Material Removal Rate Calculator
The volume of material a milling or turning cut removes per minute from the cutting parameters, and the time it takes to remove a given volume — the productivity number behind roughing strategies.
In milling, removal rate is the width of cut × depth of cut × table feed: 20 mm wide, 5 mm deep at 800 mm/min is 80 cm³/min.
How the material removal rate calculator works
In milling, removal rate is the width of cut × depth of cut × table feed: 20 mm wide, 5 mm deep at 800 mm/min is 80 cm³/min. In turning it is the depth of cut × feed per revolution × surface speed. Higher rates need more spindle power (roughly 1 kW per 30 cm³/min in steel with a sharp tool) and shorter tool life, so the figure is a trade-off, not a target on its own.
Formula: milling: MRR = aₑ × aₚ × v_f; turning: MRR = aₚ × f × v_c × 1,000
Worked examples
| Inputs | Material removal rate | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Milling 20 mm wide, 5 mm deep at 800 mm/min | 80 cm³/min | 80 cm³/min; 6.25 min for 500 cm³ |
| Turning 3 mm deep, 0.3 mm/rev at 200 m/min | 180 cm³/min | 180 cm³/min |
| Aluminium roughing: 12 × 10 mm at 5,000 mm/min | 600 cm³/min | 600 cm³/min, 9 kW |
FAQFrequently asked questions
Why is turning MRR depth × feed × speed?
Each revolution removes a ring of the depth of cut and the feed width, and the surface speed says how much circumference passes per minute: aₚ × f × v_c with v_c in m/min gives cm³/min after the unit conversion.
How do I raise the rate?
In milling, take a wider or deeper cut before feeding faster — chip load per tooth has a ceiling. High-feed and trochoidal strategies raise MRR by using the tool differently, not by pushing the same cut harder.
What limits it?
Spindle power (the power row), rigidity and chatter, tool life, and chip evacuation. Aluminium in a rigid machine can hit 1,000 cm³/min; titanium struggles past 50.
What specific cutting energy should I use?
About 0.015 kW per cm³/min for aluminium, 0.03–0.05 for mild and alloy steels, 0.06 or more for titanium and nickel alloys, less with a sharp tool and more as it wears. It gives the net power at the cut; add 20–30% for drive losses.
Where these figures come from
- Nakajima (1988) — Introduction to TPM — the origin of Overall Equipment Effectiveness and its six big losses
- Safe Work Australia — the national work health and safety body
Last checked: September 2026. Definitions follow standard operations-management practice; where plants commonly differ, the page says so.