How do you calculate pull test sample size capacity?

Multiply terminations per cycle by available cycles for gross capacity, then scale by uptime and first-pass yield. With 4 per cycle, 480 cycles, 90% uptime and 97% yield, good capacity is about 1,676 units.

What is gross versus good capacity here?

Gross capacity is the ideal 1,920 units (4 x 480). Good capacity of 1,676 units is what remains after 192 lost to downtime and about 52 lost to failed pulls.

How much capacity is lost to downtime?

At 90% uptime the station loses 192 units of the 1,920 gross to stoppages and changeovers, which is the single largest loss in the default case.

How much is lost to yield?

After downtime, 97% first-pass yield removes about 52 more units, representing samples that fail the pull spec. Lower crimp quality would enlarge this yield-loss figure directly.

What is a good uptime for a pull-test station?

Well-maintained destructive-test stations run 85-95% uptime; the 90% default is solid. Below 80%, changeover or calibration overhead is eating capacity you likely need.

How does this help set a sampling plan?

If your sampling plan needs 1,500 destructive pulls per shift, the 1,676 good capacity confirms a single station suffices with margin; a plan needing 1,800 would require added cycles, a second station, or improved uptime.

Wire Harness, Cable & Electromechanical Assembly calculator

Pull Test Sample Size Calculator

Pull test sample size capacity is how many crimped or terminated samples a destructive pull-test station can actually validate in a shift, after downtime and yield losses. Quality engineers and harness process owners use it to plan sampling plans, size destructive-test budgets, and confirm a station can keep up with production sampling requirements. It separates the ideal gross capacity from the good capacity you can rely on, exposing exactly how much is lost to tester downtime versus failed pulls. That distinction drives whether you add shifts, add a station, or fix the crimp process.

What this calculator does

Estimate pull test sample size for wire harness, cable and electromechanical assembly using production-ready inputs so teams can confirm whether capacity can cover demand before committing the schedule.
Use it when pull test sample size in wire harness, cable and electromechanical assembly is being asked to take on more work and you need to know if there is room.
It computes good tested capacity from terminations per cycle and available cycles, scaled by tester uptime and first-pass yield, and breaks out downtime and yield losses.

Formula used

Gross pull test sample size capacity = pull test sample size output per cycle × available pull test sample size cycles
Good pull test sample size capacity = gross capacity × expected pull test sample size uptime × expected pull test sample size first-pass yield

Inputs explained

Terminations Pulled per Cycle:
Available Pull-Test Cycles:
Pull Tester Uptime:
Termination First-Pass Yield:

How to use the result

Use it when planning a destructive pull-test sampling plan, budgeting scrapped samples, or checking a station keeps pace with production sampling.
It treats uptime and yield as independent flat rates, so it will not model a bad crimp die that raises failures and jams the tester at once.

Current U.S. benchmarks

The producer price index for copper and brass mill shapes stands at 559.593 (BLS, May 2026), up 76.8% from a year earlier. Quotes priced off last quarter's material cost miss this move. Global copper trades at $13,484 per tonne (IMF via FRED, May 2026).
Manufacturing hourly earnings average $30.27 (BLS, Jun 2026), up 4.4% from a year earlier. Median machinist pay is $28.24/hr (OEWS 2025), with state medians on each state page. Manufacturers have 529k open positions nationally (BLS JOLTS).
The U.S. has 5,397 electrical equipment and appliances establishments employing about 369,437 workers (Census County Business Patterns, 2023).

Common questions

How do you calculate pull test sample size capacity? Multiply terminations per cycle by available cycles for gross capacity, then scale by uptime and first-pass yield. With 4 per cycle, 480 cycles, 90% uptime and 97% yield, good capacity is about 1,676 units.
What is gross versus good capacity here? Gross capacity is the ideal 1,920 units (4 x 480). Good capacity of 1,676 units is what remains after 192 lost to downtime and about 52 lost to failed pulls.
How much capacity is lost to downtime? At 90% uptime the station loses 192 units of the 1,920 gross to stoppages and changeovers, which is the single largest loss in the default case.
How much is lost to yield? After downtime, 97% first-pass yield removes about 52 more units, representing samples that fail the pull spec. Lower crimp quality would enlarge this yield-loss figure directly.
What is a good uptime for a pull-test station? Well-maintained destructive-test stations run 85-95% uptime; the 90% default is solid. Below 80%, changeover or calibration overhead is eating capacity you likely need.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.