How to Calculate Fiber Laser Cutting Cost per Metre and per Part

Short answer

Cost per metre is useful for process control, but cost per accepted part is the commercial decision. Divide the fully loaded job cost by accepted parts after setup, nesting loss, piercing, gas, consumables, labour, maintenance, finance and downtime are included.

Separate fixed and variable cost

Fixed or time-based cost may include depreciation or lease, finance, planned maintenance, facility and supervision. Variable cost may include material, gas, electricity, nozzles, protective windows, handling and direct labour. Use company-approved accounting rules.

Use actual machine data

Capture program time, cutting time, piercing, idle time, setup, sheet changes, gas use, rejected parts and remnant value. Do not apply catalogue speed to the full toolpath.

Run sensitivity

Test the effect of utilization, nesting yield, gas price, reject rate and downtime. This shows which operational improvement matters more than a minor change in purchase price.

Decision inputs

• Material cost and nesting yield

• Machine and finance cost basis

• Cycle, setup and handling time

• Gas, power and consumable use

• Labour and maintenance allocation

• Accepted output, scrap and downtime

Frequently Asked Questions

Is cost per metre enough for quoting?

No. Part geometry, piercing, nesting, setup and rejection can make equal cut lengths very different.

Can this article supply a standard cost figure?

No. The calculation requires current factory, machine and commercial inputs.

Next step

Prepare one representative nesting report and the listed cost inputs to build a transparent cost model.

Suggested internal links

• Relevant machine category or solution page

• Closest published selection guide

• Relevant cost or maintenance article

• Technical request form

Sources and verification status

Sources used: SAKKARY MACHINERY controlled product-content schema and website governance, plus general process references. Any model-specific capacity, material, application or commitment must be verified against that exact model's official catalogue before publication. Status: Needs Verification.