Logging Machine Hours Used

Logging Machine Hours Used

When a production run uses equipment with an hourly running cost — a CO2 laser cutter, a 3D printer, a heat press, a professional oven — logging the actual hours run ensures those costs are included in the true cost of the batch.

Machine costs are often overlooked in handmade business pricing. A laser cutter running for 8 hours per batch is a real cost: electricity, consumables, wear and maintenance. CrafterBy tracks it so you do not have to remember to add it manually.

Prerequisites

Machines must be set up in CrafterBy with an hourly cost rate before they can be logged against a production order. Go to Settings > Machines to review or add machines. The product's bill of materials should also reference which machines are used and the planned hours — this provides the baseline for comparison.

Steps to Log Machine Hours

1. Open the production order (status: In Progress).
2. Go to the Machines tab.
3. Find the machine you used in the list.
4. Click Log Hours.
5. Enter the hours used. Decimals are accepted: 1.5 = 1 hour 30 minutes, 0.25 = 15 minutes.
6. Optionally note the task performed (for example, "Cutting acrylic blanks for keyring batch").
7. Click Save. The machine cost is calculated automatically and added to the order's actual cost total.

Example: 3D Printing a Batch of Miniatures

You are printing a batch of 20 resin miniatures for a tabletop gaming customer. The FDM printer runs for 14.5 hours across two print jobs.

• Machine: FDM Printer
• Hourly rate: EUR 0.45
• Hours logged: 14.5
• Machine cost for batch: EUR 6.53
• Machine cost per unit: EUR 0.33

Without logging machine hours, each miniature's cost would be understated by EUR 0.33 — small per unit, but across hundreds of orders it becomes a meaningful gap between your pricing and true cost.

Example: CO2 Laser Cutting Leather Goods

You cut 30 personalised leather keyrings. The CO2 laser runs for 2.5 hours including setup and engraving.

• Machine: CO2 Laser Cutter
• Hourly rate: EUR 1.20 (electricity + tube depreciation)
• Hours logged: 2.5
• Machine cost for batch: EUR 3.00
• Machine cost per unit: EUR 0.10

Multiple Machine Entries

A single production order can have multiple machine entries — for example, a batch that uses both a laser cutter and a heat press. Each machine is logged separately, and all costs are summed into the actual total for the order.

You can also log multiple sessions on the same machine. If your 3D printer runs overnight and then again the next morning, log each session separately with its own duration.

Planned vs. Actual Machine Hours

If the product BOM includes planned machine hours, the Machines tab shows the same planned/used/variance comparison as the Materials tab. Consistently running longer than planned suggests the product's machine time estimate needs updating.