How do you calculate forge heating time for a campaign?

Project the recipe's observed record onto the planned loads and add setup and extra transfer. 14 loads in 2 hours is 7 an hour, so 40 loads take 5.71 hours; with 15 minutes of setup and 60 of transfer the campaign needs 6.96 hours, 1.04 under an 8-hour window, the Forge Heating Schedule calculator's own example.

Why use an observed completion record instead of a heating rate?

Because it is what the furnace actually delivers with that recipe and loading pattern, delays included. Keep the count and the time visible so anyone can check the basis, and use a matched record when billet size, grade or loading changes.

Where does routine unloading time go?

Leave it in the reference run time. Enter only handling and transfer that are not in the record as extra transfer, or it is counted twice.

What are loads that fit?

The whole loads the window holds after setup and handling at the recipe's observed rate. When a campaign is over its window, the difference is what needs another furnace, a longer window or less handling.

Does it predict billet core temperature?

No. It schedules a campaign with a qualified recipe; temperature uniformity, soak time and recipe qualification are separate.

Does the workbook use macros?

No. It is a plain .xlsx with ordinary formulas, tables and native charts. The Verify sheet re-checks the formulas against fixed test campaigns and shows Self-check: PASS.

Production and Throughput

Forge Heating Schedule Excel Template

Forge heating campaign time = planned loads × reference hours ÷ reference loads, plus setup and extra transfer. Give every billet-heating campaign a row and see the furnace hours it needs from the recipe's observed completion record, the hours left in its window, the whole loads that fit and the loads that do not.

Free, and a plain .xlsx with no macros to enable. A CSV with live formulas and a printed how-to guide come with it.

Overview

This forge heating schedule template is a working Excel workbook for forge planners, furnace and heat treat supervisors and production managers. Each heating recipe on Setup carries a measured record: loads completed by the qualified recipe and the elapsed time they took, including normal heating and routine unloading. Each campaign is a row with its date, furnace, recipe, the loads it must heat, the setup minutes, any extra transfer not already in the record, and the window available. The workbook gives the loads per hour, the heating hours, the setup and handling hours, the hours required, the window left and used with a status in words, the whole loads the window holds and the loads that do not fit, and totals every furnace. It ships with eight campaigns on three furnaces at a fictional forge, so every tile and chart is filled in when you open it.

In the example 40 loads of 4140 billet, completed 14 at a time in 2 hours, need 5.71 hours of heating plus 1.25 hours of setup and transfer: 6.96 hours of an 8-hour window, leaving 1.04. A 4340 bar campaign leaves 5 minutes. Two campaigns do not fit: stainless needs 8.2 hours, so 35 of its 36 loads fit; a rush order adds 90 loads of 1045 to the induction line, which holds 86. Across the eight campaigns 362 loads are planned and 5 do not fit.

It schedules time from observed completion records; it does not calculate core temperature or qualify a recipe. The download is a plain .xlsx with no macros. A CSV with live formulas is also included for other tools; the dashboard, charts, dropdowns and self-check are in the .xlsx.

What this template includes

Setup sheet with your shop and near band, the furnaces, and the heating recipes with their observed completed loads and run time
Campaigns table, one row per heating campaign: date, furnace, recipe, planned loads, setup minutes, extra transfer minutes and the available window, with a Check column
Per campaign: loads per hour, heating hours, setup and handling hours, required hours, window remaining, window used, a status in words, loads that fit and loads that do not
Dashboard with four tiles (campaigns, loads planned, campaigns over the window, loads that do not fit), required hours against the window, window remaining by campaign, and the campaign and furnace tables
Method sheet with every formula, and a Verify sheet that re-checks the formulas against an independent reference and the Forge Heating Schedule calculator (Self-check: PASS)
CSV with live formulas for the Campaigns table; the dashboard, charts, dropdowns and self-check are in the .xlsx

Suggested use case

Use it to plan the week's furnace campaigns before they reach the press, to check a rush order fits a shift, or to see which furnace has spare window.

How to use it

On Setup, type your shop and near band, list your furnaces, and your heating recipes with their observed completed loads and run time.
On Campaigns, give each heating campaign a row: date, furnace, recipe, planned loads, setup, extra transfer and the window available.
Fix anything the Check column names.
Open the Dashboard: required furnace hours against the window for every campaign, and the loads that do not fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you calculate forge heating time for a campaign?: Project the recipe's observed record onto the planned loads and add setup and extra transfer. 14 loads in 2 hours is 7 an hour, so 40 loads take 5.71 hours; with 15 minutes of setup and 60 of transfer the campaign needs 6.96 hours, 1.04 under an 8-hour window, the Forge Heating Schedule calculator's own example.
Why use an observed completion record instead of a heating rate?: Because it is what the furnace actually delivers with that recipe and loading pattern, delays included. Keep the count and the time visible so anyone can check the basis, and use a matched record when billet size, grade or loading changes.
Where does routine unloading time go?: Leave it in the reference run time. Enter only handling and transfer that are not in the record as extra transfer, or it is counted twice.
What are loads that fit?: The whole loads the window holds after setup and handling at the recipe's observed rate. When a campaign is over its window, the difference is what needs another furnace, a longer window or less handling.
Does it predict billet core temperature?: No. It schedules a campaign with a qualified recipe; temperature uniformity, soak time and recipe qualification are separate.
Does the workbook use macros?: No. It is a plain .xlsx with ordinary formulas, tables and native charts. The Verify sheet re-checks the formulas against fixed test campaigns and shows Self-check: PASS.