Laser Cutting Cost Calculator
Calculate precise costs for your laser cutting projects
Input Parameters
Ready to Calculate
Fill in the parameters and click Calculate to see your results
How to Use This Calculator
Follow these steps to get accurate cost estimates for your laser cutting projects
Step 1: Material Selection
Choose your material type and enter the thickness. Different materials have different cutting speeds and power requirements. Our calculator accounts for material density, reflectivity, and cutting characteristics.
Step 2: Cutting Parameters
Enter the total cutting length and your laser power. The cutting length should include all cuts, holes, and contours. Higher power lasers cut faster but consume more energy.
Step 3: Cost Factors
Input your local electricity rate, labor cost, material price, and assist gas consumption. These values directly affect your total cost. Use current market rates for the most accurate results.
Step 4: Review Results
Get detailed cost breakdown including material, energy, labor, and equipment costs. Use the suggested retail price as a starting point for your quotations. Export PDF report for professional presentations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Material Selection Guide
Different materials require different cutting parameters and affect overall costs significantly. Here's what you need to know about common materials. For current material pricing, see our Material Costs Reference.
Mild Steel (Carbon Steel)
Best for: General fabrication, structural parts, brackets
Cutting speed: Fast (up to 20 m/min for thin sheets with fiber laser)
Assist gas: Oxygen (faster) or Nitrogen (cleaner edges)
Typical thickness range: 0.5mm - 25mm
Cost consideration: Most economical option, ~$3-5/kg
Stainless Steel 304/316
Best for: Food equipment, medical devices, corrosion-resistant parts
Cutting speed: Moderate (60-70% of mild steel speed)
Assist gas: Nitrogen required for oxide-free edges
Typical thickness range: 0.5mm - 20mm
Cost consideration: 60-80% more expensive than mild steel, ~$5-8/kg
Aluminum (5052, 6061)
Best for: Lightweight parts, aerospace, transportation
Cutting speed: Fast (high reflectivity requires fiber laser)
Assist gas: Nitrogen (Air for thinner sheets)
Typical thickness range: 0.5mm - 12mm
Cost consideration: Material costs ~$8-12/kg, but lighter weight reduces shipping
Copper & Brass
Best for: Electrical components, decorative parts
Cutting speed: Slow (high thermal conductivity, reflective)
Assist gas: Nitrogen or Air
Typical thickness range: 0.5mm - 8mm
Cost consideration: Expensive materials ($15-20/kg), requires high-power fiber laser
Cost Optimization Strategies
1Optimize Nesting and Material Utilization
Proper nesting can improve material utilization from 60-70% to 80-90%. Use automatic nesting software to minimize waste. Common rectangle nesting achieves 75-80%, while advanced algorithms can reach 85-90%. A 10% improvement in nesting efficiency can reduce material costs by the same percentage.
2Batch Similar Jobs Together
Setup time typically adds 6-18 minutes per job. By batching similar parts, you can amortize setup costs across multiple pieces. For example, 10 identical parts might take only 20% more time than one part, reducing per-unit cost by 70-80%.
3Choose the Right Assist Gas
Oxygen cutting is 20-30% faster than nitrogen for mild steel but leaves oxidized edges. Nitrogen produces clean edges but costs $0.50-2.00/m³ vs $0.10-0.30/m³ for oxygen. Air is cheapest but only suitable for thin sheets (<3mm). Choose based on edge quality requirements vs. cost tradeoffs.
4Optimize Cutting Parameters
Running at 80-90% of maximum speed often provides the best balance between speed and edge quality. Over-cutting (too slow) wastes time and energy. Under-cutting (too fast) causes dross and requires secondary operations. Proper focus position can improve cutting speed by 10-15%.
5Minimize Piercing Operations
Each pierce takes 0.5-3 seconds depending on thickness. For parts with many holes, piercing time can exceed cutting time. Design parts to minimize internal features when possible. Lead-in paths should be optimized to reduce pierce points.
Industry Benchmarks & Standards
Cutting Speed Benchmarks (Fiber Laser)
| Material/Thickness | Speed |
|---|---|
| Mild Steel 1mm | 15-20 m/min |
| Mild Steel 3mm | 4-6 m/min |
| Mild Steel 10mm | 0.8-1.2 m/min |
| Stainless 2mm | 6-8 m/min |
| Aluminum 3mm | 8-12 m/min |
Based on 6kW fiber laser with optimized parameters. View complete cutting speeds reference →
Typical Cost Breakdown
Percentages vary based on material type and thickness. See Assist Gas Costs and Power Consumption references for detailed breakdowns.
Machine Utilization Targets
Cutting time: 60-70% of total time
Setup/loading: 15-20% of total time
Programming: 5-10% of total time
Maintenance: 3-5% of total time
Idle time: Should be <10%
Based on job shop operations with mixed work
Quality Standards
Edge roughness (Ra): 6.3-12.5 μm (typical)
Kerf width: 0.1-0.5mm depending on thickness
Perpendicularity: ±0.1mm per 10mm thickness
Dimensional accuracy: ±0.1mm (general), ±0.05mm (precision)
Per ISO 9013 quality standards
Advanced Questions
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