Rare Earth Magnet & Motor Materials worked example

Furnace Utilization at 98% target furnace utilization: a worked example in rare earth magnet & motor materials

What does the result look like when target furnace utilization reaches 98%? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. Use it to judge whether the furnace in Rare Earth Magnet & Motor Materials is a bottleneck or has spare capacity.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Sintering furnace running hours: 320 hr (unchanged)
  • Furnace hours scheduled and available: 400 hr (unchanged)
  • Target furnace utilization: 98 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 85)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Utilization = hours in use ÷ hours available) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 80 % for utilization, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 18 points for gap to target.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 320 value for used amount.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 400 value for available amount.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where target furnace utilization sits at 85% and the headline result is 80 %, this scenario lands almost exactly on the baseline at 80 %.
  • A figure at this level is achievable when target furnace utilization is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. Utilization says nothing about whether the loads themselves were full or the cycles were correct — a furnace can be 100% utilized while running half-empty trays of magnets.

Results at a glance

  • Utilization: 80 % (headline result)
  • Gap to target: 18 points
  • Used amount: 320 value
  • Available amount: 400 value

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Furnace Utilization calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.