CNC Machining worked example

Cutting Time vs Non-Cutting Time at 47% target cutting-time share: a worked example

Suppose target cutting-time share falls to 47%. This page works the full calculation at that level so you can see exactly which result moves and by how much. Compare cutting minutes with total CNC cycle minutes to show how much of the program is actually removing material.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Spindle cutting (chip-making) time: 6.8 min (held at the documented default)
  • Total CNC cycle time: 11.5 min (held at the documented default)
  • Target cutting-time share: 47 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 65)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Cutting-time share = cutting time ÷ total CNC cycle time × 100.
  • cutting-time share works out to 59.13 % cutting at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • gap to cutting-time target works out to -12.13 points at these inputs.
  • cutting time works out to 6.8 count at these inputs.
  • total CNC cycle time works out to 11.5 count at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where target cutting-time share sits at 65% and the headline result is 59.13 % cutting, this scenario lands almost exactly on the baseline at 59.13 % cutting.
  • It computes cutting time as a percentage of total cycle time and the point gap to your target spindle-utilization share. When the numbers land here, the stressed input is the lever to work; the walkthrough above shows exactly how much each output recovers as it climbs back toward the baseline.

Results at a glance

  • cutting-time share: 59.13 % cutting (headline result)
  • gap to cutting-time target: -12.13 points
  • cutting time: 6.8 count
  • total CNC cycle time: 11.5 count

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Cutting Time vs Non-Cutting Time calculator, set target cutting-time share to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.