line supervisor needs the prime footage that survives edge trim and downtime before committing the schedule.
It computes good prime feet as prime feet per cycle times cycles, scaled by line uptime and by yield after edge trim, and breaks out the feet lost to each.

Formula used

Gross feet processed = prime feet per cycle × available cycles
Good prime feet = gross feet processed × line uptime × yield after edge trim

Inputs explained

Prime feet per cycle:
Available cycles:
Line uptime:
Yield after edge trim:

How to use the result

Use it when quoting footage on a slit or trimmed order, or when comparing edge-trim scenarios for a fixed coil width.
It applies a single average yield to the whole run and assumes uptime and trim losses are independent, not interacting.

Current U.S. benchmarks

The producer price index for steel mill products stands at 348.53 (BLS, May 2026), up 6.7% from a year earlier. Quotes priced off last quarter's material cost miss this move.
The producer price index for aluminum mill shapes stands at 404.859 (BLS, May 2026), up 36.8% from a year earlier. Quotes priced off last quarter's material cost miss this move.
The producer price index for copper and brass mill shapes stands at 559.593 (BLS, May 2026), up 76.8% from a year earlier. Quotes priced off last quarter's material cost miss this move. Global copper trades at $13,484 per tonne (IMF via FRED, May 2026).

Common questions

How do you calculate good prime feet after edge trim? Multiply prime feet per cycle by available cycles to get gross feet, then multiply by line uptime and by yield after edge trim. With 500 ft/cycle times 20 cycles at 90% uptime and 97% yield, you get 8,730 good prime feet.
How much do I lose to edge trim alone? In this example, after the 1,000 ft uptime loss the remaining feet lose 3% to trim, which is 270 ft. So edge trim costs 270 good feet on a 10,000 ft gross run.
What is the difference between uptime loss and edge trim loss? Uptime loss is footage you never processed because the line was stopped; here that is 1,000 ft. Edge trim loss is footage you ran but sheared off the edges; here that is 270 ft.
What is a good edge-trim yield? It depends on width, but 95-98% is typical when you only square the mill edge. Tight-width slitting with multiple cuts can drop yield further, so model it per job rather than assuming a flat number.
Why multiply uptime and yield instead of adding the losses? They act in sequence: you first lose stopped time, then trim what actually ran. Multiplying 90% by 97% gives an effective 87.3% of gross feet as good prime, which is why 10,000 ft becomes 8,730 ft.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.