Applies to: Core, Advanced, Enterprise
Quote & Cut uses machine time and gas cost when calculating the cutting price.
You can find these settings from:
Quote & Cut → Settings
The main settings are:
- Machine Hourly Rate.
- Gas Cost.
- Material Cutting Speed.
- Material Pierce Time.
- Material Gas Used.
Machine Hourly Rate #
The Machine Hourly Rate is the hourly rate used for laser cutting time.
This should reflect what you want to recover for machine usage.
It may include:
- Machine running cost.
- Operator time.
- Electricity.
- Maintenance.
- Overheads.
- Profit, depending on your pricing method.
Gas Cost #
Gas costs are configured as hourly rates.
Quote & Cut includes gas cost fields for:
- Compressed Air.
- Oxygen.
- Nitrogen.
Enter the cost per hour for each gas type you use.
Material Gas Used #
Each material has a Gas Used field.
This controls which gas hourly rate is applied when that material is selected.
For example:
- Mild steel may use Oxygen.
- Aluminium may use Nitrogen.
- Some materials may use Compressed Air.
Choose the gas type that matches your own process.
Cutting Speed #
Each material has a Cutting Speed (mm/s) setting.
Quote & Cut uses this to estimate how long the laser spends cutting the geometry.
Slower cutting speeds increase cost.
Faster cutting speeds reduce cost.
Pierce Time #
Each material has a Pierce Time (s) setting.
Quote & Cut uses this to estimate the time spent piercing.
Parts with more holes usually have more pierces, which can increase the quote.
Why gas and machine settings matter #
Machine and gas settings can make a big difference to the final price.
If your hourly rate is too low, jobs may be under-priced.
If your gas cost is too low, gas-heavy materials may be under-priced.
If cutting speed is too fast, cutting time will be underestimated.
If pierce time is too low, detailed parts with holes may be under-priced.
Recommended setup method #
For each material and thickness:
- Choose the correct gas type.
- Enter a realistic cutting speed.
- Enter a realistic pierce time.
- Set your machine hourly rate.
- Set your gas hourly rates.
- Run a test quote.
- Compare the result with a known manual quote.
Updating values over time #
You may need to update gas and machine settings when:
- Gas supplier prices change.
- Electricity costs change.
- You change machine settings.
- You add a new laser.
- You change cutting data.
- You notice pricing differences during testing.
Best practice #
Keep a record of the values you use for each material and thickness.
This makes it easier to troubleshoot quote differences later.
Continue to: Testing Pricing Before Going Live.
