Thermal Spray, Hardfacing & Wear Coatings worked example

Torch Wear Cost at 58% consumable duty-cycle factor: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop consumable duty-cycle factor to 58%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Torch Wear Cost tallies what a plasma, HVOF, or twin-wire arc gun actually costs to keep firing across a coating run — electrodes, nozzles, gas caps, air caps, and powder-port hardware that erode with arc time.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Coated parts per run: 100 units (held at the documented default)
  • Torch consumable cost per part: 45 $ / unit (held at the documented default)
  • Consumable duty-cycle factor: 58 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 80)
  • Setup and rebuild flat charge: 250 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Torch Wear Cost cost = quantity × rate × capture factor + fixed cost.
  • Weighted cost works out to 2,860 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Per piece value works out to 28.6 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • Captured value works out to 2,610 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed adjustment works out to 250 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where consumable duty-cycle factor sits at 80% and the headline result is 3,850 $, this scenario comes in 25.71% below the baseline at 2,860 $.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to consumable duty-cycle factor, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It assumes consumable wear is roughly linear with parts; in reality electrode erosion accelerates near end-of-life, so a gun in its last 10% of duty cycle will underspray and the true cost per good part rises faster than this model shows.

Results at a glance

  • Weighted cost: 2,860 $ (headline result)
  • Per piece value: 28.6 $ / piece
  • Captured value: 2,610 $
  • Fixed adjustment: 250 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Torch Wear Cost calculator, set consumable duty-cycle factor to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.