Plating, Anodizing & Surface Treatment calculator

Masking Labor Cost Calculator

Find the labor cost to mask and demask one part. Enter drawing requirements, actual covered features and observed application, removal and handling times.

What this calculator does

  • Price mask application, removal and handling labor for one part, and check coverage against its drawing requirements.

Formula used

  • Application minutes = masked features × application minutes per feature
  • Removal minutes = masked features × removal minutes per feature
  • Labor per part = (application + removal + handling) × hourly labor rate ÷ 60
  • Coverage (%) = 100 × masked features ÷ required features
  • Missing masks = required features − masked features

Inputs explained

  • Required Masked Features: Count separate regions requiring masking on the drawing.
  • Features Actually Masked: Observed regions masked under the plan being priced.
  • Mask Application Labor: Time study of applying one representative feature mask.
  • Mask Removal Labor: Time study of removing and cleaning one feature mask.
  • Part Handling Labor: Additional operator time to handle one part.
  • Loaded Masking Labor Rate: Payroll burdened rate for the masking operators.

How to use the result

  • Best suited to mask application and removal time studies, drawing coverage checks.
  • Mask materials, tooling and replacement purchases are outside this labor price. Coverage counts do not prove sealing, fit or temperature suitability.

Current U.S. benchmarks

  • The producer price index for industrial chemicals stands at 336.006 (BLS, Aug 2026), up 13.3% from a year earlier. Quotes priced off last quarter's material cost miss this move.
  • The U.S. has 14,543 chemical manufacturing establishments employing about 911,245 workers (Census County Business Patterns, 2023).

Common questions

  • Why does the example flag missing masks? Its plan covers six of eight required features. The warning identifies drawing coverage still needed before production release.
  • Can material cost be included in the labor rate? Keep this rate on a person-hour labor basis. Book tape, plugs and tooling separately so changes in operator time remain interpretable.
  • How do I price mixed feature types? Use measured weighted times for the actual feature mix or calculate each feature family separately. A quick plug may not represent a taped edge.
  • Does a reusable mask eliminate removal labor? No, measure installation, removal and cleaning for that mask. The time study should reflect the actual reusable method.

Last reviewed 2026-10-06.