Production

Ceramic Production Planner

Plan a production order from first throw to delivery. Enter your studio capacity and get a phase-by-phase timeline with a realistic ready date.

Updated

pieces

Final defect-free pieces for the customer

%

Losses from cracks, kiln accidents, defects

pieces/day
days

Time to reach bone-dry before bisque loading

pieces/firing
days

Heating + cooling per bisque firing

pieces/day
days

Heating + cooling per glaze firing

error

Results

calculate

Enter your measurements above and click Calculate.

How the Production Planner Works

The planner builds a sequential timeline across five production phases: making, drying, bisque firing, glazing, and glaze firing. Each phase begins only after the previous one completes, giving you a conservative (safe) delivery estimate.

Scrap Rate Adjustment

To guarantee the customer receives target_qty defect-free pieces, the planner inflates the production run:

Total to Make = ⌈ Target Qty ÷ (1 − Scrap Rate) ⌉

At 10% scrap, an order of 100 pieces requires starting 112 to absorb losses from cracks, kiln explosions, and glaze defects.

Phase Durations

  • Making — ⌈ Total to Make ÷ Daily Making Capacity ⌉
  • Drying — Fixed days until bone-dry (skip with 0)
  • Bisque Firings — ⌈ Total ÷ Kiln Capacity ⌉ × Bisque Cycle Days
  • Glazing — ⌈ Total ÷ Daily Glazing Capacity ⌉
  • Glaze Firings — ⌈ Total ÷ Kiln Capacity ⌉ × Glaze Cycle Days

Sequential vs Parallel Production

This planner assumes strictly sequential phases — each phase waits for the entire previous phase to finish. In practice, experienced studios run phases in parallel (e.g., continue making while early batches are bisque-firing). Parallel scheduling can compress the timeline significantly but requires careful inventory tracking. Use this tool's output as your worst-case deadline when quoting customers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What scrap rate should I use? expand_more
For production work, budget 8–12% for experienced studios and 15–20% for learners or complex forms. The scrap rate covers cracked greenware, kiln accidents (explosions, glaze crawling), and pieces that don't meet quality standards. Always over-produce rather than fall short of a customer order.
Why does the planner show more pieces than I ordered? expand_more
The planner inflates your production run to guarantee the net order quantity after losses. For example, a 100-piece order at 10% scrap requires starting 112 pieces so that even if 12 are lost, 100 survive for the customer.
How can I shorten the timeline? expand_more
The most effective levers are: (1) increase daily making capacity by adding a second thrower or extending studio hours; (2) reduce drying time with a heated drying room or fans; (3) run parallel phases — start bisque firing as soon as the first batch is bone-dry instead of waiting for all shaping to finish.
Does this account for weekends or holidays? expand_more
No — the planner works in calendar days and assumes continuous production. Adjust the ready date yourself for studio closure days, or pad your daily capacity figures to reflect only working days.