Tooling, Fixtures, Dies & Mold Economics worked example

Tool Qualification Cost at 99% share of trials billed to program: a worked example

Push share of trials billed to program up to 99% and the picture changes. This example computes every intermediate figure at that operating point. A toolroom prices the validation phase of a new mold program before committing to a customer launch date.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Qualification trial runs: 6 trials (unchanged)
  • Cost per qualification trial: 1,200 $/trial (unchanged)
  • Share of trials billed to program: 99 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 90)
  • PPAP and documentation flat cost: 2,500 $ (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Total qualification cost = trials x cost per trial x billable share% + PPAP flat) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 9,628 $ for total tool qualification cost, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 1,605 $ / piece for tool qualification cost per unit.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 7,128 $ for variable tool qualification cost.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 2,500 $ for fixed tool qualification cost adder.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where share of trials billed to program sits at 90% and the headline result is 8,980 $, this scenario comes in 7.22% above the baseline at 9,628 $.
  • It computes total tool qualification cost by weighting trials times per-trial cost by the billable share and adding a fixed PPAP and documentation cost, plus the cost per trial. The value of this scenario is the size of the gap it exposes: that gap, priced out over a year, is the budget you can justify spending to close it.

Results at a glance

  • Total tool qualification cost: 9,628 $ (headline result)
  • Tool qualification cost per unit: 1,605 $ / piece
  • Variable tool qualification cost: 7,128 $
  • Fixed tool qualification cost adder: 2,500 $

Run it with your numbers

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

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.