How far apart should parts hang?

Widest hanging dimension plus swing and process clearance: a 14-inch part with 4 inches of air needs 18-inch pitch. Clearance covers swing on curves and the spray gap, commonly 2 to 6 inches by part size.

What happens if parts hang too close?

Adjacent parts shadow each other electrostatically and edges run light; swinging parts touch on curves and leave kiss marks. Dense curtains also block oven airflow, and all three surface as rework.

What output does a given pitch allow?

Line speed × 720 ÷ pitch in inches at one part per hook: 12 ft/min at 18-inch pitch is 480 an hour. The 720 converts inches and minutes to feet per minute.

The pitch cannot hit my rate target. Now what?

Multi-part racks first, since they add density without tighter spacing. Then a faster line if the cure permits, a longer oven, or an honest target. Clearance is quality, not slack.

Finishing calculator

Hanging Spacing Calculator

Set hook pitch from the part's widest hanging dimension plus swing and process clearance, then check the rate both ways. Enter width, clearance, line speed and target.

What this calculator does

The tightest hook pitch a part's geometry allows, plus the output it permits and the speed a target would need.

Formula used

Minimum pitch = part's widest hanging dimension + swing and process clearance
Output the pitch allows = line speed × 720 ÷ minimum pitch
Margin over target = permitted output − target output
Speed the target needs = target × minimum pitch ÷ 720

Inputs explained

Part's Widest Hanging Dimension: Widest dimension across travel as the part hangs, worst rotation.
Swing and Process Clearance: Air between parts at the worst point: swing plus spray gap.
Line Speed: Conveyor speed the line runs at during production.
Target Line Output: Schedule's expected rate at one part per hook.

How to use the result

Best suited to setting pitch for a new part family, checking a quoted rate against real spacing, documenting why a rate needs racks.
Faraday and wrap effects need a spray-out; two dimensions cannot carry them. Racked hanging changes pitch to the rack's dimension on the density page. The pitch that clears the booth may still overload the oven.

Current U.S. benchmarks

Industrial electricity averages 9.77 cents per kWh across the U.S. (EIA, Jul 2026), up 4.7% from a year earlier. Energy-intensive steps carry this directly into unit cost.
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

How far apart should parts hang? Widest hanging dimension plus swing and process clearance: a 14-inch part with 4 inches of air needs 18-inch pitch. Clearance covers swing on curves and the spray gap, commonly 2 to 6 inches by part size.
What happens if parts hang too close? Adjacent parts shadow each other electrostatically and edges run light; swinging parts touch on curves and leave kiss marks. Dense curtains also block oven airflow, and all three surface as rework.
What output does a given pitch allow? Line speed × 720 ÷ pitch in inches at one part per hook: 12 ft/min at 18-inch pitch is 480 an hour. The 720 converts inches and minutes to feet per minute.
The pitch cannot hit my rate target. Now what? Multi-part racks first, since they add density without tighter spacing. Then a faster line if the cure permits, a longer oven, or an honest target. Clearance is quality, not slack.

Last reviewed 2026-10-01.