How does the template work out parts per sheet?

It subtracts the edge margin from both sides of the sheet, then counts how many blanks plus spacing fit along each side, as drawn and rotated 90 degrees, and keeps the larger count. A 2500 x 1250 mm sheet with 10 mm edges and 8 mm spacing fits 7 x 6 = 42 blanks of 312 x 186 mm as drawn but only 12 x 3 = 36 rotated, so it uses 42 and a sheet yield of 78.0 percent.

Why is material cost per part higher for small quantities?

Whole sheets are bought. 25 good parts need 26 starts at 98 percent yield, which is one sheet of 42 parts, so the whole 56.42 sheet (plus 8 percent markup) is spread over 25 parts: 2.44 per part. At 1,000 parts the 25 sheets are almost fully used and material falls to 1.52 per part.

How is laser cutting time estimated?

Cut length divided by your average cutting speed, plus pierces times seconds per pierce, plus the sheet load and unload divided by the parts on the sheet. In the example 1,356 mm at 4,500 mm/min is 0.301 min, 14 pierces at 0.5 s add 0.117 min and 6 minutes of handling shared by 42 parts adds 0.143 min: 0.561 minutes per part, 1.12 at 120 per hour.

How are bends and other secondary operations costed?

Each row is a count per part times seconds per count plus handling, at the machine's rate. Four bends at 8 s plus 10 s of handling is 42 s, or 0.70 minutes, which costs 0.82 per part on a press brake at 70 per hour. Each row's setup hours are a batch cost spread over the quantity.

Is the margin on cost or on price?

On price, like the Quote Margin calculator. The unit price is cost divided by one minus the target margin, then rounded up to your step: a 6.21 cost at 22 percent margin needs 7.96, rounded up to 7.97. The Margin achieved row shows the margin after rounding.

Can I use inches and price sheet per pound?

Yes. Choose mm or in once: thickness, blank, sheet, spacing, edge margin, cut length and speed all use it, and volumes convert exactly (1 in3 = 16.387064 cm3). Each material's price can be per kg or per lb (1 lb = 0.45359237 kg). The currency is a label you type on Setup; no exchange rate is applied.

Industry Cost Kits

Sheet Metal Part Cost Estimator Excel Template

Cost a sheet metal part from its flat blank: parts per sheet, whole sheets to buy, laser time, bends and secondary operations, hardware and finishing, priced for five quantities.

Free, and a plain .xlsx with no macros to enable. A CSV with live formulas and a printed how-to guide come with it.

Overview

This sheet metal cost estimator is an Excel quoting tool for laser, punch and press-brake shops and for buyers checking a fabricated-part price. It ships with a worked example for a fictional fabricator, a 2 mm steel mounting bracket with four bends, two self-clinching nuts and powder coat, priced at 25, 100, 250, 500 and 1,000 parts.

Material starts with the nest. The flat-blank rectangle, sheet size, part spacing and edge margin give the parts per sheet as drawn and rotated 90 degrees, and the better of the two; sheet yield shows how much of the sheet you pay for ends up in parts. Whole sheets are bought for each quantity, so material per part steps with quantity rather than following a smooth curve. Laser time is cut length divided by speed, plus pierces, plus the sheet load and unload shared by the parts on the sheet.

Bends, fastener insertion, deburring and spot welds are counts times seconds plus handling, priced at each machine's rate with setup per batch. Hardware and outside finishing (the larger of the lot charge and price times quantity) are added, then overhead and your target margin on price give a unit price rounded to your step. The Dashboard shows the quantity you pick with two charts and the cost build-up. The nest count matches the Rectangular Blank Layout calculator on this site, and the build checks it against the calculator's engine.

What this template includes

Nest block: flat-blank and sheet sizes, part spacing and edge margin in mm or inches give parts per sheet as drawn and rotated, the best count and sheet yield
Sheet mass and cost per sheet from thickness, density and a price per kg or per lb, with machine rates and sheet materials on Setup
Laser cutting time per part from cut length and speed, pierces and the sheet load and unload shared across the nest
Forming and secondary operations table: bends, fastener insertion, deburring or spot welds as count x seconds plus handling, with setup per batch
Hardware per part and outside finishing with lot charges
Five quantities with parts to start for your yield, whole sheets to buy, every cost line, overhead, margin on price, a rounded unit price and machine hours
Dashboard for the quantity you pick: unit price, cost, margin against target, parts per sheet and yield, two charts and the cost build-up
Verify sheet that recomputes the nest, cutting time and the price build-up on fixed inputs against an independent reference

Suggested use case

Use it to quote laser-cut and formed parts consistently, to see how the nest and whole sheets drive material cost, and to check what a bend, a fastener or a finishing lot charge adds per part.

How to use it

On Setup, type your company name, currency, overhead, markup, margin, first-pass yield and price step, then your machine rates and sheet prices.
On Estimate, choose the material and unit, enter thickness, flat-blank size, sheet size, part spacing and edge margin.
Enter the cut length, pierces, cutting speed, sheet handling and nest setup, then the bends and secondary operations.
List hardware per part and outside finishing, and type five quantities.
Read whole sheets, cost, unit price and margin per quantity; on the Dashboard, pick a quantity to see the tiles, charts and cost build-up.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the template work out parts per sheet?: It subtracts the edge margin from both sides of the sheet, then counts how many blanks plus spacing fit along each side, as drawn and rotated 90 degrees, and keeps the larger count. A 2500 x 1250 mm sheet with 10 mm edges and 8 mm spacing fits 7 x 6 = 42 blanks of 312 x 186 mm as drawn but only 12 x 3 = 36 rotated, so it uses 42 and a sheet yield of 78.0 percent.
Why is material cost per part higher for small quantities?: Whole sheets are bought. 25 good parts need 26 starts at 98 percent yield, which is one sheet of 42 parts, so the whole 56.42 sheet (plus 8 percent markup) is spread over 25 parts: 2.44 per part. At 1,000 parts the 25 sheets are almost fully used and material falls to 1.52 per part.
How is laser cutting time estimated?: Cut length divided by your average cutting speed, plus pierces times seconds per pierce, plus the sheet load and unload divided by the parts on the sheet. In the example 1,356 mm at 4,500 mm/min is 0.301 min, 14 pierces at 0.5 s add 0.117 min and 6 minutes of handling shared by 42 parts adds 0.143 min: 0.561 minutes per part, 1.12 at 120 per hour.
How are bends and other secondary operations costed?: Each row is a count per part times seconds per count plus handling, at the machine's rate. Four bends at 8 s plus 10 s of handling is 42 s, or 0.70 minutes, which costs 0.82 per part on a press brake at 70 per hour. Each row's setup hours are a batch cost spread over the quantity.
Is the margin on cost or on price?: On price, like the Quote Margin calculator. The unit price is cost divided by one minus the target margin, then rounded up to your step: a 6.21 cost at 22 percent margin needs 7.96, rounded up to 7.97. The Margin achieved row shows the margin after rounding.
Can I use inches and price sheet per pound?: Yes. Choose mm or in once: thickness, blank, sheet, spacing, edge margin, cut length and speed all use it, and volumes convert exactly (1 in3 = 16.387064 cm3). Each material's price can be per kg or per lb (1 lb = 0.45359237 kg). The currency is a label you type on Setup; no exchange rate is applied.