Thermoforming & Vacuum Formed Products worked example

Formed Part Cost at 58% share of cost that is truly variable: a worked example

This worked example runs the formed part cost numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: 58% share of cost that is truly variable instead of the typical 80%. Formed Part Cost builds the fully-loaded cost of a thermoformed part by combining a variable per-part cost, the share of that cost that genuinely flexes with volume, and the fixed setup and tooling that must be amortized across the run.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Formed parts in the costed batch: 100 units (held at the documented default)
  • Variable cost per formed part: 45 $ / unit (held at the documented default)
  • Share of cost that is truly variable: 58 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 80)
  • Fixed setup and tooling amortization: 250 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Formed Part 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 share of cost that is truly variable sits at 80% and the headline result is 3,850 $, this scenario comes in 25.71% below the baseline at 2,860 $.
  • Use it when quoting a run, comparing batch sizes, or checking whether a short order still clears cost after setup. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.

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 Formed Part Cost calculator, set share of cost that is truly variable to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.