QuotedPartCost guides · Updated 2026-10-30
How much does laser cutting cost per inch?
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A laser quote cannot be reduced to one cost-per-inch number. Cut speed changes with material and thickness, and pierces, setup, blank material, deburr, and minimum charges still apply. This example uses the US catalog's $175/hour fiber laser and a formed 8 × 6 inch sheet workholding so both cut time and part-level cost are visible.
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From cut length to billed part
The pricing model reads the sheet workholding's perimeter, window, and eight holes as cut length and pierces. It then combines the generated laser operation with material, setup, deburr, and inspection. The displayed run minutes are a part-level result; they should not be mistaken for a universal inches-per-minute chart.
Thickness and machinability change the feed formula. A 16-gauge CRS cut and a half-inch plate cut can have very different pierce behavior even when the perimeter is identical.
- Count pierces separately from perimeter.
- State thickness and material grade.
- Include blank size and nesting assumptions.
Why per-inch quotes mislead small lots
A shop can divide a laser cycle by cut length to compare jobs, but a buyer still pays setup and material. At one part, the fixed charges dominate. At 100 pieces, they spread across the lot and the variable cut becomes a larger share.
The pricing model's $175/hour input is editable. Replace it with the shop's rate, then check whether a minimum line charge or a nested sheet changes the result.
- Show a part price and a lot price.
- Do not quote cut length without a blank assumption.
- Use nesting yield for production work.
Material and downstream work
CRS is only one example. 5052, 304, A36, and 6061 sheet have different stock prices and catalog machinability inputs. Forming, tapping, PEM inserts, deburr, powder coat, and packaging can exceed the laser line on a finished part.
When the buyer asks for cost per inch, answer with the cut metric plus the complete part arithmetic. That keeps an easy comparison from becoming an incomplete quote.
- Name edge condition and deburr.
- Add brake and hardware operations explicitly.
- Confirm the finish vendor's minimum and lead time.
Use the result as an estimator's starting point
For this laser cutting cost per inch: material, thickness, and pierces example, an estimator can challenge every fiber laser cutting input. Replace this fictional geometry with the customer's STEP file or drawing, then replace the catalog stock price, work-center rate, setup minutes, and markup with the shop's current fiber laser values.
Keep the lot setup visible when you send this quote for laser cutting cost per inch: material, thickness, and pierces. Confirm stock form, material condition, tolerances, inspection, deburr, and outside-process timing before promising a ship date. If one of those inputs changes, rerun the calculation and show the buyer what moved.
- Show both unit and lot totals.
- Label illustrative values clearly.
- Have the estimator review access, tooling, and first-piece risk.
CRS sheet example at the US catalog fiber-laser rate
- • Material: CRS sheet (1008/1010); the US catalog input is $0.95/lb and machinability 1.00 relative to 6061-T6.
- • Process: Fiber laser cutting; the pricing model includes Laser cut, Bend, 2 bends, Deburr and calculates the quantities shown.
- • Geometry: 8 × 6 × 0.063 in; Fictional 8 × 6 in flat pattern with eight holes, one window, and two 90° bends.
- • Markup: 30% catalog default. Taxes, freight, customer-specific rates, and unlisted outside services are excluded.
- • Every dollar and minute in the table is a reproducible example from the stated inputs, not a market average or supplier promise.
| Quantity | Setup min (lot) | Run min (part) | Material / part | Machine + labor / part | Outside / part | Quoted / part | Lot quote | Lead days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 46.0 | 2.3 | $1.42 | $4.28 | $0.00 | $115.31 | $115.31 | 6 |
| 10 | 46.0 | 2.3 | $1.42 | $4.27 | $0.00 | $18.19 | $181.90 | 6 |
| 100 | 46.0 | 2.3 | $1.42 | $4.27 | $0.00 | $8.48 | $848.00 | 6 |
Sources and limits
Claims are dated where they can change. Product calculations are examples from the stated inputs, not a promise about a customer's quote. Competitor wording is attributed to the source shown.
- The stock price input is taken from the US catalog, which records an Online Metals check on 2026-10-21. — source (checked 2026-10-21)
Questions
Is this a guaranteed crs sheet quote?
No. It is a transparent estimating example. Replace the example inputs with the customer's drawing, stock quote, current shop rates, and inspection or finish requirements.
Why does quantity change the unit price?
Setup and programming are lot costs. The pricing calculation spreads those costs across the stated quantity and keeps the per-part run time and material inputs visible.
Price one of your own parts
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