Input variables
| Variable | Meaning | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| w | Engraving width | mm |
| h | Engraving height | mm |
| pitch | Line spacing | mm |
| speed | Scan speed | mm/s |
| extra | Travel overhead | % |
| passes | Pass count | passes |
Equations
Scan lines per pass · lines
lines = ceil(h/pitch)
Ideal scan distance · m
length = lines*w*passes/1000
Estimated scan duration · minutes
time = length*1000/speed/60*(1+extra/100)
Notation
PI means π. ** means a power, sqrt means square root, and abs gives the absolute value. Trigonometric functions use radians. min and max select the smallest or largest argument.
ceil rounds upward, floor rounds downward, and round rounds to the nearest integer with halves toward positive infinity. roundup(value, step) rounds upward to the next multiple of the step; a zero step leaves the value unchanged.
Assumptions
- Acceleration, overscan and return travel can make real jobs substantially longer.
- The model assumes full-width raster lines, not optimized travel through sparse artwork.
- Use speed units in millimeters per second; convert millimeters per minute before entering.
- This calculator estimates duration only and does not select laser power or material settings.
Precision and verification
The tool uses ordinary double-precision numeric arithmetic. Output is displayed to at most four decimal places; measurement precision is usually much lower. Check the worked examples, your project’s specifications, and a real sample before committing material.