How do you calculate plasma cutting cost per part?

Add machine time (arc-on time plus pierce dwell and rapids, multiplied by your shop rate), consumable cost amortized over consumable life, and material cost for the part's nested area. This tool does all three and totals them.

Why does pierce count matter so much?

Each pierce adds dwell time and consumes far more electrode and nozzle life than steady cutting. Parts with many small holes can cost several times more than their cut length alone suggests.

What shop rate should I use?

Use a rate that covers machine ownership, power, gas, floor space, and your labor. Consumables and material are separate line items here, so do not double-count them in the rate.

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KM-T-01 / CNC · Plasma

Plasma Cut Cost Estimator

Arc-on time, pierce dwell, consumable wear, and shop rate rolled into a cost per part — with batch totals for the whole run.

Live

A free plasma cutting cost calculator for CNC tables. Enter cut speed, path length, pierce count, consumable life, material cost, and shop rate to get cycle time per part, consumable cost, material cost, and total cost per part and per batch. Useful for quoting jobs, comparing nesting strategies, or checking whether a job is worth running in-house.

Plasma Cut Cost Estimator

Per-part time · consumables · shop cost

Estimate · model exact, inputs yours

Machine & cut settings

Machine

No manufacturer CNC cut chart exists for this machine. Seeds below are community-reported real cuts (PlasmaSpider / Langmuir forums) — starting points to dial in, not verified data. Edit freely; your dialed-in numbers win.

Starting point (pre-fills the fields below)

Cut speed

ipm

Amperagereference only — not costed

A

Pierce delay

s

Job

Cut length / parttotal path from CAM

in

Pierces / part

×

Quantity

pcs

Pierce motion overheadheight moves + positioning per pierce

s

Handling / partload, unload, tab-break

s

Your shop numbers

Shop ratemachine + labor + overhead, combined

$/hr

Material cost / part

$

Consumable set costtip + electrode (+ swirl ring share)

$

Consumable lifewhat YOU actually get, not the brochure

arc-min

These defaults are placeholders, not recommendations — nobody publishes your shop rate. Pierce-heavy work and damp air shorten consumable life well below catalog claims; track a few sets and put your real number in.

Estimated cost per part

$2.00

1.89 min cycle · 1.29 min arc-on · estimate only

Machine time cost

$1.89

cycle time × shop rate

Consumables

$0.11

arc-min × set $/arc-min

Material

$0.00

as entered

Arc-on time / part

1.29 min

cutting + pierce dwell

Cycle time / part

1.89 min

+ motion + handling

Pierce share of arc

3%

high % = pierce-dominated job

Batch

Total (1 pcs)

$2.00

Total table time

1.89 min

excludes programming & setup

Programming, nesting, and first-article time aren't in this number — for one-offs they can dwarf the cutting. Add them mentally or fold them into handling for short runs.

§ Common Questions

Frequently asked

How do you calculate plasma cutting cost per part?: Add machine time (arc-on time plus pierce dwell and rapids, multiplied by your shop rate), consumable cost amortized over consumable life, and material cost for the part's nested area. This tool does all three and totals them.
Why does pierce count matter so much?: Each pierce adds dwell time and consumes far more electrode and nozzle life than steady cutting. Parts with many small holes can cost several times more than their cut length alone suggests.
What shop rate should I use?: Use a rate that covers machine ownership, power, gas, floor space, and your labor. Consumables and material are separate line items here, so do not double-count them in the rate.

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