Scrap Rate & Yield Calculator
Measure scrap and what it costs. Enter units produced, units scrapped, and cost per unit to get your scrap rate, yield, and dollar cost — plus the savings if you hit a target.
Example: with Units produced 1000 · Units scrapped 30 · Cost per unit $12 · Target scrap rate 1% → Scrap rate: 3.0%.
- First-pass yield97.0%
- Good units970 units
- Scrap cost$360
Computed by the calculator below using its default values. Change any input to see your own numbers.
Scrap is pure margin lost
Every scrapped unit is material, labor, and machine time you paid for and can't sell. Scrap rate and its inverse, first-pass yield, are core quality metrics. Pricing scrap in dollars — and showing the savings from reaching a target rate — turns an abstract percentage into a number that justifies process improvements.
How it’s calculated
Scrap rate = scrapped ÷ produced; yield = 1 − scrap rate. Scrap cost = scrapped × cost; savings = (rate − target) × produced × cost.
Results update as you type and are estimates, not professional advice — verify important decisions with a qualified professional.
Common mistakes
- Counting recoverable rework as scrap.
- Treating scrap as a percentage instead of dollars.
Frequently asked questions
Scrap rate vs. yield?
They're complements: a 3% scrap rate is a 97% first-pass yield. Yield counts the good parts; scrap counts the bad.
Should rework count as scrap?
Rework isn't scrap if the part is recovered, but it still costs money. Track it separately and add its cost for a full picture.
How do I cut scrap?
Find the dominant defect, address its root cause (tooling, material, process), and re-measure. Small rate cuts add up fast at volume.