Cutting Guide
Pierce Time Explained
Cut length isn't the whole story — every separate cut starts with a pierce, and on parts with lots of holes that time adds up fast.
Before a plasma torch, laser or waterjet nozzle can travel along a cut line, it first has to punch a starting hole straight through the material. That's the pierce, and it takes a few seconds every single time — at the start of the outer profile, and again at the start of every hole or internal feature on the part.
See pierce time in your own job
The main calculator splits total cut time into travel and pierce so you can see which one dominates.
Travel time vs pierce time
Total cutting time per part is travel time plus pierce time. Travel time is straightforward — cut path length divided by cutting speed. Pierce time is the number of separate pierces multiplied by however long each one takes on your process and thickness.
Typical pierce times by process
| Process | Typical pierce time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Laser | 0.2 - 1.0 s | Fastest, rises with thickness |
| Plasma | 0.5 - 2.0 s | Slower on thicker plate, lower amperage |
| Waterjet | 1.0 - 4.0 s | Slowest, abrasive jet takes longer to punch through |
Why hole-heavy parts feel disproportionately slow
A bracket with a short cut length but twenty bolt holes can easily spend more time piercing than travelling, because every hole resets the clock for a fresh pierce regardless of how small it is. This is the reason two parts with an identical total cut length can take very different amounts of time to produce — the one with more separate features simply pierces more often.
When estimating a job, it's worth counting pierces per part carefully rather than guessing, especially for parts with many small holes, slots or internal cutouts — see the nesting guide for how those same parts pack onto a sheet.
Reducing pierce time on a job
Where the design allows it, reducing the number of separate pierced features — combining slots, using a single larger hole instead of several small ones, or ordering the cut path to minimise starts and stops — directly cuts total machine time. On CNC nesting software, common-line or bridge cutting (where adjacent parts share a single cut line) can also reduce total pierces across a whole sheet, not just a single part.
Frequently asked questions
What is pierce time in metal cutting?
The time the cutting head spends punching an initial hole through the material before it can start moving along the cut path — it happens once at the start of every separate cut or hole.
How long does a plasma pierce take?
Typically around 0.5 to 2 seconds depending on thickness and amperage — thicker material and lower amperage both take longer.
Why do parts with lots of holes cut slower?
Each hole needs its own pierce before cutting starts, so a part with many small holes accumulates significant pierce time even if the total cut length is short — pierce time can outweigh travel time on hole-heavy parts.