Tooling, Fixtures, Dies & Mold Economics worked example

Tool Life Cost at 65% wear-out realization: a worked example in tooling, fixtures, dies & mold economics

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop wear-out realization to 65%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Estimate the total tooling consumption cost for a production run based on how many cutting tools wear out and what each replacement costs.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Tool replacements over the run: 40 tools (held at the documented default)
  • Purchase cost per tool: 85 $/tool (held at the documented default)
  • Wear-out realization: 65 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 90)
  • Regrind & setup adder: 250 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Total tool life cost = replacements x cost per tool x wear-out realization% + regrind adder.
  • Total tool life cost works out to 2,460 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Tool life cost per unit works out to 61.5 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • Variable tool life cost works out to 2,210 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed tool life cost adder works out to 250 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where wear-out realization sits at 90% and the headline result is 3,310 $, this scenario comes in 25.68% below the baseline at 2,460 $.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to wear-out realization, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. The wear-out realization percentage is an estimate of edge-life utilization; if tools break early or run past their nominal life, the actual cost drifts from the calculated figure.

Results at a glance

  • Total tool life cost: 2,460 $ (headline result)
  • Tool life cost per unit: 61.5 $ / piece
  • Variable tool life cost: 2,210 $
  • Fixed tool life cost adder: 250 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Tool Life Cost calculator, set wear-out realization to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.