Estimate machining cycle time, cost per part, and total job cost from your cutting parameters.
Cutting Parameters
Machine Time
Job Costing
Cutting time—
Rapid time—
Tool change time—
Load/unload—
Cycle time per part—
Parts per hour—
Setup cost—
Setup cost per part—
Machining cost per part—
Cost per part—
Total job cost—
Why Cycle Time Estimation Matters
Every quote starts with cycle time. Underestimate and you lose money. Overestimate and you lose the job. Getting within 10% of actual cycle time on a quote is the difference between profitable shops and ones that wonder where the margin went. This tool gives you a quick sanity check before committing to a price.
Practical Tips
Don't forget load/unload — it's often 20-40% of total cycle on short-run parts.
Tool change time adds up fast on complex parts — 8 seconds x 12 tools = 96 seconds per part.
Always pad your estimate 10-15% for deburring, inspection, and the things you didn't think of.
Setup time amortization matters: 30 minutes of setup on a 10-piece order is $42.50/part at $85/hr, but drops to $4.25/part on 100 pieces.