{
  "slug": "laser-cutting-cost-per-minute",
  "title": "Laser Cutting Cost Calculator",
  "heading": "Laser Cutting Cost Per Part Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/laser-cutting-cost-per-minute",
  "summary": "Machine time, gas, and material cost per part for laser cutting jobs.",
  "description": "Laser cutting cost per part comes from three places: the machine's per-minute operating cost (depreciation, power, and resonator/optics maintenance reserve), assist gas consumption (nitrogen for stainless/aluminum is notably more expensive than oxygen for mild steel), and material. Cut time itself depends on material thickness, cut length, and pierce count — thicker material cuts much slower and gas flow rates increase with thickness too. This calculator takes an estimated cut time in minutes (from your CAM/nesting software) along with a per-minute machine rate and gas cost rate, then adds material cost per part, giving a full landed cost. Shops quoting laser work should always price cut time separately from material, since two parts with identical material cost can have wildly different cut times depending on perimeter length and pierce count, especially for parts with lots of small holes.",
  "formula": "Machine Cost = Cut Time (min) × Machine Rate ($/min). Gas Cost = Cut Time × Gas Flow Cost per Minute. Total = Machine Cost + Gas Cost + Material Cost per Part.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=laser-cutting-cost-per-minute",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "cutMin",
      "label": "Estimated cut time",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 3.2,
      "unit": "min",
      "min": 0.01,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "machineRate",
      "label": "Machine rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 1.1,
      "unit": "$/min",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "gasRate",
      "label": "Assist gas cost",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 0.35,
      "unit": "$/min",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "materialCost",
      "label": "Material cost per part",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 2.4,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "pierces",
      "label": "Number of pierces",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 6,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "pierceSec",
      "label": "Time per pierce",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 1.2,
      "unit": "sec",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "markup",
      "label": "Markup",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 35,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 300
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "price",
      "label": "Suggested price per part",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "rawCost",
      "label": "Total cost per part",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "totalMin",
      "label": "Total machine minutes (cut+pierce)",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "machineCost",
      "label": "Machine time cost",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Estimated cut time: 3.2 min",
      "Machine rate: 1.1 $/min",
      "Assist gas cost: 0.35 $/min",
      "Material cost per part: 2.4 $",
      "Number of pierces: 6",
      "Time per pierce: 1.2 sec",
      "Markup: 35 %"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Suggested price per part: $9.74",
      "Total cost per part: $7.21",
      "Total machine minutes (cut+pierce): 3.32",
      "Machine time cost: $3.65"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter estimated cut time (min).",
      "Enter machine rate ($/min).",
      "Enter assist gas cost ($/min).",
      "Enter material cost per part ($).",
      "Enter number of pierces.",
      "Enter time per pierce (sec).",
      "Enter markup (%).",
      "Read your suggested price per part on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "cutMin": 1.92,
        "machineRate": 0.66,
        "gasRate": 0.21,
        "materialCost": 1.44,
        "pierces": 4,
        "pierceSec": 0.72,
        "markup": 20
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "cutMin": 3.2,
        "machineRate": 1.1,
        "gasRate": 0.35,
        "materialCost": 2.4,
        "pierces": 6,
        "pierceSec": 1.2,
        "markup": 35
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "cutMin": 5.120000000000001,
        "machineRate": 1.7600000000000002,
        "gasRate": 0.5599999999999999,
        "materialCost": 3.84,
        "pierces": 10,
        "pierceSec": 1.92,
        "markup": 55
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Why does nitrogen cost more than oxygen for cutting?",
      "a": "Nitrogen has to be supplied at much higher pressure (typically 200-300 PSI vs 10-20 PSI for oxygen) for a clean oxide-free cut on stainless and aluminum, and it's consumed in large volume, whether from a cylinder bank or an onsite nitrogen generator. Oxygen-assisted cutting on mild steel is cheaper per minute but leaves an oxide edge that may need extra finishing."
    },
    {
      "q": "How do I estimate cut time without CAM software?",
      "a": "Rough rule: total cut time ≈ perimeter length ÷ cutting speed for that thickness/material (found on your laser manufacturer's speed chart), plus pierce time × pierce count. Nesting/CAM software gives an exact number and should be used whenever quoting real jobs."
    },
    {
      "q": "Does pierce count matter that much?",
      "a": "Yes, especially on parts with many small holes — each pierce on thick material can take 0.5-3+ seconds, and a part with 40 holes can spend more total time piercing than cutting. Parts with heavy hole patterns should always have pierce time estimated explicitly rather than folded into a generic cut-time guess."
    },
    {
      "q": "What machine rate should I use?",
      "a": "Use your fully-loaded machine hourly rate (see the machine hourly rate calculator) divided by 60 to get a per-minute figure. Fiber lasers typically run $60-150/hr fully loaded depending on wattage and age; CO2 lasers with gas resonators tend to run somewhat higher due to resonator gas and mirror maintenance."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/nesting-yield-scrap",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/job-shop-quote-markup",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/machine-hourly-rate"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Laser Cutting Cost Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/laser-cutting-cost-per-minute)"
}