Machine Time Charge is calculated automatically. It is the heart of PrimeCut NE's costing calculation, and along with the Material Charge the most important contributor to the final quote total. The calculation is more accurate if nest or nest+ based quoting is performed. Time in rapids, switching between machine tools and spindle tool changing is distributed among multiple line items by weighted averaging, based on line quantity, number of process starts, and number of spindle toolchanges respectively.
Time in rapids and time running the process(es) takes account of machine rapid acceleration, feedrate acceleration and arc acceleration. Time running the processes also applies heuristic slowdowns to bevel processes similar to those used in TouchCut, and therefore bevel time estimates should be accurate even when nominally using vertical cutting feedrates.
Note an important difference between part-based and nest-based time calculation: The part based calculation does not take into account spindle or other toolchanges as these are very dependent on how nests are sequenced.
The Machine Charge per Hr is stored per machine in the Machines section .
