How do you calculate rework cost?

Multiply units by the per-unit rate and the capture factor, then add the fixed cost. With 100 units at $45, 80% capture and $250 fixed, total rework cost is $3,850, or $38.50 per unit.

What does the capture factor mean in rework?

It is the fraction of routed units actually worth reworking. At 80% of 100 units, only the captured value of $3,600 in variable effort applies; the rest heads to scrap or a different disposition.

When is rework cheaper than scrap in flexible electronics?

When per-unit rework cost stays below the fully loaded make-cost of a fresh panel. If a new flex circuit costs more than $38.50 to build, reworking at this rate protects margin.

Why include a fixed cost in rework?

Rework carries setup — fixture prep, program loads, a rework tech's ramp time. Here the $250 fixed charge adds $2.50 per unit across 100 pieces, which small lots feel sharply.

What is a good per-unit rework cost?

There is no universal target; judge it against your panel make-cost. $38.50 per unit is reasonable for a mid-value flex assembly but ruinous for a low-cost printed sensor coupon.

How do I lower rework cost per panel?

Raise the capture factor with better fixturing so fewer salvageable units get scrapped, and amortize the fixed cost over larger rework batches instead of running one panel at a time.

Printed Electronics & Flexible Hybrid Electronics calculator

Rework Cost Calculator

Rework Cost captures what it truly costs to salvage defective printed or flex-hybrid panels — component removal, re-print or re-attach, and re-inspection — rather than scrapping them. In FHE production, low-temperature substrates and printed conductors make rework delicate, so a captured fraction of units is repairable while the rest is written off. Cost engineers and quality managers use this to decide when rework beats scrap and to load rework overhead into a job. It matters because rework labor is often invisible on the router yet quietly erodes margin on every problem lot.

What this calculator does

Rework Cost captures what it truly costs to salvage defective printed or flex-hybrid panels — component removal, re-print or re-attach, and re-inspection — rather than scrapping them.
Use it when rework cost in printed electronics and flexible hybrid electronics is being put through a printed electronics and flexible hybrid electronics weighted-cost review.
It computes total rework cost and per-unit rework cost from the volume routed to rework, a variable rate, a capture factor, and a fixed setup charge.

Formula used

Rework Cost cost = quantity × rate × capture factor + fixed cost
Per-unit rework cost = total cost ÷ quantity

Inputs explained

Defective panels routed to rework:
Loaded rework rate per panel:
Salvage capture factor:
Rework setup fixed cost:

How to use the result

Use it when dispositioning a defective lot, or when building a standard rework allowance into a job cost or quote.
It uses a single blended rate and capture factor; a lot mixing easy solder-touch fixes with delicate printed-trace repairs will not be well described by one number.

Current U.S. benchmarks

The producer price index for copper and brass mill shapes stands at 559.593 (BLS, May 2026), up 76.8% from a year earlier. Quotes priced off last quarter's material cost miss this move. Global copper trades at $13,484 per tonne (IMF via FRED, May 2026).
The U.S. has 11,261 computer and electronic products establishments employing about 815,443 workers (Census County Business Patterns, 2023).

Common questions

How do you calculate rework cost? Multiply units by the per-unit rate and the capture factor, then add the fixed cost. With 100 units at $45, 80% capture and $250 fixed, total rework cost is $3,850, or $38.50 per unit.
What does the capture factor mean in rework? It is the fraction of routed units actually worth reworking. At 80% of 100 units, only the captured value of $3,600 in variable effort applies; the rest heads to scrap or a different disposition.
When is rework cheaper than scrap in flexible electronics? When per-unit rework cost stays below the fully loaded make-cost of a fresh panel. If a new flex circuit costs more than $38.50 to build, reworking at this rate protects margin.
Why include a fixed cost in rework? Rework carries setup — fixture prep, program loads, a rework tech's ramp time. Here the $250 fixed charge adds $2.50 per unit across 100 pieces, which small lots feel sharply.
What is a good per-unit rework cost? There is no universal target; judge it against your panel make-cost. $38.50 per unit is reasonable for a mid-value flex assembly but ruinous for a low-cost printed sensor coupon.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.