Tooling, Fixtures, Dies & Mold Economics worked example

Die Life Estimator at 99% press uptime over die life: a worked example in tooling, fixtures, dies & mold economics

Push press uptime over die life up to 99% and the picture changes. This example computes every intermediate figure at that operating point. Use it when die life in tooling, fixtures, dies and mold economics is being asked to take on more work and you need to know if there is room.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Parts per die stroke: 4 units / cycle (unchanged)
  • Rated die life before regrind: 480 cycles (unchanged)
  • Press uptime over die life: 99 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 90)
  • Stamping first-pass yield: 97 % (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Gross die life capacity = die life output per cycle × available die life cycles) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 1,844 units for good die life capacity, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 1,920 units for gross die life capacity.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 19.2 units for die life downtime loss.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 57.02 units for die life yield loss.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where press uptime over die life sits at 90% and the headline result is 1,676 units, this scenario comes in 10% above the baseline at 1,844 units.
  • It converts a die's rated cycle life into good-part capacity by multiplying parts-per-stroke and rated cycles, then derating for press uptime and stamping first-pass yield. 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

  • Good die life capacity: 1,844 units (headline result)
  • Gross die life capacity: 1,920 units
  • Die life downtime loss: 19.2 units
  • Die life yield loss: 57.02 units

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Die Life Estimator calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.