# Turning Cost Per Part Calculator

> Source: https://netray.co/tools/turning-cost-per-part-calculator
> Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems.
> Section: Free Tools

## Short answer

Add machine time, tool change time, insert cost and setup per part to see what turning actually costs, and how tool life moves it.

## Category

cost-finance

## Industry

Machining

## Audience

- Manufacturing engineer
- Estimator
- CNC programmer

## Tool

**Kind:** calculator

**Currency:** $

**Inputs:**

#### Machine rate

**Key:** rate

**Type:** number

**Default:** 75

**Min:** 0

**Step:** 1

**Unit:** $/hr

**Help:** Burdened hourly rate including operator.

#### Cutting time per part

**Key:** cut_min

**Type:** number

**Default:** 3.2

**Min:** 0

**Step:** 0.1

**Unit:** min

#### Non-cutting time per part

**Key:** nc_min

**Type:** number

**Default:** 1.1

**Min:** 0

**Step:** 0.1

**Unit:** min

**Help:** Rapids, tool indexing, load and unload.

#### Tool life per edge

**Key:** tool_life

**Type:** slider

**Default:** 15

**Min:** 3

**Max:** 60

**Step:** 1

**Unit:** min of cut

#### Edge change time

**Key:** change_min

**Type:** number

**Default:** 2

**Min:** 0

**Step:** 0.5

**Unit:** min

#### Insert price

**Key:** insert_cost

**Type:** number

**Default:** 9.5

**Min:** 0

**Step:** 0.1

**Unit:** $

#### Edges per insert

**Key:** edges

**Type:** select

**Default:** 4

**Options:**

##### 2 edges

**Value:** 2

##### 3 edges

**Value:** 3

##### 4 edges

**Value:** 4

##### 6 edges

**Value:** 6

##### 8 edges

**Value:** 8

#### Setup time per lot

**Key:** setup_min

**Type:** number

**Default:** 90

**Min:** 0

**Step:** 5

**Unit:** min

#### Lot size

**Key:** lot

**Type:** number

**Default:** 250

**Min:** 1

**Step:** 10

**Unit:** parts

**Outputs:**

#### Edges used per part

**Key:** edges_used

**Expr:** cut_min / tool_life

**Format:** decimal

**Description:** Cutting time divided by tool life.

#### Tool change time per part

**Key:** change_time

**Expr:** edges_used * change_min

**Format:** minutes

#### Total time per part

**Key:** cycle

**Expr:** cut_min + nc_min + change_time

**Format:** minutes

#### Machine cost per part

**Key:** machine_cost

**Expr:** rate * cycle / 60

**Format:** currency

#### Insert cost per part

**Key:** tool_cost

**Expr:** edges_used * insert_cost / edges

**Format:** currency

#### Setup cost per part

**Key:** setup_cost

**Expr:** rate * setup_min / 60 / lot

**Format:** currency

#### Total cost per part

**Key:** total

**Expr:** machine_cost + tool_cost + setup_cost

**Format:** currency

**Primary:** true

**Description:** Machine plus tooling plus amortized setup.

#### Total cost for the lot

**Key:** lot_cost

**Expr:** total * lot

**Format:** currency

**Primary:** true

**Chart:**

#### Cost per part vs tool life

**Type:** line

**X:** tool_life

**From:** 3

**To:** 60

**Steps:** 30

**Series:**

- total

**Disclaimer:** A simple cost model. It excludes material, inspection, scrap, overhead beyond the machine rate and finishing.

## Content

**Intro:** Cycle time alone does not tell you what a turned part costs. This calculator adds machine time, tool change time, insert cost and setup into one cost per part, and shows how tool life changes it.

**Sections:**

#### How to use the calculator

**Body:** Enter your burdened machine rate, the cutting time and non-cutting time per part from the program or a trial run, and the tool life you expect per edge in minutes of cut. Add insert price, edges per insert, edge change time and setup details. The result shows machine cost, tooling cost, setup per part and the total, and the chart sweeps tool life to show where gains flatten.

#### The cost model

**Body:** Edges used per part equal cutting time divided by tool life. Each edge costs the insert price divided by usable edges, and every change adds downtime at the machine rate. Setup is spread across the lot. Pushing speed up shortens cutting time but also shortens tool life, so the lowest cost per part sits at a speed between the longest life and the shortest cycle, a result known from Gilbert's economic cutting speed analysis.

#### Reading the chart

**Body:** At low tool life, change time and insert cost dominate and cost per part rises steeply. As life grows, the curve flattens because machine and setup cost take over. If your tool life sits on the steep part of the curve, a better grade, coolant fix or lower speed pays back quickly. If it sits on the flat part, further gains in life barely help and cycle time becomes the lever.

#### Common mistakes

**Body:** Do not use catalog tool life for your own conditions; use the log. Do not forget that planned tool changes at fixed counts waste edge life. Avoid using a machine rate that excludes the operator when the operator is tied to the machine. Do not treat the result as a quote: add material, scrap, inspection and margin separately.

**Cta:** If your ERP holds routings and machine rates, Netray can help compare estimated cost per part to actual job costs.

**Faq:**

#### What is a good tool life for turning?

**Answer:** There is no single value. Common practice aims for tool life in the range of roughly 10 to 30 minutes of cut for general turning, but the economic choice depends on insert cost, change time and machine rate. Use the chart to find your own.

#### Why does shorter tool life raise cost so quickly?

**Answer:** Each edge change takes the machine out of production and consumes an edge. When life is short, both effects occur more often per part, so cost per part climbs faster than linear at low life values.

#### Should I include material cost?

**Answer:** Not in this model. Add material, scrap allowance, inspection and finishing separately. The calculator focuses on the controllable machining and tooling cost so you can compare process options.

#### How do I find cutting time?

**Answer:** Use the cycle time from the CNC program simulation or time a good part and subtract load, unload and rapid motions. For quotes, cutting time can also be estimated from length divided by feed rate per pass times number of passes.

## Search terms

turning cost per part calculator, machining cost per part, cnc turning cost calculator, tool life vs cost per part, cost per part insert life, lathe cost estimate, machining cost model

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