Why are torch-on and cycle time separate?

Torch wear is charged by arc hours. The cell still incurs labor and machine cost during loading and unloading, so its rate uses the complete production cycle.

How do I determine torch wear cost?

Divide electrode and nozzle set cost by measured arc-hour life for comparable cutting. Frequent piercing can shorten life, so use a job-representative record.

Does cut-part cost include rejected blanks?

The denominator includes every blank cut, including later rejects. Use accepted quantity separately when allocating cutting cost to shippable parts.

Where does dross removal belong?

Price dross removal as a separate finishing operation. Cutting quality can change that downstream cost, but this estimate stops at the plasma-cut blank.

Welding & Fabrication calculator

Plasma Cutting Cost Calculator

Price the plasma run while separating torch wear from elapsed cell time. You need cut quantity, cycle and torch-on times, both costing rates and fixed setup cost.

What this calculator does

Estimate plasma job cost using measured cycle time and arc-hour torch consumable wear.

Formula used

Arc hours = parts cut × torch-on minutes per part ÷ 60
Cycle hours = parts cut × elapsed cycle minutes per part ÷ 60
Torch consumable cost = arc hours × torch consumable wear rate
Total plasma cost = torch consumable cost + cycle hours × loaded cell rate + setup cost

Inputs explained

Parts Cut: Completed plasma-cut blanks, including blanks later rejected.
Elapsed Cycle per Part: Timed production cycle including loading, cutting and unloading per blank.
Torch-On Time per Part: Plasma arc timer or program torch-on time including piercing.
Torch Consumable Wear Rate: Electrode and nozzle set price divided by measured arc-hour life.
Loaded Cell Rate: Approved machine, power, gas and allocated labor rate; excludes torch wear.
Fixed Job Setup Cost: Nest programming and torch setup cost outside timed production cycles.

How to use the result

Best suited to plasma torch consumable cost review, quoting repeated nested plasma blanks.
Excludes plate material, dross removal and later finishing. Consumable life must represent the piercing count and current used for this job.

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.
Industrial electricity averages 9.77 cents per kWh across the U.S. (EIA, Jul 2026), up 4.7% from a year earlier. Energy-intensive steps carry this directly into unit cost.
U.S. iron and steel import customs value ran $2.2B in Aug 2026 (Census International Trade). The U.S. ran a trade deficit of $0.6B in the category that month. This dollar total mixes price, quantity, product mix, origin, and timing; it does not measure physical import volume or prove a tariff or reshoring effect.
The U.S. has 53,790 fabricated metal products establishments employing about 1,441,471 workers (Census County Business Patterns, 2023).

Common questions

Why are torch-on and cycle time separate? Torch wear is charged by arc hours. The cell still incurs labor and machine cost during loading and unloading, so its rate uses the complete production cycle.
How do I determine torch wear cost? Divide electrode and nozzle set cost by measured arc-hour life for comparable cutting. Frequent piercing can shorten life, so use a job-representative record.
Does cut-part cost include rejected blanks? The denominator includes every blank cut, including later rejects. Use accepted quantity separately when allocating cutting cost to shippable parts.
Where does dross removal belong? Price dross removal as a separate finishing operation. Cutting quality can change that downstream cost, but this estimate stops at the plasma-cut blank.

Last reviewed 2026-10-06.