What makes up the price of laser cutting a part ART-436

Practical answer

The price of laser cutting is formed not by one indicator, but by an agreed route from file to finished result. A quotation may include drawing preparation, material, nesting, the cutting operation itself, sorting, inspection, packing, delivery and other work. Not every item is included in every order. Two quotes with different totals can therefore be compared correctly only when it is clear what is included, excluded and assumed in the calculation.

Contour length can be one geometric parameter, but it does not describe the whole process. Material, thickness, the number of holes and piercings, contour shape, surface requirements, number of items, file revision, sorting method and subsequent operations may all affect the work. The same cutting length does not mean the same cost or the same result.

Short answer

To understand a price, break the offer into seven blocks: source data and preparation; material; nesting; machine operation; additional work; inspection and packing; delivery and commercial terms. Then ask of each block: is it included, excluded, priced separately or awaiting clarification?

An accurate calculation normally requires a 2D file or other usable model, a control drawing, material grade and thickness, quantity, revision, edge and surface requirements, the way material is supplied and the required composition of the finished batch. Where information is missing, the correct result is a preliminary estimate with explicit assumptions, not a pretence that the exact price is already known.

First define what is being sold

Before comparing, clarify the quotation unit: one part, a set, a batch, a sheet, machine time or a complete order with delivery. These units are not interchangeable. A per-part price may exclude material, while a batch total may already include allocated preparation, nesting and sorting.

Compare offers only after bringing them to the same result: the same items, revisions, material, quantity, post-processing and delivery location.

File, drawing and technical preparation

Calculation starts before equipment is run. The contractor needs to understand scale, units, closed contours, duplicates, layers, revision, the purpose of holes and conformity with the drawing. If only an image or sketch without critical dimensions is supplied, part of the estimate will be conditional.

DXF is an exchange format, but the file extension itself does not guarantee cutting readiness. Autodesk documentation describes the DXF structure, yet each file still needs checking for geometry and content. If a customer supplies a PDF and DXF from different revisions, the contractor must not independently choose one of them. Confirmation of the current task is required.

Preparation may include checking, nesting creation, technical assignment of operations and preparation of the production job. The offer must distinguish preparation from a design change. A contractor may prepare a file for production, but must not alter the intended part without agreement.

Material and thickness

Material is not only the price of metal. Grade, actual thickness, coating, surface condition and availability can change planning and requirements for the finished part. An unknown grade must not be replaced with “ordinary steel” without explicit agreement.

Clarify who supplies the sheet: contractor or customer. If the contractor buys it, establish whether the calculation concerns a whole sheet, part of a sheet or available remnant. If the customer supplies it, agree its format, quantity, surface condition, handover, marking and rules for the remnant.

Protective film, face side, grinding direction, scratch requirements and surface preservation must not be left as defaults. They are part of the result only when included in the request and quotation.

Nesting and sheet remnant

Nesting determines how items are placed on a sheet and what happens to the remnant. It is affected by size, form, technical distances, material direction, possibility of combining items and rules for removing parts. Sheet-use percentage cannot honestly be promised without an actual layout.

Nesting may differ for a prototype and a large batch. Several items may be placed together, but this can introduce further marking and sorting requirements. Production-planning systems such as Lantek Production Planning link orders, material and load, so the price composition should be considered in the context of the whole plan, not contour length alone.

A sheet remnant must not automatically be called scrap. Its status—ownership, marking, storage and possible future use—is agreed separately. This affects responsibility and the way the material part of the quotation is calculated.

Machine operation and part geometry

Machine time depends on material, thickness, number of holes and piercings, contour complexity, movements and sequence. A machine’s rated power or maximum speed describes equipment capability, but is not a universal tariff and does not automatically become the price of a particular part.

Two parts with the same cutting length can have different routes. One may have one external contour; another, many small holes, narrow bridges or surface-direction requirements. If the part will later be bent or welded, the next operation’s requirements must be provided before calculation. An acceptable cut edge is not always sufficient for the whole assembly.

In materials about laser cutting, TRUMPF treats the system as a combination of equipment, technology and application. That confirms the general logic, but does not establish a universal price structure for all contractors.

Additional work, inspection and packing

After cutting, sorting, marking, deburring, bending, welding, checking critical dimensions, kit preparation or other finishing may be needed. Do not assume these are included in the phrase “laser cutting”. Ask for the exact condition of the part you will receive.

Inspection also has different scopes. For one batch, agreed sampling may be enough; another may require assessment of critical dimensions, a report or item traceability. Agree the method and scope before launch.

Packing depends on quantity, shape, surface and transport method. If parts must arrive as a complete kit or with face sides not touching, state this as a requirement. Otherwise one quote may cover cutting only while another covers a batch ready for handover.

How to compare two commercial offers

Imagine two offers for the same file. The first says “part cutting”; the second says “material, preparation, cutting, sorting, inspection and delivery”. The lower total in the first does not prove it is more favourable: some work may simply lie outside its document. Conversely, the higher total in the second can be justified where both parties have genuinely agreed a fuller result.

For a fair comparison, create a table with “included” and “excluded or to be clarified” columns for each offer. Record separately:

• file, drawing and revision;
• grade, thickness and material source;
• quantity and pricing unit;
• preparation and nesting;
• cutting, sorting, marking and inspection;
• packing, delivery, taxes, currency and validity period;
• factors that change the calculation.

If a supplier combines several tasks in one line, ask for a short description of included scope. This does not require disclosure of internal cost, but prevents comparison of different results under the single word “price”.

Commercial terms that should not be hidden in the total

Two offers may list identical production operations yet have different commercial boundaries. Before comparison, check the currency, whether VAT is included, offer validity, payment terms, handover place and whether delivery is part of the price. These are not minor formalities: a change in exchange rate, tax regime, address or delivery schedule can change the total without changing the part contour.

Do not demand a fixed price under undefined conditions. It is more correct to identify the assumptions: “price valid for material __, quantity __, handover in __, excluding/including VAT, until __”. If one offer includes delivery to production and another is collection, they cannot be compared by total alone. Such wording does not replace a contract, but makes the commercial-calculation boundary clear before launch.

Example calculation structure

It is convenient to split a quotation into these lines:

This structure can be shortened for a simple order or extended for a series. It does not set rates; it makes assumptions visible.

What “included” means in a quotation

The mark “included” must refer to a specific outcome, not merely a process name. If it says “material included”, clarify grade, thickness, format, quantity and remnant handling. If “inspection included”, ask which dimensions are checked, for which items and in what form the result is supplied. If “delivery included”, the address and variable conditions must be clear.

Likewise, “not included” does not mean the work is impossible. It means its cost, responsibility or conditions are not yet in the agreed scope. The same line can be included in different blocks in two offers. Compare not line names but the actual result the customer receives.

Price-checking algorithm

1. Fix the current file, drawing and revision. 2. Record material, actual thickness and quantity for every item. 3. Clarify the pricing unit and condition of the finished result. 4. Check whether file review, nesting and preparation are included. 5. Establish who supplies material and what happens to the remnant. 6. Compare cutting, holes, sorting, marking and inspection separately. 7. Add subsequent operations if the finished product needs them. 8. Check packing, delivery, currency, taxes and validity period. 9. Record included, excluded and unknown work. 10. Ask for confirmation that the two offers concern the same result.

Typical mistakes

• Comparing only the total figure.
• Treating price per metre as the complete part price.
• Comparing an offer with material against one without material.
• Not stating quantity, file revision or sheet source.
• Not clarifying who sorts, marks and packs the parts.
• Calling the whole sheet remnant scrap without agreement.
• Treating a machine’s rated speed as a tariff or a delivery-time guarantee.
• Not reporting requirements of subsequent bending or welding.
• Accepting a preliminary sketch estimate as a final quotation.
• Adding work after agreement that was not described in the order scope.

Do not try to lower the price by independently changing settings, optics, gases or protective systems. Technological changes are made by competent specialists under manufacturer documentation and safety rules.

Checklist before agreement

• [ ] The pricing unit is defined: part, batch, sheet, set or other.
• [ ] The current file and control drawing have been supplied.
• [ ] Material, thickness, quantity and surface requirements are stated.
• [ ] It is agreed who supplies material and who owns the remnant.
• [ ] File preparation, nesting and cutting itself are described.
• [ ] Sorting, marking, inspection and extra operations are listed separately.
• [ ] Packing, delivery or collection is checked.
• [ ] Currency, taxes and offer validity are stated.
• [ ] For every item, what is included and excluded is recorded.
• [ ] Assumptions, unknowns and review factors remain visible.

What cannot be determined without data

Without a file, drawing, material, thickness, quantity and output requirements, an exact price cannot be determined. Without an actual layout, sheet consumption cannot be confirmed. Without an agreed finished-part condition, it is impossible to compare what two contractors supply. Without a current check of technological feasibility, no timeframe or result can be promised for particular geometry.

Sources on production planning, file formats and laser systems explain technical context, but do not establish L-SEL’s or any other contractor’s rates. The final composition and total are commercial conditions of a particular offer that must be agreed from actual order data.

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