BIZOMAT MAKEOS · Manufacturing
Bandsaw Cutting Plan (Time, Bars, Blades and Cost per Cut)
How long will this batch of saw cuts take, how many bars and blades will it use, and what does each cut cost?
Plan of a bandsaw cut-off job: section area and cutting time per cut from the cutting rate in area per minute (as the bandsaw time tool), cuts per hour with handling, pieces per bar after kerf and end allowance, bars needed, blades used from the blade life in area cut, blade changes, total time against the hours available, and cost per cut from machine time and blades.
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How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Section | choice | Shape of the bar. |
| Diameter or width | mm | Diameter of a round bar or tube, or width of a rectangular bar. |
| Height or tube wall | mm | Height of a rectangular bar, or wall thickness of a tube. |
| Cutting rate | cm²/min | Area the saw cuts per minute in this material (from the saw maker or your records). |
| Handling time per cut | s | Time to index the bar, clamp and unclamp per cut. |
| Cuts in the batch | Number of pieces to cut. | |
| Piece length | mm | Length of each piece. |
| Kerf | mm | Width of the saw cut. |
| Bar length | mm | Length of the stock bars. |
| End allowance per bar | mm | Unusable length at the bar ends (squaring cut and remnant). |
| Blade life (area cut) | cm² | Area a blade cuts before it needs changing (your records). |
| Blade price | $ | Price of a blade. |
| Blade change time | min | Time to change a blade. |
| Machine and labour rate | $/h | Machine plus operator rate. |
| Hours available | h | Time available to finish the batch. |
What each input means
Open an input to see what it is, its units, the worked example and the common mistakes, with a small diagram.
What this means: Section
- What it is
- The cross-section shape of the stock bar, which decides how the cut area is worked out from the dimensions below.
- Units and format
- Choose one of 3 options from the list: Round bar; Rectangular bar; Round tube.
- Example
- The form opens with “Round bar” selected as a worked example. Choose the option that matches your case.
What this means: Diameter or width
- What it is
- The outside diameter of a round bar or tube, or the width of a rectangular bar.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in mm: millimetres. The form accepts 0.000001 mm to 2000 mm. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 100 mm as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Cut area and cutting time grow with it; for a round bar with its square.
- Get it right
- For a tube use the outside diameter, not the bore.
What this means: Height or tube wall
- What it is
- The height of a rectangular bar, or the wall thickness of a tube. It is not used for a round bar.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in mm: millimetres. The form accepts 0.000001 mm to 2000 mm. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 50 mm as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Get it right
- For a tube enter the wall thickness, not the bore; the wall must be less than half the diameter.
What this means: Cutting rate
- What it is
- The cross-sectional area the saw cuts per minute in this material and blade, from the saw maker’s data or your records.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in cm²/min: cm²/min. The form accepts 0.000001 cm²/min to 10000 cm²/min. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 40 cm²/min as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Cutting time per cut is inversely proportional to it.
- Get it right
- Square centimetres per minute: 1 cm² = 100 mm².
What this means: Handling time per cut
- What it is
- The time each cut spends not cutting: advancing the bar, clamping, unclamping and removing the piece.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in s: seconds. The form accepts 0 s to 3600 s. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 30 s as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Get it right
- Enter seconds per cut, not minutes.
What this means: Cuts in the batch
- What it is
- The number of pieces to cut in the batch.
- Units and format
- Enter a plain number with no unit. The form accepts 1 to 1000000. Use a whole number. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 200 as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Total time and blade use rise in proportion.
What this means: Piece length
- What it is
- The finished length of each cut piece.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in mm: millimetres. The form accepts 0.000001 mm to 100000 mm. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 250 mm as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Get it right
- Do not include the kerf; it is added separately.
What this means: Kerf
- What it is
- The width of material the blade removes in each cut, lost between pieces. Measure a cut or take it from the blade’s set width.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in mm: millimetres. The form accepts 0 mm to 20 mm. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 1.5 mm as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
What this means: Bar length
- What it is
- The length of the stock bars as delivered from the supplier.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in mm: millimetres. The form accepts 0.000001 mm to 100000 mm. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 6000 mm as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
What this means: End allowance per bar
- What it is
- The length of each bar that cannot be used: the squaring cut at one end and the remnant left too short to clamp.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in mm: millimetres. The form accepts 0 mm to 10000 mm. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 50 mm as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
What this means: Blade life (area cut)
- What it is
- The total cross-sectional area one blade cuts before it must be changed, from your blade records in this material.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in cm²: square centimetres. The form accepts 0.000001 cm² to 10000000 cm². Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 5000 cm² as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Blade use and blade cost are inversely proportional to it.
What this means: Blade price
- What it is
- The purchase price of one bandsaw blade.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in $: an amount of money; use one currency for every money input. The form accepts $0 to $100000. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with $60 as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
What this means: Blade change time
- What it is
- The time to remove a worn blade, fit and tension a new one and run it in.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in min: minutes. The form accepts 0 min to 600 min. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 10 min as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Get it right
- Enter minutes per change.
What this means: Machine and labour rate
- What it is
- The cost of one hour of the saw with its operator, from your costing or finance team.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in $/h: money per hour. The form accepts $0/h to $10000/h. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with $60/h as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
What this means: Hours available
- What it is
- The working hours you have to finish the batch. Total time is checked against it.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in h: hours. The form accepts 0.000001 h to 10000 h. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 10 h as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
Method and formulas
- Area: π a² ÷ 4 (round), a b (rectangle), π [a² − (a − 2b)²] ÷ 4 (tube); time per cut = area ÷ rate (as the bandsaw time tool).
- Pieces per bar = ⌊(bar − ends) ÷ (piece + kerf)⌋; bars = cuts ÷ pieces per bar (rounded up).
- Blades used = cuts × area ÷ life; blade changes = blades used rounded up − 1.
- Total time = cuts × (cut time + handling) + changes × change time; cost per cut = (rate × time + blades × price) ÷ cuts.
- Example: 200 cuts take 8.7117 h using 9 bars and 3.1416 blades; each cut costs about 3.556.
Limitations
- Constant cutting rate; blade wear slows the last cuts on each blade.
- Bundle cutting of several bars at once is not modelled.
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Plan a cut-off batch for a shift
- Quote sawing cost per piece
- Work out bar stock to order
Who it is for
- Saw operators
- Estimators
- Production planners
What you get
- Area, time per cut and cuts per hour
- Pieces per bar and bars needed
- Blades, total time and cost per cut
Interpreting the result
- On large sections blade cost can rival machine time: a better blade often pays for itself.
References
- Machinery’s Handbook, 29th edition (Industrial Press, 2012), printed pp. 1182–1192. Topic reference; no source tables or recommended settings are reproduced.
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Open the Bandsaw Cutting Plan (Time, Bars, Blades and Cost per Cut) calculator