# Press Brake Batch Size and Setup Amortisation Calculator

> Source: https://netray.co/tools/press-brake-batch-size-and-setup-amortisation-calculator
> Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems.
> Section: Free Tools

## Short answer

Calculate the batch size where setup time stops dominating bending cost, and see cost per part fall as quantity rises.

## Category

cost-finance

## Industry

Sheet Metal Fabrication

## Audience

- Estimator
- Production planner
- Shop owner

## Tool

**Kind:** calculator

**Currency:** $

**Inputs:**

#### Setup time (tooling, program, first piece)

**Key:** setup

**Type:** number

**Default:** 45

**Min:** 0

**Step:** 5

**Unit:** min

#### Bends per part

**Key:** bends

**Type:** number

**Default:** 6

**Min:** 1

**Step:** 1

#### Handling time per bend

**Key:** sec

**Type:** number

**Default:** 14

**Min:** 1

**Step:** 1

**Unit:** s

**Help:** Pick up, position, bend, flip, include gauging.

#### Press brake rate

**Key:** rate

**Type:** number

**Default:** 95

**Min:** 0

**Step:** 5

**Unit:** $/h

**Help:** Machine plus operator, fully loaded.

#### Target maximum setup share

**Key:** share

**Type:** select

**Default:** 10

**Options:**

##### 5 percent

**Value:** 5

##### 10 percent

**Value:** 10

##### 15 percent

**Value:** 15

##### 20 percent

**Value:** 20

**Help:** Setup as a share of total bending cost.

#### Planned batch quantity

**Key:** qty

**Type:** number

**Default:** 50

**Min:** 1

**Step:** 1

**Unit:** parts

**Outputs:**

#### Run time per part

**Key:** run_min

**Expr:** bends * sec / 60

**Format:** decimal

**Description:** Minutes per part.

#### Setup cost per batch

**Key:** setup_cost

**Expr:** setup / 60 * rate

**Format:** currency

#### Run cost per part

**Key:** run_cost

**Expr:** run_min / 60 * rate

**Format:** currency

#### Minimum batch for target setup share

**Key:** min_batch

**Expr:** ceil(setup * (100 - share) / (share * run_min))

**Format:** integer

**Primary:** true

**Description:** Smallest quantity where setup is at or below the target share.

#### Bending cost per part at planned batch

**Key:** unit

**Expr:** (setup_cost + qty * run_cost) / qty

**Format:** currency

**Primary:** true

#### Setup share at planned batch

**Key:** actual_share

**Expr:** setup_cost / (setup_cost + qty * run_cost) * 100

**Format:** percent

**Chart:**

#### Bending cost per part vs batch size

**Type:** line

**X:** qty

**From:** 1

**To:** 200

**Steps:** 40

**Series:**

- unit

**Disclaimer:** Excludes material, programming overhead beyond setup, secondary operations and scrap. Adjust setup time for repeat jobs with tooling already in place.

## Content

**Intro:** Small batches on a press brake carry a heavy setup burden. This calculator shows the quantity at which setup falls to a share you can live with, and how bending cost per part drops as batch size grows.

**Sections:**

#### How to use it

**Body:** Enter realistic setup minutes, including tool changes, back gauge adjustment, program load and first-piece approval. Then enter bends per part and handling seconds per bend, along with a loaded machine rate. Choose the maximum share of total cost you want setup to take. The calculator returns the minimum batch that meets the target, the cost per part at your planned quantity, and the actual setup share. Use the chart to find the knee of the curve where more volume saves little.

#### The formulas

**Body:** Run time per part is bends times seconds per bend divided by 60. Setup cost is setup minutes over 60 times the rate. If s is the target setup share as a fraction, setup share equals Setup / (Setup + n x Run per part), so the minimum batch is n = Setup x (1 - s) / (s x Run per part). Cost per part is (setup cost + n x run cost) / n. This is not a full economic order quantity, which would also include inventory holding cost and demand rate, but it is a quick and transparent shop floor rule.

**Bullets:**

- n min = Setup x (1 - s) / (s x run per part)
- Cost per part = (setup cost + n x run cost) / n
- Setup share = setup / (setup + n x run)

#### Using it in quoting

**Body:** Quote at several quantity breaks so the customer sees the price curve. Flag any quote where the planned quantity is below the minimum batch, since setup will exceed your target share. Combine families of similar parts to share a setup, and keep dedicated tooling ready for repeat work. Measure real setup times in your shop floor system, because estimates are often optimistic by a wide margin, especially for first-time jobs.

**Cta:** If setup and run times from your shop floor system could feed your quoting tool, we can help connect them so break pricing is based on measured data.

**Faq:**

#### What setup share should I target?

**Answer:** Many shops aim for 10 to 15 percent for repeat work and accept higher shares for prototypes. The right level depends on your margin and customer expectations. Use the chart to find where extra volume stops paying back.

#### Does this include material cost?

**Answer:** No. It isolates bending labour and machine cost. Add material, laser or punching, finishing and overhead to get the total unit price.

#### How should I estimate setup time?

**Answer:** Time several real setups, covering tool changes, back gauge adjustment, program load and first piece approval, and average them. Repeat jobs with tools already loaded often take much less.

#### What if bends differ in handling time?

**Answer:** Enter an average. For better accuracy, estimate each bend separately in a routing worksheet and sum them, then enter the total as seconds per part divided by bends.

## Search terms

press brake setup cost calculator, minimum batch size sheet metal, setup time amortization, bending cost per part, press brake cost per bend, sheet metal setup vs run time, economic batch size fabrication

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