Steel Bar Cutting Optimizer
Reduce one-dimensional waste for steel bars, tubes and profiles by grouping required lengths into stock bars while accounting for kerf and reusable remnants.
Worked 6000 mm steel-bar example
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Stock | 6000 mm |
| Kerf | 3 mm |
| Cuts | 8 × 1450; 6 × 980; 10 × 625 mm |
| Reusable offcut threshold | 300 mm |
| Result | 5 bars · 24 cuts |
| Useful material utilization | 79.10% |
| Status | BEST SOLUTION FOUND |
Why the status matters
The material-length lower bound for this case is four bars, but the current bounded search returns a valid five-bar plan without proving that four is impossible. PackMize therefore says BEST SOLUTION FOUND instead of presenting five as a mathematical optimum. That distinction is intentional and visible to the user.
Model the actual process
For saw cutting, enter blade kerf and any deliberate end trim. For abrasive or thermal processes, the effective material loss can differ. Clamp zones, chuck allowances, damaged ends and heat-affected zones must be represented in the usable stock or trim inputs when they matter.
Use offcuts deliberately
A reusable-offcut threshold keeps the plan from treating every short remainder as equivalent inventory. The CSV export provides the full patterns so remnants can be labelled or returned to stock.
Assumptions
This worked example uses the dimensions entered in PackMize. Material properties, machine rules and operational constraints that are not explicit inputs are not inferred.
Frequently asked questions
Can PackMize optimize tube and aluminium profile too?
Yes when the problem is one-dimensional straight stock: repeated stock lengths and required cut lengths. Cross-section-specific nesting is outside the 1D model.
Why is this example not marked optimal?
Because the returned five-bar solution does not reach the four-bar mathematical lower bound and the bounded exact search did not prove four impossible.
Does it include kerf?
Yes. The example uses 3 mm per separation under the selected terminal-cut policy.