Thermoforming & Vacuum Formed Products worked example

Stack Height at 99% line efficiency: a worked example

This scenario runs the stack height calculation on the strong side: 99% line efficiency, with every other input held at its documented default. Use it when stack height in thermoforming and vacuum formed products is being committed and you need a throughput number you can defend.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Parts formed over the run: 1,200 units (unchanged)
  • Line runtime: 8 hr (unchanged)
  • Line efficiency: 99 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 90)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Raw stack height = completed output รท runtime) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 149 units for effective throughput, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 150 units for raw throughput.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 99 % for efficiency.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 8 hr for runtime.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where line efficiency sits at 90% and the headline result is 135 units, this scenario comes in 10% above the baseline at 149 units.
  • Use it when converting a completed run into a plannable hourly rate, comparing shifts, or feeding a realistic rate into a capacity or scheduling model. Treat this as a target state: the delta against the baseline quantifies what the improvement is worth before you commit to chasing it.

Results at a glance

  • Effective throughput: 149 units (headline result)
  • Raw throughput: 150 units
  • Efficiency: 99 %
  • Runtime: 8 hr

Run it with your numbers

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

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.