Tooling, Fixtures, Dies & Mold Economics worked example

Mold Cost Per Part at 61% usable share of rated tool life: a worked example

This worked example runs the mold cost per part numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: 61% usable share of rated tool life instead of the typical 85%. Estimate amortized mold cost per part from projected volume, per-part tool allocation, realized tool life, and maintenance reserve.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Molded parts over tool life: 250,000 parts (held at the documented default)
  • Mold cost per cavity-shot: 0.18 $ / part (held at the documented default)
  • Usable share of rated tool life: 61 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 85)
  • Mold maintenance reserve: 6,000 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Total mold cost over life = molded parts × mold cost per part × tool life realization + mold maintenance reserve.
  • Total mold cost per part cost works out to 33,450 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Mold cost per part cost per unit works out to 0.13 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • Variable mold cost per part cost works out to 27,450 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed mold cost per part adder works out to 6,000 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where usable share of rated tool life sits at 85% and the headline result is 44,250 $, this scenario comes in 24.41% below the baseline at 33,450 $.
  • Use it when quoting a molded part, comparing candidate molds, or checking when a mold has recovered its cost. 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

  • Total mold cost per part cost: 33,450 $ (headline result)
  • Mold cost per part cost per unit: 0.13 $ / piece
  • Variable mold cost per part cost: 27,450 $
  • Fixed mold cost per part adder: 6,000 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Mold Cost Per Part calculator, set usable share of rated tool life to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.