How do you calculate thermal spray rework cost?

Multiply the parts you can actually recover by the per-part rework rate, apply your capture percentage, then add the fixed masking and setup cost. With 100 parts at $45, an 80% capture rate and $250 fixed, that is 100 x 45 x 0.80 + 250 = $3,850 total.

What is the per-piece rework cost in the example?

Dividing the $3,850 total by the 100 parts in the lot gives $38.50 per piece — the number to fold into a re-quote or a scrap-versus-recoat decision.

Why include a capture factor instead of assuming every part is recoverable?

Some rejects are unrecoverable — cracked substrates, oversprayed critical features, or coatings too thick to strip cleanly. The 80% capture factor means only $3,600 of the labor is productive value; the rest would be wasted on parts you should scrap.

Is rework cheaper than scrapping a coated part?

Usually yes when the substrate is high-value (a turbine journal or hydraulic rod), because bare-part cost dwarfs the coating. But once per-piece rework approaches replacement cost, or capture rate falls below roughly 50%, scrap-and-restart often wins.

What counts as fixed cost here?

Masking, fixturing, robot re-teach, gas purge and first-article setup that you pay once per batch regardless of quantity — $250 in the example. Spread over 100 parts it adds only $2.50 each, but over a lot of 5 it dominates.

How do I lower thermal spray rework cost?

Attack root cause: tighten grit-blast Sa profile, stabilize gun standoff and traverse, and control powder feed. Every point of first-pass yield removes parts from this calculation entirely, which beats any recovery efficiency gain.

Thermal Spray, Hardfacing & Wear Coatings calculator

Rework Cost Calculator

Rework Cost tells a thermal spray shop what it actually spends re-blasting, re-masking and re-spraying coatings that failed inspection — bond-test rejects, out-of-tolerance thickness, or spalled hardfacing. Process engineers and estimators use it to decide whether stripping and recoating a part beats scrapping it and starting from bare substrate. Because HVOF and plasma consumables (WC-Co, Cr3C2, gas) are expensive, even a modest reject rate erodes margin fast. This calculator separates the recoverable-value portion from the unavoidable fixed cost so you can quote and improve realistically.

What this calculator does

Rework Cost tells a thermal spray shop what it actually spends re-blasting, re-masking and re-spraying coatings that failed inspection — bond-test rejects, out-of-tolerance thickness, or spalled hardfacing.
Use it when rework cost in thermal spray, hardfacing and wear coatings is being put through a thermal spray, hardfacing and wear coatings weighted-cost review.
It computes total rework spend as recoverable parts times per-part cost plus fixed batch cost, then divides by the full part count for a per-piece figure.

Formula used

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

Inputs explained

Coated parts requiring rework:
Rework labor + material cost per part:
Share of parts actually recoverable:
Fixed setup / masking cost per batch:

How to use the result

Use it when a coating lot comes back from bond, thickness or metallography checks and you must price the recovery run or justify a process change.
It assumes a single blended per-part rework rate; parts needing full strip-and-recoat versus a light touch-up cost very differently and should be modeled separately.

Current U.S. benchmarks

Industrial electricity averages 8.66 cents per kWh across the U.S. (EIA, Apr 2026), up 5.5% from a year earlier. Energy-intensive steps carry this directly into unit cost.
The producer price index for industrial chemicals stands at 344.336 (BLS, May 2026), up 16.1% from a year earlier. Quotes priced off last quarter's material cost miss this move.
The U.S. has 14,543 chemical manufacturing establishments employing about 911,245 workers (Census County Business Patterns, 2023).

Common questions

How do you calculate thermal spray rework cost? Multiply the parts you can actually recover by the per-part rework rate, apply your capture percentage, then add the fixed masking and setup cost. With 100 parts at $45, an 80% capture rate and $250 fixed, that is 100 x 45 x 0.80 + 250 = $3,850 total.
What is the per-piece rework cost in the example? Dividing the $3,850 total by the 100 parts in the lot gives $38.50 per piece — the number to fold into a re-quote or a scrap-versus-recoat decision.
Why include a capture factor instead of assuming every part is recoverable? Some rejects are unrecoverable — cracked substrates, oversprayed critical features, or coatings too thick to strip cleanly. The 80% capture factor means only $3,600 of the labor is productive value; the rest would be wasted on parts you should scrap.
Is rework cheaper than scrapping a coated part? Usually yes when the substrate is high-value (a turbine journal or hydraulic rod), because bare-part cost dwarfs the coating. But once per-piece rework approaches replacement cost, or capture rate falls below roughly 50%, scrap-and-restart often wins.
What counts as fixed cost here? Masking, fixturing, robot re-teach, gas purge and first-article setup that you pay once per batch regardless of quantity — $250 in the example. Spread over 100 parts it adds only $2.50 each, but over a lot of 5 it dominates.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.