GlossaryKind of term: Manufacturing termNon-cutting time
What is non-cutting time?
Non-cutting time is the time per part at the machine when no material is being removed: tool changes, rapids, loading, unloading and in-machine measuring.
What the operator does counts too: besides rapids, tool changes and probing, it includes clamping, blowing off chips and unclamping. It recurs with every part, unlike setup time, which falls once per setup and per batch. A tool change takes longer than the magazine's swap time alone: the spindle slows down, the changer swaps the tool and the spindle runs back up to speed before the next cut. That chip-to-chip time is the figure that counts in the cycle.
What does non-cutting time depend on?
How large non-cutting time is depends on the number of tools and their sequence, the chip-to-chip time of the changer, rapid traverse rates and distances in the program, the workholding and whether parts are measured in the machine. Loading and clamping by an operator depends heavily on the workholding: a vice, quick-action clamp or zero-point system is usually quicker than a fixture with loose clamps. With a pallet changer or robot, loading runs in parallel with cutting; only the change itself stays in the cycle.
How does non-cutting time work in practice?
The smaller the part and the more tools it needs, the more non-cutting time weighs. It can exceed cutting time, and an estimate based on cutting time alone then falls well short of the real cycle time. Because non-cutting time recurs with every part, a saving counts for more on a batch than on a one-off. Common measures are combining tools, grouping operations per side to cut tool changes and rapids, faster clamping and parallel loading. Whether they pay depends on quantity, hourly rate and the investment in workholding or automation.
What is non-cutting time often confused with?
Non-cutting time is not setup time: setup falls once per setup and per batch, non-cutting time on every part. Nor is it waiting time: waiting for a machine, material or a subcontractor belongs in lead time, not in the cycle.
Frequently asked questions
Do you count loading and unloading in cycle time?
In the estimate, usually yes: cycle time then runs from part in to part out. The time the control shows often starts at cycle start and misses the loading. With a pallet changer or robot, loading runs in parallel and only the change counts.
How do you reduce non-cutting time?
With fewer tool changes, shorter rapids by grouping operations per side, faster clamping with a zero-point system or fixture, and loading during cutting with a pallet changer or robot. Whether it pays depends on batch size and the investment.