Cut length: Cut length is the total length of every path a cutting machine follows to cut a part, including the outer profile and all internal holes and slots.
Measured from the 2D drawing, cut length adds up the outline of the part and every inner contour. It is the main driver of machine time on laser, waterjet and plasma cutters, because the machine cuts at a speed set by the material and its thickness.
What it means for the price
Cutting time is roughly cut length divided by cutting speed, plus pierce time and the rapid moves between contours. Speed drops steeply with thickness, so the same profile in 10 mm steel can take several times longer than in 2 mm. Common-line cutting in a nest reduces total cut length where neighbouring parts share an edge.
Example: a 100 × 100 mm plate with four holes 10 mm across has a cut length of 400 + 4 × 31.4, about 526 mm. The figures are an example.
Common confusions
Cut length is not the area of the part. A lacy part with little area can have a long cut length and take longer than a solid plate twice its size. Read what drives laser cutting cost or try the laser cutting cost calculator.
Go deeper: How to price laser cutting: cut length, pierces, material and sheet use