How do you calculate rework cost?

Multiply the subassemblies reworked by the labor rate and the repairable share, then add the retest fee. With 60 subassemblies at $185 each, 80% repairable, plus a $3,500 fee, that is 60 x 185 x 0.80 + 3,500 = $12,380 total.

What is the rework cost per subassembly?

Total rework cost divided by the number of subassemblies handled. In the example, $12,380 across 60 subassemblies is $206.33 each, which includes both the repair labor and a share of the fixed retest fee.

Rework vs scrap: how do I decide?

Compare the per-unit rework cost ($206.33 here) against the fully-loaded cost of scrapping and rebuilding, including the material already invested. If rework per unit exceeds replacement cost, scrap and rebuild is cheaper.

Why is only part of the lot repairable?

Not every failed subassembly can be salvaged. The repairable share (80% in the example) reflects that some units are damaged beyond economic repair; those become scrap and should be costed separately.

Why is retest treated as a fixed fee?

In surgical robotics, requalification often involves a fixed test setup, calibration, and documentation cost that does not scale linearly with unit count, so it is modeled as a fixed adder ($3,500 here).

How do I lower rework cost per unit?

Reduce the volume needing rework through root-cause fixes, and spread the fixed retest fee over larger batches. Cutting the reworked count in half while keeping the fee fixed raises the fixed cost share per unit, so batch rework strategically.

Surgical Robotics Manufacturing calculator

Rework Cost Calculator

Rework cost captures the true expense of salvaging surgical robotics subassemblies that fail inspection or test: the labor to repair the repairable share, plus a fixed retest and requalification fee once repairs are done. Manufacturing engineers and quality-cost analysts use it to decide whether to rework or scrap, to quantify the cost of a quality escape, and to justify process improvements. In a regulated surgical build, rework is not just labor: every repaired arm, instrument driver, or PCB must be retested and requalified before it can ship, and that fixed cost often dominates on small lots. This calculator separates the variable repair labor from the fixed requalification cost so you can see both.

What this calculator does

Estimate the cost to disassemble, repair, and requalify nonconforming surgical robot subassemblies.
A production engineer uses this to weigh reworking a flagged batch of arm assemblies against scrapping them.
It computes total rework cost as repairable-subassembly labor plus a fixed retest fee, and the resulting rework cost per subassembly.

Formula used

Total rework cost = subassemblies reworked x labor rate x repairable share % + retest fee
Rework cost per subassembly = total rework cost / subassemblies reworked

Inputs explained

Robotic subassemblies sent to rework:
Fully-loaded rework labor cost per subassembly:
Share of subassemblies repairable (not scrapped):
Retest and requalification fee:

How to use the result

Use it when weighing rework against scrap, costing a nonconformance disposition, or building the business case to fix a recurring defect.
It assumes one blended labor rate and that the retest fee is fixed regardless of quantity, so it can misstate cost for lots with widely varying repair complexity.

Current U.S. benchmarks

U.S. manufacturing runs at 75.6% of capacity with new factory orders at $657B per month (Federal Reserve and Census, May 2026).
Global copper trades at $13,484 per tonne (IMF via FRED, May 2026), up 41.5% in a year, and U.S. industrial electricity averages 8.66 cents per kWh. Both feed electrified-hardware unit economics.
The U.S. has 8,825 medical equipment and supplies establishments employing about 308,388 workers (Census County Business Patterns, 2023).

Common questions

How do you calculate rework cost? Multiply the subassemblies reworked by the labor rate and the repairable share, then add the retest fee. With 60 subassemblies at $185 each, 80% repairable, plus a $3,500 fee, that is 60 x 185 x 0.80 + 3,500 = $12,380 total.
What is the rework cost per subassembly? Total rework cost divided by the number of subassemblies handled. In the example, $12,380 across 60 subassemblies is $206.33 each, which includes both the repair labor and a share of the fixed retest fee.
Rework vs scrap: how do I decide? Compare the per-unit rework cost ($206.33 here) against the fully-loaded cost of scrapping and rebuilding, including the material already invested. If rework per unit exceeds replacement cost, scrap and rebuild is cheaper.
Why is only part of the lot repairable? Not every failed subassembly can be salvaged. The repairable share (80% in the example) reflects that some units are damaged beyond economic repair; those become scrap and should be costed separately.
Why is retest treated as a fixed fee? In surgical robotics, requalification often involves a fixed test setup, calibration, and documentation cost that does not scale linearly with unit count, so it is modeled as a fixed adder ($3,500 here).

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.