How do you calculate the cost of a UV cure defect event?

Multiply defective parts by rework or scrap cost per part to get variable cost, then add disposition labor and overhead/customer impact. With 240 parts at $8, plus $650 disposition and $300 overhead, the total event cost is $2,870.

What is the cost per defective part in this example?

Total event cost of $2,870 divided by 240 defective parts gives $11.96 per defective part — roughly 50% more than the $8 raw rework/scrap cost once labor and overhead are loaded in.

Why is the loaded cost so much higher than the scrap cost per part?

The $8 per-part figure only covers material and direct rework. Disposition, containment paperwork, expedites, and customer impact add a fixed $950 here, which on small batches dominates the per-part cost.

Should I use rework cost or scrap cost per part?

Use whichever disposition you actually took. Rework cost reflects re-cure, strip-and-recoat, or touch-up labor and material; scrap cost reflects the full sunk value of the part. If a batch is mixed, run the calculator twice and add the totals.

What is a good UV cure defect cost per part?

There is no universal benchmark — it scales with part value. The useful test is trend: if cost per defective part is climbing or events recur monthly, the spend on UV dosimetry, lamp replacement, and speed control is almost always cheaper than the scrap.

Does this include the cost of customer returns?

Yes, if you put it in the overhead/customer impact field. Returns add freight, sorting, credit, and goodwill cost; many teams add a flat charge per return event there to capture the part of the bill that never shows up on a scrap ticket.

UV Curing calculator

UV Rework Cost Calculator

A UV cure rework or scrap cost calculator quantifies what a single curing defect event actually costs once you add up scrapped or reworked parts, the labor to contain and disposition them, and the downstream overhead like expedites and customer impact. Process and quality engineers on UV-cure lines use it after under-cure, over-cure, oxygen-inhibition tack, or adhesion failures are caught at QC or returned from a customer. It matters because the visible scrap dollars are usually less than half the real bill, and seeing cost-per-part makes the case for spectroradiometer checks, conveyor speed interlocks, and lamp/LED maintenance budgets. Run it per event and the recurring number becomes hard to ignore.

What this calculator does

Total the rework / scrap cost for UV cure defects: rework labor, scrap material, and disposition / overhead - the dollars an undercure escape actually costs.
Use it after a defect event to size the loss, build the business case for tightening the cure spec, or quantify the savings of preventing the next escape.
It sums variable rework/scrap material cost, containment labor, and overhead into a total UV cure defect event cost, then divides by defective parts to give cost per defective part.

Formula used

Variable cost = defective parts × cost per part
Total event cost = variable cost + disposition + overhead / customer impact
Cost per defective part = total event cost ÷ defective parts

Inputs explained

Defective parts: Total parts in the affected lot, batch, or escape.
Rework or scrap cost per part: Material + value-add up to UV cure step (scrap), or rework labor + materials (rework).
Disposition / containment labor: Engineering, QA, and supervisor time to investigate, sort, and disposition the lot.
Overhead / customer impact: Extra freight, customer notifications, line slowdown, expedite cost.

How to use the result

Use it right after a cure-related reject batch, customer return, or containment action to put a defensible dollar figure on the event for corrective-action and capital-justification cases.
It is a snapshot of one event and does not model defect frequency or PPM rate over time, so multiply by your event count to estimate annual exposure.

Common questions

How do you calculate the cost of a UV cure defect event? Multiply defective parts by rework or scrap cost per part to get variable cost, then add disposition labor and overhead/customer impact. With 240 parts at $8, plus $650 disposition and $300 overhead, the total event cost is $2,870.
What is the cost per defective part in this example? Total event cost of $2,870 divided by 240 defective parts gives $11.96 per defective part — roughly 50% more than the $8 raw rework/scrap cost once labor and overhead are loaded in.
Why is the loaded cost so much higher than the scrap cost per part? The $8 per-part figure only covers material and direct rework. Disposition, containment paperwork, expedites, and customer impact add a fixed $950 here, which on small batches dominates the per-part cost.
Should I use rework cost or scrap cost per part? Use whichever disposition you actually took. Rework cost reflects re-cure, strip-and-recoat, or touch-up labor and material; scrap cost reflects the full sunk value of the part. If a batch is mixed, run the calculator twice and add the totals.
What is a good UV cure defect cost per part? There is no universal benchmark — it scales with part value. The useful test is trend: if cost per defective part is climbing or events recur monthly, the spend on UV dosimetry, lamp replacement, and speed control is almost always cheaper than the scrap.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.