Wire Drawing & Rod Processing worked example

Cost Per Thousand Feet at 58% billable share: a worked example

This worked example runs the cost per thousand feet numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: 58% billable share instead of the typical 80%. Cost Per Thousand Feet (cost per MFT) is the standard costing unit in wire drawing because wire is sold and consumed by length, not by the piece.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Thousands of feet drawn: 100 units (held at the documented default)
  • Processing cost per thousand feet: 45 $ / unit (held at the documented default)
  • Billable share (yield after scrap): 58 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 80)
  • Fixed setup and die cost: 250 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Cost Per Thousand Feet cost = quantity × rate × capture factor + fixed cost.
  • Weighted cost works out to 2,860 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Per piece value works out to 28.6 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • Captured value works out to 2,610 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed adjustment works out to 250 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where billable share sits at 80% and the headline result is 3,850 $, this scenario comes in 25.71% below the baseline at 2,860 $.
  • Use it when quoting a drawing job, deciding make-vs-buy on finished wire, or checking whether a completed run covered its die and setup charges. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.

Results at a glance

  • Weighted cost: 2,860 $ (headline result)
  • Per piece value: 28.6 $ / piece
  • Captured value: 2,610 $
  • Fixed adjustment: 250 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Cost Per Thousand Feet calculator, set billable share to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.