Swiss Screw Machine Cycle Cost per Part Calculator
A Swiss program shows cycle time, but a quote needs cost per part. This calculator turns cycle time, utilization, machine and labor rates, setup, material, tooling and scrap into one number, and shows how lot size changes it.
Your numbers
Part-to-part time from the control or the simulation, including cutoff.
Share of scheduled run time the spindle is actually cutting after bar changes, tool changes and short stops.
Burdened hourly rate: depreciation, floor space, power, maintenance and overhead, excluding the operator.
Loaded labor rate with benefits.
Setup plus first article and sign-off.
Bar cost per part including cutoff loss and stub. Use the bar remnant calculator for this.
Your results
Cost, not price. Add selling, general and administrative expense and margin separately. Replace all rates with your own burdened figures.
Cost per part vs lot size
Sweeps Lot size from 100 to 10000, holding your other inputs fixed.
Reconcile quoted and actual cost per part
Optional: we can show how to compare quote assumptions with actual labor, machine time and scrap pulled from your ERP.
Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.
How to use it
Start with the cycle time from your CAM simulation or a proven run. Enter the machine rate and operator rate separately so you can see which one dominates. Choose how many machines one operator tends, since Swiss lathes with bar feeders and part catchers often run lightly attended. Add setup hours, the lot size, material and tooling per part, and the scrap rate. The primary results are total cost per part and total machine hours for the lot, which feeds your schedule and capacity plan.
- Use observed utilization, not 100 percent.
- Keep the machine rate separate from the labor rate.
- Run several lot sizes before you send a quote with price breaks.
Formulas and assumptions
Parts per hour equals 3600 divided by the cycle time in seconds, multiplied by utilization. Machine cost per good part equals the machine rate divided by parts per hour, multiplied by one plus the scrap rate. Labor per part equals the operator rate divided by machines per operator, divided by parts per hour, times the scrap factor. Setup per part equals setup hours times the machine plus operator rate, divided by the lot size. Scrap is treated as extra parts that must be run, with the cost carried by the good ones.
Reading the lot size chart
At small lots the setup dominates and the curve is steep. Past a few thousand pieces the curve flattens towards the run cost, which is machine, labor, material and tooling. Where your curve flattens tells you the lot size above which further quantity breaks should be small. If total cost barely moves between 5,000 and 10,000, do not give a deep discount there because it is not backed by cost.
Common mistakes
Quoting from raw cycle time with no utilization is the most common cause of underpriced Swiss work, since bar changes, chip clearing, tool breaks and inspection pauses all take time. The second is using a blended shop rate for both a lightly attended Swiss and a hand-loaded lathe. The third is leaving first article time out of the setup. In ERP routings, make sure the setup and run standards use the same basis you quote with, otherwise actual and quoted cost will never reconcile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why split machine rate and labor rate?
A Swiss machine often needs little operator time per part. Splitting the rates shows the real cost driver and lets you test multi-machine tending. A single blended rate hides that difference and misprices both attended and lightly attended work.
What utilization should I use?
Use what the machine actually achieves over a run, usually 70 to 90 percent for stable Swiss jobs, lower for short runs or difficult material. Pull it from machine monitoring or job history rather than estimating.
Is scrap added to material only?
No. Scrapped parts also consume machine and labor time, so this calculator applies the scrap factor to machine, labor, material and tooling. Setup is not scaled, since it happens once per lot.
Does this include profit?
No. The result is cost. Apply overhead not already in your rates, selling expense and your margin afterwards, for example with the lot size price break worksheet.
If your quotes and your ERP routings disagree, Netray can help compare quoted cost with actual job cost from the ERP so rates and utilization can be corrected.
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