Tooling, Fixtures, Dies & Mold Economics worked example

Tool Qualification Cost at 65% share of trials billed to program: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop share of trials billed to program to 65%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Estimate the cost of qualifying a new tool through tryout runs, sampling and approval documentation.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Qualification trial runs: 6 trials (held at the documented default)
  • Cost per qualification trial: 1,200 $/trial (held at the documented default)
  • Share of trials billed to program: 65 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 90)
  • PPAP and documentation flat cost: 2,500 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Total qualification cost = trials x cost per trial x billable share% + PPAP flat.
  • Total tool qualification cost works out to 7,180 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Tool qualification cost per unit works out to 1,197 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • Variable tool qualification cost works out to 4,680 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed tool qualification cost adder works out to 2,500 $ at these inputs.

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 20.04% below the baseline at 7,180 $.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to share of trials billed to program, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. The billable share is a single blended weight, so it assumes all trials cost the same; a run with a few very expensive capability studies mixed in should be modeled separately.

Results at a glance

  • Total tool qualification cost: 7,180 $ (headline result)
  • Tool qualification cost per unit: 1,197 $ / piece
  • Variable tool qualification cost: 4,680 $
  • Fixed tool qualification cost adder: 2,500 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Tool Qualification Cost calculator, set share of trials billed to program to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.