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Material Removal Rate Calculator

Work out material removal rate instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Material Removal Rate Calculator

Removal rate is simply the cross-section being cut times the speed it is swept: width times depth times feed. Multiplying by the material's unit power, about 1.0 hp per cubic inch per minute for mild steel and 0.3 for aluminium, gives the spindle power the cut demands.

Formulas

Removal rate

MRR = width x depth x feed rate

Power

hp = MRR x unit power for the material

Worked example

With the default values below, Material Removal Rate Calculator returns Material removal rate of 0.600. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Width of cutminimum 0.001 in
0.5 in
Depth of cutminimum 0.001 in
0.1 in
Feed rateminimum 0.01 in/min
12 in/min
Unit power for materialminimum 0.05 hp per in³/min
1 hp per in³/min

Results

Material removal rate
0.600 in³/min
Removal rate in metric units
9.83 cm³/min
Spindle power required
0.60 hp
Spindle power in kilowatts
0.45 kW

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Removal rate
  3. 3Power
  4. 4Material removal rate= 0.600 in³/min
  5. 5Removal rate in metric units= 9.83 cm³/min
  6. 6Spindle power required= 0.60 hp
  7. 7Spindle power in kilowatts= 0.45 kW

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 3 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Material Removal Rate figure worked out?

MRR = width x depth x feed rate. Removal rate is simply the cross-section being cut times the speed it is swept: width times depth times feed.

Why does the machine stall on a heavy cut?

Power demand is proportional to removal rate. Doubling depth doubles the horsepower required, and a small mill runs out of spindle power long before the tool runs out of strength.

What values do I need to enter?

This calculator takes 4 inputs: Width of cut, Depth of cut, Feed rate, Unit power for material. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic worked example — replace them with your own site or project figures.

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