Sewing SAM Value Calculator

Work out sewing sam value instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Sewing SAM Value Calculator

SAM is the sum of basic element times uplifted first for machine and handling allowance and then for personal, fatigue and delay. Dividing SAM by the target line efficiency gives the real minutes a garment consumes, and 480 shift minutes at that efficiency gives the daily output per operator.

Formulas

Standard allowed minutes

SAM = basic time x (1 + machine allowance) x (1 + personal allowance)

Output

Pieces per operator day = 480 x efficiency / SAM

Worked example

With the default values below, Sewing SAM Value Calculator returns Standard Allowed Minutes of 18.0235. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Sum Of Basic Element Timesminimum 0.001 minutes: 14.5 minutes
Machine And Handling Allowanceaccepts 0–50 %: 10 %
Personal And Fatigue Allowanceaccepts 0–50 %: 13 %
Target Line Efficiencyaccepts 1–100 %: 65 %

Results

Standard Allowed Minutes: 18.0235
Actual Minutes Per Piece: 27.7285
Pieces Per Operator Day: 17.31
Allowance Added: 3.5235

Step by step

1Values used
2Standard allowed minutes
3Output
4Standard Allowed Minutes= 18.0235
5Actual Minutes Per Piece= 27.7285
6Pieces Per Operator Day= 17.31
7Allowance Added= 3.5235

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 4 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why apply the allowances multiplicatively?

Machine allowance covers unavoidable waiting within the operation cycle, and personal allowance applies to the whole working time including that waiting. Applying them in sequence reflects that nesting.

How is SAM used commercially?

It sets the labour cost per garment (SAM x cost per minute / efficiency), the operator requirement for a target output, and the basis for incentive schemes. An inaccurate SAM corrupts all three.