Powder Metallurgy & Sintered Parts worked example

Compaction Tonnage at 65% press uptime efficiency: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop press uptime efficiency to 65%, then walk the calculation through step by step. This calculator turns a shift's press output into an effective parts-per-hour rate for a powder metallurgy compaction line.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Pressed compacts completed: 1,200 units (held at the documented default)
  • Press runtime: 8 hr (held at the documented default)
  • Press uptime efficiency: 65 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 90)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Raw compaction tonnage = completed output รท runtime.
  • Effective throughput works out to 97.5 units at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Raw throughput works out to 150 units at these inputs.
  • Efficiency works out to 65 % at these inputs.
  • Runtime works out to 8 hr at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where press uptime efficiency sits at 90% and the headline result is 135 units, this scenario comes in 27.78% below the baseline at 97.5 units.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to press uptime efficiency, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. A single efficiency percentage lumps together die changes, refills, jams, and inspection stops; it will not tell you which loss dominates or how tonnage limits cap the rate.

Results at a glance

  • Effective throughput: 97.5 units (headline result)
  • Raw throughput: 150 units
  • Efficiency: 65 %
  • Runtime: 8 hr

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Compaction Tonnage calculator, set press uptime efficiency to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.