Laser Cutting Cost Calculator: Time & Cost per Part

Published September 22, 2026 · MfgWorkbench editorial reference

Build a transparent laser-cutting estimate using your own shop inputs. Every time, length and cost entered below is for the whole batch, not one part.

What is included in this estimate

Batch machine time in minutes = total cut length / average cutting speed + pierce count × seconds per pierce / 60 + other machine minutes. Machine cost = time × hourly rate / 60. Total batch cost = machine cost + material cost + setup cost. Divide by accepted part quantity for unit cost.

Use one currency throughout; no exchange-rate conversion is performed. Machine rate should include exactly the expenses your shop intends it to cover. If gas, consumables and machine overhead are already in the hourly rate, do not add them again to material or setup.

Worked batch example

A 20,000 mm path at an assumed average 2,000 mm/min takes 10 minutes. One hundred pierces at 0.5 seconds add 0.833333 minutes, and handling or other machine time adds 5 minutes. At 90 currency units/hour, machine cost is 23.75. With material 40 and setup 15, the batch costs 78.75, or 3.9375 each for 20 accepted parts.

Those speeds and prices are invented arithmetic inputs, not market prices or a cutting recommendation. Replace them with CAM timing, machine observations and local costs.

Improve the estimate before quoting

Short contours, corner slowdowns, lead-ins, rapid moves, nozzle changes, sheet loading and inspection can make path-length timing optimistic. For mixed thicknesses or multiple cutting regimes, estimate separate batches. Charge for material allocation and nesting loss consistently.

This tool calculates cost, not selling price. Profit margin, tax, freight, packaging, outside processing and minimum order charges must be considered separately. If a batch has rejected parts, use accepted quantity and include the real material and machine time consumed by rejects; do not count only the successful contours.