Drying is the stage where an agarbatti batch changes most and is measured least. The wet mix applied to the sticks carries water, and much of it leaves in the drying room. That loss is expected, but its size is not fixed: it moves with the season, the mix, the stick and the way the batch is dried. A unit that costs every carton on one assumed drying loss is pricing on a number that is wrong for part of the year, and usually does not know which part.
This guide explains what drying loss and yield mean in an agarbatti unit, why they vary, what it costs not to measure them, and a simple routine for measuring and costing every batch. It is written for owners, factory managers and supervisors. For the wider picture of running an incense unit on one system, see our agarbatti manufacturing ERP guide.
What Drying Loss and Yield Mean in an Agarbatti Unit
Drying loss is the weight a batch loses in the drying stage, divided by the weight that went in. If a batch goes into drying at one weight and comes out lighter, the difference is mostly water from the wet mix, plus any sticks broken, dropped or discarded on the way.
Yield is what you get out for what you put in. In an agarbatti unit it is worth tracking at two levels: the yield of the drying stage (dry weight out per kilo of formed sticks in), and the overall yield from raw material to good cartons. Overall yield also includes losses at forming, at fragrance and at packaging, where broken sticks and damaged cartons are rejected.
It helps to separate two kinds of loss. Moisture loss is expected and is the reason the drying stage exists. Material loss (spills, breakage, sticks that fall from racks, batches that have to be discarded) is waste. A single weight-out figure cannot tell them apart, which is why the reasons for a restart or a reject should be recorded alongside the weights.
Key Takeaway: Drying loss is not a fixed property of your product. It is a measurement of each batch, and it only becomes useful when it is taken every time, on the same scale, at the same point in the process.
A Worked Example: What One Assumed Figure Does to Cost
The figures below are a simple illustration, not a benchmark. Use your own weights and costs.
Suppose the material and labour that go into a batch up to the end of drying cost Rs 10,000. Your costing sheet assumes the batch comes out of drying at 75 kg, so the cost of dried sticks is Rs 10,000 divided by 75, or about Rs 133.33 per kg. In a humid month the same batch comes out at 70 kg. The real cost is Rs 10,000 divided by 70, or about Rs 142.86 per kg: roughly 7% higher than the sheet says, before a single drop of perfume or a single carton has been added.
| Item | Costing sheet | Actual batch |
|---|---|---|
| Cost up to end of drying | Rs 10,000 | Rs 10,000 |
| Weight out of drying | 75 kg (assumed) | 70 kg (weighed) |
| Cost per kg of dried sticks | About Rs 133.33 | About Rs 142.86 |
| Difference | About Rs 9.53 per kg, roughly 7% under-costed | |
Perfume, packing material and packing labour are then added on top of the dried weight, so the gap carries through to the cost of every carton. If prices and schemes are set on the costing sheet, they are set on the wrong number for every batch that dried lighter than assumed.
Why Drying Loss Changes From Batch to Batch
- Season and humidity. Sticks dry faster and further in dry weather than in the monsoon, so the same batch can leave the drying room at different weights in different months.
- The mix. The ratio of charcoal, wood powder and binder, and the amount of water added at wet mix, change how much water there is to lose.
- Stick and coating. Stick length and thickness, and how heavily the masala is applied, change the weight of each stick.
- Drying method. Sun drying, shade drying and drying rooms behave differently, and racks packed too tightly dry unevenly.
- Time. A batch taken out early carries more moisture into fragrance and packaging; a batch left too long ties up racks and space.
Because every one of these can change week to week, the only reliable figure is the one you weigh.
The Hidden Cost of Not Measuring
Cartons priced on a stale yield
When the real loss is higher than the assumed loss, every carton costs more than the sheet says, and price lists and schemes are set on the lower number. The gap is never seen as a loss: it simply shows up as a thinner margin than expected at year end.
Perfume and packing spent on batches that should have stopped
Perfume is added after drying and is usually the most expensive input per kilo. A batch that has not dried properly but goes on to fragrance and packaging wastes perfume, packing material and labour, and damp sticks packed into cartons can lead to complaints from the market.
No way to compare seasons, products or drying areas
Without batch weights, you cannot tell whether one product loses more than another, whether one drying area performs worse, or how much the monsoon really costs you. Decisions about drying capacity, recipes and seasonal pricing are then made by feel.
Stuck batches nobody notices
A batch that has been in the drying room too long is a delivery problem as well as a cost problem. When drying is not recorded as its own stage with a start, nobody sees the batch until a customer asks for it.
How to Measure Drying Loss on Every Batch
Step 1: Weigh the Batch Into Drying
When forming is complete, weigh the formed sticks on the same scale every time and record the weight on the batch, not on a loose slip.
Step 2: Record When and Where Drying Starts
Note the start of drying and the drying area or method, so time in drying and differences between areas can be compared later.
Step 3: Weigh the Batch Out of Drying
At the end of drying, weigh the batch again on the same scale and record it. The drying loss is the difference divided by the weight that went in.
Step 4: Decide Pass, Restart or Reject Before Fragrance
A batch that has not dried properly is restarted or rejected at this point, with a reason, before perfume and packing are spent on it.
Step 5: Record the Perfume Lot on the Dried Batch
At the fragrance stage, record the perfume lot and quantity issued, so perfume used can be compared with the recipe for the dried weight.
Step 6: Count Good and Rejected Cartons at Packaging
Sign off packaging with total and rejected cartons, so the overall yield from raw material to good cartons is known for the batch.
Step 7: Review Loss and Yield Weekly
Compare drying loss and cost per carton by product, drying area and month, and update the costing yield when the pattern changes.
See Drying Loss Recorded on Every Batch
See how the ERPDrive Incense Edition records weight in and out of drying, restarts or rejects a batch before fragrance, and calculates production cost per batch.
Book a Free DemoCosting Cartons on Real Yield
Once weights are recorded, costing on real yield is straightforward. Collect every cost that goes into the batch: material issued at wet mix and forming, perfume issued at fragrance, packing material at packaging, and labour at each stage. Divide by the good output of the batch, in kilos of dried sticks or in good cartons. Compare that with the standard cost in your bill of materials, and look at the batches where the two differ most. Our guides to production costing and BOM cost calculation cover the general method.
Two rules make the numbers trustworthy. First, a rejected or restarted batch keeps its cost: the loss belongs to the products made that week, not to nowhere. Second, review by season, not just on average. A yearly average yield hides exactly the swings that matter for pricing.
How the ERPDrive Incense Edition Handles Drying
In the ERPDrive Incense Edition, drying is one of five separate stages on every batch, alongside wet mix, forming, fragrance and packaging:
- Weight in and weight out of drying are recorded on the batch, so the loss is a figure you can compare between batches, products and seasons.
- Restart or reject at the drying stage, so a batch that has not dried properly does not go on to fragrance.
- A work in progress board shows open stages and the quantity at each, so a batch sitting in drying is visible the same day.
- The perfume lot and quantity are recorded at the next stage, with soak and maturation times.
- Packaging is signed off with total and rejected cartons, and good cartons become a dated finished goods lot.
- Production cost per batch is calculated from what was issued and what came out.
Drying and Yield KPIs to Review Weekly
| KPI | How It Is Calculated | What It Tells You |
|---|---|---|
| Drying loss by product and month | (Weight in less weight out) divided by weight in, averaged per product per month | The real seasonal pattern to cost against |
| Spread of drying loss | Highest and lowest loss for the same product in the same week | Whether the process is consistent |
| Batches restarted or rejected | Count at the drying stage, with reason | Mix, rack or drying room problems |
| Days in drying | Drying end less drying start, per batch | Capacity and stuck batches |
| Overall yield | Good cartons per kg of raw material issued | Total loss from mix to finished stock |
| Cost per carton, actual vs standard | Batch cost divided by good cartons, against the BOM | Whether prices still cover cost |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you calculate agarbatti drying loss?
Weigh the batch going into drying and coming out, on the same scale. Drying loss is the weight in less the weight out, divided by the weight in. Record it on every batch rather than relying on one assumed figure.
What is a normal drying loss for agarbatti?
There is no single normal figure. It depends on the mix, the water added, the stick, the drying method and the season. Measure your own batches for a few weeks in each season and set your costing yield from that.
Why does drying loss matter for costing?
Every cost up to the end of drying is spread over the dried weight. If the batch comes out lighter than assumed, the cost per kilo, and every carton made from it, is higher than the costing sheet says.
What should happen to a batch that has not dried properly?
It should be restarted or rejected at the drying stage, with a reason, before perfume and packing are spent on it. In the ERPDrive Incense Edition both options are available at the drying stage.
Can ERPDrive calculate cost per batch?
Yes. The Incense Edition records material issued, stage labour and output on each batch and calculates production cost per batch.
Conclusion: Weigh It Every Time
Drying loss is the easiest number in an agarbatti unit to measure and one of the most expensive to guess. Two weights per batch, recorded on the batch, are enough to turn one assumed figure into a real yield by product and season, to stop perfume being spent on batches that should have been restarted, and to cost cartons on what actually came out.
The ERPDrive Incense Edition records drying weight in and out, restart and reject, perfume lots and batch cost as part of the normal flow of every batch. Book a free demo to see it on your own products, or message us on WhatsApp.