How do you calculate good tooling capacity?

Multiply output per cycle by available cycles to get gross capacity, then multiply by uptime and first-pass yield. With 4 units/cycle, 480 cycles, 90% uptime and 97% yield, gross is 1,920 units and good capacity is 1,676 units.

Why amortize over good parts instead of gross parts?

You only get paid for good parts. Amortizing a tool's cost over 1,920 gross units instead of 1,676 good units understates your true cost-per-part and quietly erodes margin on every job over the tool's life.

What is a good first-pass yield off a tool?

For mature stamping and molding tools, 96-99% first-pass yield is typical. New or complex multi-cavity tools often run lower during ramp. At the default 97%, yield loss is only about 52 units of the 1,920 gross.

How much capacity does downtime cost?

At 90% uptime on 1,920 gross units, downtime removes 192 units before yield is even considered. Uptime is usually the single biggest lever on good capacity for a healthy tool.

Gross capacity vs good capacity — what's the difference?

Gross capacity is the theoretical part count if the machine never stopped and every part passed. Good capacity applies uptime and yield to give the number you can actually ship and invoice.

Does more cavities always mean more good parts?

More output per cycle raises gross capacity linearly, but if added cavities lower first-pass yield or increase downtime, good capacity can rise more slowly than expected. Always recompute good capacity, not just gross.

Tooling, Fixtures, Dies & Mold Economics calculator

Tooling Amortization Calculator

Tooling amortization capacity tells you how many good, saleable parts a tool will actually deliver across a production run once real-world uptime and yield eat into the theoretical maximum. Tooling engineers, cost estimators, and program managers use it to spread a tool's cost across a defensible part count instead of an optimistic one. It matters because amortizing a $40,000 die over its gross capacity understates cost-per-part by roughly 13% when uptime is 90% and yield is 97%. Anchoring amortization to good capacity keeps quoted piece prices from bleeding margin over the tool's life.

What this calculator does

Estimate tooling amortization for tooling, fixtures, dies and mold economics using production-ready inputs so teams can confirm whether capacity can cover demand before committing the schedule.
Use it when tooling amortization in tooling, fixtures, dies and mold economics is being asked to take on more work and you need to know if there is room.
It computes the good (saleable) part capacity of a tool by discounting gross capacity for machine uptime and first-pass yield.

Formula used

Gross tooling amortization capacity = tooling amortization output per cycle × available tooling amortization cycles
Good tooling amortization capacity = gross capacity × expected tooling amortization uptime × expected tooling amortization first-pass yield

Inputs explained

Parts produced per tooling cycle:
Tooling cycles available in the run:
Machine uptime during the run:
First-pass yield off the tool:

How to use the result

Use it when setting the amortization base for a new tool, sizing a program's committed volume, or checking whether a run will hit its good-part target.
It assumes uptime and yield are steady across the run; a tool that degrades near end-of-life will show falling yield that a single averaged figure hides.

Current U.S. benchmarks

The producer price index for plastic resins and materials stands at 319.371 (BLS, May 2026), up 19.5% from a year earlier. Quotes priced off last quarter's material cost miss this move.
The U.S. has 14,378 furniture and related products establishments employing about 355,594 workers (Census County Business Patterns, 2023).

Common questions

How do you calculate good tooling capacity? Multiply output per cycle by available cycles to get gross capacity, then multiply by uptime and first-pass yield. With 4 units/cycle, 480 cycles, 90% uptime and 97% yield, gross is 1,920 units and good capacity is 1,676 units.
Why amortize over good parts instead of gross parts? You only get paid for good parts. Amortizing a tool's cost over 1,920 gross units instead of 1,676 good units understates your true cost-per-part and quietly erodes margin on every job over the tool's life.
What is a good first-pass yield off a tool? For mature stamping and molding tools, 96-99% first-pass yield is typical. New or complex multi-cavity tools often run lower during ramp. At the default 97%, yield loss is only about 52 units of the 1,920 gross.
How much capacity does downtime cost? At 90% uptime on 1,920 gross units, downtime removes 192 units before yield is even considered. Uptime is usually the single biggest lever on good capacity for a healthy tool.
Gross capacity vs good capacity — what's the difference? Gross capacity is the theoretical part count if the machine never stopped and every part passed. Good capacity applies uptime and yield to give the number you can actually ship and invoice.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.