Tooling, Fixtures, Dies & Mold Economics worked example

Mold Validation Cost at 98% chargeable share of validation time: a worked example

What does the result look like when chargeable share of validation time reaches 98%? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. A quality engineer uses it to quote the IQ/OQ/PQ validation package required before a new injection mold ships parts to a customer.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Validation run hours on the press: 40 hr (unchanged)
  • Qualification engineer & press rate: 210 $/hr (unchanged)
  • Chargeable share of validation time: 98 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 85)
  • Documentation & report fee: 2,200 $ (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Validation cost = run hours x qualification rate x chargeable% + documentation fee) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 10,432 $ for total mold validation cost, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 261 $ / piece for mold validation cost per unit.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 8,232 $ for variable mold validation cost.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 2,200 $ for fixed mold validation cost adder.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where chargeable share of validation time sits at 85% and the headline result is 9,340 $, this scenario comes in 11.69% above the baseline at 10,432 $.
  • A figure at this level is achievable when chargeable share of validation time is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. It assumes one blended rate and a single documentation fee; multi-stage validations with separate OQ and PQ runs, failed runs requiring repeats, or third-party lab costs can exceed this single-pass estimate.

Results at a glance

  • Total mold validation cost: 10,432 $ (headline result)
  • Mold validation cost per unit: 261 $ / piece
  • Variable mold validation cost: 8,232 $
  • Fixed mold validation cost adder: 2,200 $

Run it with your numbers

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

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.