What counts as cutting time in a program?

Only the minutes the tool is in the cut feeding through material. Rapids, air cuts, tool changes, probing, and load or unload handling each belong to their own element, so the sum gives wall-clock runtime.

Why is the cutting share so low on drilling programs?

Drilling spends most of its cycle on retracts, pecks, and positioning. The cutting share row separates those non-cutting minutes from the in-cut time, so you can see whether peck depth, clearance height, or tool changes deserve attention first.

How do I set a realistic target runtime?

Start from the sum of the four elements, then subtract the minutes a proven improvement will remove, such as shorter rapid moves or a faster tool change. The gap row keeps the promise honest.

Does runtime include load and unload handling?

Yes, the load, unload, and handling allowance is one of the four elements and stays in the total. Leave it at zero only when the part is loaded outside the cycle, such as a pallet change that overlaps other work.

CNC Machining calculator

CNC Program Runtime Calculator

Add the minutes a program spends cutting, moving in rapids and air cuts, changing tools or probing, and loading the part. The headline runtime and the cutting share show where the cycle goes.

What this calculator does

Estimate CNC program runtime from four time elements and check it against a target program time.

Formula used

Program runtime = cutting + rapid and air-cut + tool-change and probing + load and unload
Non-cutting time = program runtime minus cutting
Cutting share = cutting ÷ program runtime × 100
Runtime hours = program runtime ÷ 60
Gap to target = program runtime minus target runtime

Inputs explained

In-Cut Cutting Time: In-cut feed minutes from the CAM program for this toolpath.
Rapid, Approach, and Air-Cut Time: Rapid, approach, and air-cut minutes inside the cycle.
Tool-Change, Probing, and Inspection Time: Tool-change, probing, and in-process inspection minutes.
Load, Unload, and Handling Allowance: Load, unload, and operator handling allowance in minutes.
Target Program Runtime: Planned runtime for this program from the quote or route.

How to use the result

Best suited to quoting a cycle from CAM time elements, finding non-cutting minutes to trim, checking a runtime against a target.
In-process inspection beyond the entered allowance is not included. Runtime shifts with operator pace, tool condition, and machine acceleration.

Current U.S. benchmarks

The producer price index for steel mill products stands at 381.162 (BLS, Aug 2026), up 23.4% from a year earlier. Quotes priced off last quarter's material cost miss this move.
The U.S. has 17,154 machine shops establishments employing about 223,303 workers (Census County Business Patterns, 2023).

Common questions

What counts as cutting time in a program? Only the minutes the tool is in the cut feeding through material. Rapids, air cuts, tool changes, probing, and load or unload handling each belong to their own element, so the sum gives wall-clock runtime.
Why is the cutting share so low on drilling programs? Drilling spends most of its cycle on retracts, pecks, and positioning. The cutting share row separates those non-cutting minutes from the in-cut time, so you can see whether peck depth, clearance height, or tool changes deserve attention first.
How do I set a realistic target runtime? Start from the sum of the four elements, then subtract the minutes a proven improvement will remove, such as shorter rapid moves or a faster tool change. The gap row keeps the promise honest.
Does runtime include load and unload handling? Yes, the load, unload, and handling allowance is one of the four elements and stays in the total. Leave it at zero only when the part is loaded outside the cycle, such as a pallet change that overlaps other work.

Last reviewed 2026-10-01.