How to Use the Laser and Plasma Cutting Time Calculator
Quoting plate work and loading a cutting cell both start with the same number: how long one part takes to come off the table. This calculator adds pure cutting time, pierce time, rapid traverse time and load or unload setup into a single cycle time per part, then scales it to the whole batch.
Pure cutting time is total cut length divided by feed rate, entered in inches and inches per minute. Pierce time is the hole count multiplied by the time for one pierce, and rapid travel is the non-cutting distance the head moves between contours divided by the rapid speed. The arc-on duty figure shows what share of the cycle the torch is actually cutting; below about 60 percent there is usually real gain in re-sequencing the nest or changing how holes are produced.
Take the feed rate from your machine cutting chart, which lists it by material, thickness, gas and nozzle. A worn nozzle or a dirty lens alone forces the speed down, and oxygen plasma on 1/2 in mild steel is nothing like fiber laser on 1/4 in sheet. The model also ignores corner slowdown and acceleration ramps, so real cycles run slightly longer. Adding a 10 to 20 percent allowance keeps quotes on the safe side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use the cutting chart supplied with your machine. It lists feed rate in inches per minute for each material, thickness, gas and nozzle. Oxygen plasma on 1/2 in plate and fiber laser on 1/4 in plate differ by several times, so always take the number from your own chart.
Yes. Parts with many holes can spend more than half the cycle piercing. Thick plate takes roughly 0.5 to 3 seconds per pierce, so the hole count and per-pierce time have to be included before the cycle matches reality.
Corner slowdown, acceleration ramps, nozzle cleaning and material handling are not modeled. For quoting, add 10 to 20 percent and put load, unload and inspection time into the setup field so the estimate lands close to measured cycles.