Metals, Steel, Aluminum & Coil Processing worked example

Edge Trim Loss at 65% line uptime: a worked example in metals, steel, aluminum & coil processing

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop line uptime to 65%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Estimate good prime linear feet after edge trim from feet per cycle, available cycles, line uptime, and the yield left after trimming the edges.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Prime feet per cycle: 500 ft / cycle (held at the documented default)
  • Available cycles: 20 cycles (held at the documented default)
  • Line uptime: 65 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 90)
  • Yield after edge trim: 97 % (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Gross feet processed = prime feet per cycle × available cycles.
  • Good prime feet works out to 6,305 ft at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Gross feet processed works out to 10,000 ft at these inputs.
  • Uptime loss works out to 3,500 ft at these inputs.
  • Edge trim loss works out to 195 ft at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where line uptime sits at 90% and the headline result is 8,730 ft, this scenario comes in 27.78% below the baseline at 6,305 ft.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to line uptime, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It applies a single average yield to the whole run and assumes uptime and trim losses are independent, not interacting.

Results at a glance

  • Good prime feet: 6,305 ft (headline result)
  • Gross feet processed: 10,000 ft
  • Uptime loss: 3,500 ft
  • Edge trim loss: 195 ft

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Edge Trim Loss calculator, set line uptime to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.