CutMeter
Price cutting from your own rates
Add one or more DXF files, set quantities and get a quote from your saved rate card: per metre and pierce, per minute or per part. Setup, minimum order and material are included. Pro feature.
A laser cutting quote from a DXF is the cut length times your price per metre plus the pierces times your price per pierce, or the machine time times your hourly rate, plus material and setup. With example rates of €1.20 per metre and €0.10 per pierce, 50 plates of 100 x 50 mm with one hole cost €21.77 for cutting, €10.00 for pierces, €9.66 for material and €15.00 for setup: €56.43 excluding VAT.
How it is calculated
Per metre and pierce: cut length x price per metre, plus pierces x price per pierce. Per minute: time = cut length / cutting speed + pierces x pierce time, then time x machine rate per hour. Per part: a fixed price for each part.
Material is priced by kg or by area. The amount is net weight or net area divided by your sheet use, so offcuts are paid for.
Setup is added once per order. If the subtotal is below your minimum order, a top-up line brings it to the minimum. The same files and the same rates always give the same total.
Formula
Per metre and pierce: cutting = L / 1,000 x pm x q; pierces = N x pp x q, or N x pm x k / 100 x q when a pierce is priced as k % of the metre price. Per minute: time T = (L / v x 60 + N x tp) x q seconds; machine = T x rh / 3,600. Per part: pq x q. Material per kg = A x t x ρ / 10⁹ x q / u x pkg; per m² = A / 10⁶ x q / u x pm2.
L = cut length, mm; N = pierces; q = quantity; pm = price per metre; pp = price per pierce; v = cutting speed, mm/min; tp = pierce time, s; rh = machine rate per hour; pq = price per part; A = net area, mm², or the bounding box plus your margin when the rate card prices material that way; t = thickness, mm; ρ = density, kg/m³; u = sheet use from 0 to 1; pkg = price per kg; pm2 = price per m².
Setup is added once per order. A lead-time tier multiplies cutting, pierces, machine time, part prices and setup by its factor, never material. If the subtotal is below the minimum order, the total is the minimum. VAT is the total times your VAT rate. Each amount is computed exactly and rounded once to the cent.
Worked example
50 plates of 100 x 50 mm with one 20 mm hole, S235JR 3 mm: cut length 362.83 mm, 2 pierces and 4,685.84 mm² net area each. Example rate card, not market prices: €1.20 per metre, €0.10 per pierce, material €1.40 per kg at 80 % sheet use, setup €15.00, minimum order €30.00.
Cutting: 362.83 x 50 / 1,000 = 18.14 m x €1.20 = €21.77. Pierces: 2 x 50 x €0.10 = €10.00. Material: 0.1104 kg x 50 / 0.8 = 6.90 kg x €1.40 = €9.66. Setup: €15.00.
Total €56.43 excluding VAT. The minimum order of €30.00 does not apply.
Priced per minute instead, at 3,000 mm/min, 1 s per pierce and €90.00 per hour: machine time 462.8 s, €11.57, and a total of €36.23 excluding VAT. With the pierce set to 10 % of the metre price, pierces cost €12.00 and the total is €58.43.
Pricing modes
| Mode | On the rate card | Part line |
|---|---|---|
| Per metre and pierce | Price per metre; price per pierce or pierce as % of the metre price | Metres x price per metre + pierces x price per pierce, times quantity |
| Per minute | Cutting speed, pierce time, machine rate per hour | (Cut length / speed + pierces x pierce time) x quantity x rate per hour |
| Per part | Price per part | Price per part x quantity |
| Material (any mode) | Price per kg or per m², sheet use | Weight or area x quantity / sheet use x price |
Questions about quotes
Where do the prices come from?
From your own rate card. Your shop sets the rates - CutMeter does the arithmetic and does not suggest or guarantee a price.
Can I quote several parts in one order?
Yes. Add several DXF files, set a quantity for each, and you get one quote with a line per part.
How do I send the quote to my client?
Download a PDF with your shop logo, or copy a link to the quote and send it to your client.
Which pricing mode should I choose?
Use per metre and pierce if you price by cut length. Use per minute if you price by machine time. Use per part for fixed part prices.
Do I need Pro for quotes?
Yes. Quotes, rate cards, PDF and client links are part of Pro - €96 a year or €12 a month, excluding VAT.
How is a pierce priced?
As your rate card sets it: a fixed price per pierce, a percentage of the metre price, or a pierce time in seconds when you price per minute. CutMeter does not suggest a value.
Why is the material amount more than the parts weigh?
Material is divided by the sheet use on your rate card, so offcuts are paid for. At 80 % sheet use, 5.52 kg of parts are priced as 6.90 kg of sheet.
How does the minimum order work?
If the subtotal is below your minimum order, a top-up line brings the total up to the minimum. Above the minimum, nothing is added.
Can I charge more for a short lead time?
Yes. Set lead-time tiers on the rate card, each starting from a number of working days, for example 2 days at 130 % for rush work and 14 days at 90 % as a discount. An order gets the tier with the most days that is not longer than its lead time. The factor applies to cutting, pierces, machine time, part prices and setup, not to material.
Are prices shown with or without VAT?
The total is without VAT. If you set a VAT rate on the rate card, the quote adds a VAT line and a total including VAT.