Metals, Steel, Aluminum & Coil Processing worked example
Sheet Utilization at 98% target sheet utilization: a worked example in metals, steel, aluminum & coil processing
What does the result look like when target sheet utilization reaches 98%? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. Use it when an operations manager wants material utilization on a sheet job against target before buying more stock.
The inputs for this scenario
- Net part area shipped: 360 ft² (unchanged)
- Sheet area purchased: 480 ft² (unchanged)
- Target sheet utilization: 98 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 85)
Working through the calculation
- Applying the documented formula (Sheet utilization = net part area shipped ÷ sheet area purchased) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
- At this operating point the engine returns 75 % for sheet 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 net part area shipped.
- At this operating point the engine returns 480 value for sheet area purchased.
How this compares with the baseline
- Against the tool's baseline example, where target sheet 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 sheet utilization is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. Area-based utilization ignores the cost difference between usable drop and unusable skeleton, so a high percentage can still hide expensive remnants that never get re-nested.
Results at a glance
- Sheet utilization: 75 % (headline result)
- Utilization gap: 23 points
- Net part area shipped: 360 value
- Sheet area purchased: 480 value
Run it with your numbers
- Every input above is editable in the live Sheet Utilization calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.
Last reviewed 2026-05-12.