Waterjet & Plasma Plate Processing Estimating, Calculated From the Part — Not a Per-Pound Guess
Heavy plate, structural shapes, and beveled cuts — nested and priced directly from your 3D file, the same CAD-driven path MicroEnterprise already uses for sheet metal cutting.
The Problem
Plate cutting cost is driven by nesting efficiency, cut length, and material thickness — hard to price accurately from a per-pound rule of thumb, especially on heavy or irregular plate.
Beveling and secondary machining after the cut are often priced separately from the cutting operation, with no single estimate tying the two together.
Waterjet, plasma, and oxy-fuel each have different cut speeds and costs for a given thickness and material — a generic per-inch rate doesn’t reflect which process is actually being used.
How Micro Estimate Estimates Waterjet, Plasma & Plate Processing Work
CAD-driven cutting cost, the same confirmed path used for sheet metal.
When a 3D file is available, Micro Estimate reads the geometry and recognizes cutting features for waterjet, plasma, and oxy-fuel — the same Automatic Feature Recognition capability already confirmed for sheet metal cutting — generating nests and calculating material usage and cutting cost directly from the part, rather than a per-pound estimate.
Priced by the actual process and material thickness.
Cutting cost reflects the specific process (waterjet, plasma, or oxy-fuel) and plate thickness involved, instead of a single blended rate across all three.
Beveling and secondary machining, in the same estimate.
Beveling and any secondary machining after the cut are entered in the same routing as the cutting operation, so the quote reflects the full cost of the finished edge or part, not just the cut.
What's Included
Automatic Feature Recognition for waterjet, plasma, and oxy-fuel cutting
CAD-driven nesting and material usage calculation
Process- and thickness-specific cutting cost
Structured entry for beveling and secondary machining
Material libraries for plate stock, thicknesses, and grades
Customer quote letters, cost breakdowns, and routing documentation
Who It’s For
Plate processors and heavy fabrication shops cutting structural shapes, heavy plate, and beveled parts on waterjet, plasma, or oxy-fuel equipment.