CNC Cycle Time Calculator

Each pass traverses the same cutting length again, so cutting time scales directly with how many times the toolpath repeats — going from one roughing pass to three roughing passes effectively triples that portion of the cycle, not just adds a small fixed increment. This is why reducing unnecessary passes, when the part tolerance allows it, is one of the more effective ways to cut cycle time.

Cutting Time is inversely proportional to feed rate, so doubling the feed rate roughly halves the cutting time contribution to the cycle, which in turn increases Parts per Hour. Feed rate is usually constrained by tool life, surface finish requirements, and material properties, though, so pushing it higher isn't free — it's a trade-off against tool wear and part quality, not a pure time-savings lever.

Not necessarily — rapid moves are typically a small fraction of total cycle time compared to actual cutting, since rapid traverse speed already runs many times faster than any cutting feed rate. Increasing rapid speed further helps most when Total Rapid Distance is large relative to the cutting length, but for parts with short repositioning moves and long cuts, the time savings will be minimal.

This calculator covers cutting, rapid moves, tool changes, and basic load/unload time, but leaves out coolant flush delays, in-process probing or inspection cycles, part-specific fixturing beyond simple loading, and first-article setup time. A shop quoting a new job should add allowances for these on top of the toolpath-level estimate this calculator produces.