Welding & Fabrication worked example

Waterjet Cutting Cost with parts cut on the job of 30 parts: a worked example

Suppose parts cut on the job falls to 30 parts. This page works the full calculation at that level so you can see exactly which result moves and by how much. Estimate waterjet cutting cost from parts cut, per-part abrasive and machine cost, water and pump setup, and operator labor.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Parts cut on the job: 30 parts (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 60)
  • Per-part abrasive and machine cost: 4.2 $ / part (held at the documented default)
  • Pump, tank, and program setup cost: 220 $ (held at the documented default)
  • Operator labor with burden: 260 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Total waterjet cutting cost = parts cut on the job × per-part abrasive and machine cost + pump, tank, and program setup cost + operator labor with burden.
  • Total waterjet cutting cost works out to 606 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Waterjet cutting cost per part works out to 20.2 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • Per-part abrasive and machine cost works out to 126 $ at these inputs.
  • Pump setup and operator labor works out to 480 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where parts cut on the job sits at 60 parts and the headline result is 732 $, this scenario comes in 17.21% below the baseline at 606 $.
  • It computes total waterjet cutting cost as parts times per-part abrasive and machine cost plus pump/tank/program setup plus burdened labor, then divides by parts for cost per piece. 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

  • Total waterjet cutting cost: 606 $ (headline result)
  • Waterjet cutting cost per part: 20.2 $ / piece
  • Per-part abrasive and machine cost: 126 $
  • Pump setup and operator labor: 480 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Waterjet Cutting Cost calculator, set parts cut on the job to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.