Skip to content
LiftOrbit

FREE TOOL / NO SIGN-UP

Production Capacity Calculator

Does this week's workload fit? Compare machine hours with processing and setup demand before building a detailed schedule.

By LiftOrbit · Updated 16 October 2026

1. Available machine time
1-10,000 interchangeable machines.
1-366 days in this planning window.
Whole shifts; total hours/day must be 24 or less.
0.1-24 hours per shift.
0.1-100%. Exclude breaks/maintenance, not setups.
2. Work to be done
0-10,000,000 units at the same cycle time.
Positive machine time per unit; exclude setups.
Whole setup events across all machines.
Average occupied machine time per event.

How the calculation works

Gross hours = machines × working days × shifts per day × hours per shift.
Available hours = gross hours × available-time percentage / 100.
Required hours = units × processing minutes / 60 + setups × setup minutes / 60.
Planned load = required hours / available hours × 100.

The default example has 80 gross hours, 68 available hours and 55 required hours: 50 for processing and five for setups. Planned load is 80.9%, leaving 13 hours. With 1,400 units and the same ten setups, required time becomes 75 hours: a seven-hour shortfall and 110.3% planned load.

Assumptions and limits

The calculator pools time across identical, interchangeable machines. Every machine uses the same calendar and availability allowance. All units use the same processing time, and setup count is fixed when estimating the unit ceiling. It does not handle batch firing, sequence-dependent setups, non-interchangeable machines, scrap rates, delivery dates or multi-stage routings.

Do not subtract setup time in the availability percentage and then add it again as setup demand. Do not treat an aggregate load below 100% as proof that each order can be delivered on time. For mixed resources, use one calculation per work centre and then inspect the complete schedule.

Your entered values stay in this page. The calculator does not submit them to LiftOrbit, store them in a browser database or send them to an analytics service.

Continue with production capacity planning or machine changeover planning to turn this first estimate into better planning inputs.

Move from a capacity estimate to a production plan.

Organise orders, machines, people, materials and changeovers in LiftOrbit, then inspect the sequence on a visual Gantt chart.

Explore the planner →

The application has registration. Automated 30-day trial timing and paid billing are not yet live. These resources and the calculator are free to use without an account.