Weighing, Dosing & Loss-in-Weight Feeding worked example

Feeder Utilization at 68% target feeder utilization rate: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop target feeder utilization rate to 68%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Feeder utilization tells you what share of your loss-in-weight feeders are actually running inside their intended operating band versus sitting starved, over-refilling, or flagged out of tolerance.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Feeders flagged as under-target: 8 feeders (held at the documented default)
  • Total feeders in the dosing line: 250 feeders (held at the documented default)
  • Target feeder utilization rate: 68 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 95)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Feeder Utilization rate = affected amount รท total amount.
  • Rate works out to 3.2 % at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Gap to target works out to 64.8 points at these inputs.
  • Affected count works out to 8 count at these inputs.
  • Total count works out to 250 count at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where target feeder utilization rate sits at 95% and the headline result is 3.2 %, this scenario lands almost exactly on the baseline at 3.2 %.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to target feeder utilization rate, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It treats every feeder as equally weighted, so a starved 0.5% micro-ingredient feeder counts the same as your major bulk feeder even though its impact on final blend is very different.

Results at a glance

  • Rate: 3.2 % (headline result)
  • Gap to target: 64.8 points
  • Affected count: 8 count
  • Total count: 250 count

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Feeder Utilization calculator, set target feeder utilization rate to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.