Powder Metallurgy & Sintered Parts worked example

Powder Loss Rate at 68% target maximum loss rate: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop target maximum loss rate to 68%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Powder loss rate measures how much of the metal powder you charge into a PM operation ends up as spillage, fines, oversized reclaim, or scrapped green parts rather than usable product.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Powder lost or scrapped (mass or parts): 8 units (held at the documented default)
  • Total powder charged or parts run: 250 units (held at the documented default)
  • Target maximum loss rate: 68 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 95)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Powder Loss Rate rate = affected amount รท total amount.
  • Rate works out to 3.2 % at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Gap to target works out to 64.8 points at these inputs.
  • Affected count works out to 8 count at these inputs.
  • Total count works out to 250 count at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where target maximum loss rate sits at 95% and the headline result is 3.2 %, this scenario lands almost exactly on the baseline at 3.2 %.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to target maximum loss rate, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It is a ratio, not a mass balance; it won't tell you where the powder went (spillage vs. fines vs. green scrap), so pair it with a Sankey or by-source tally to act on the number.

Results at a glance

  • Rate: 3.2 % (headline result)
  • Gap to target: 64.8 points
  • Affected count: 8 count
  • Total count: 250 count

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Powder Loss Rate calculator, set target maximum loss rate to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.