Start with the data that really constrains the cut
A bar cutting plan does not start by placing numbers in a spreadsheet. It starts by defining available material, required pieces and constraints that cannot be ignored. Commercial bar length, quantities, cut direction and the width consumed by the tool all change the result.
For a first calculation, gather a simple table with reference, length, units, material and, where relevant, cutting angle. Record the nominal bar length too. A 6,000 mm bar and an existing remnant are different resources and the plan must know that.
- Length and quantity of every piece.
- Real length of available bars.
- Kerf or material lost at each cut.
- Minimum remnant worth keeping.
Kerf is part of the measurement
Kerf is the material removed by every saw pass. If five pieces come from one bar and a remnant is left behind, the saw passes five times: four gaps between pieces plus the cut that frees the last piece from the remnant. Five kerfs must fit in the available length, not four. Ignoring it creates a plan that looks right on screen but cannot close physically at the machine.
The value depends on the process and equipment. Make it visible, reviewable and consistent with the tool that will execute the plan. Angles can also change effective length and the work order, so do not hide them in a note.
Example: a 6,000 mm bar
Suppose the cut list has four 1,200 mm pieces, three 850 mm pieces and six 420 mm pieces. With 6,000 mm commercial bars and a 3 mm kerf, the plan must fit every piece and show which remainder can return to stock.
The following pattern explains how to read a result; it is not a promise that it is the only possible combination. The final decision depends on available bars and remnants, production order and material constraints.
Example data
Available bars 6,000 mm Requirements 1,200 × 4 · 850 × 3 · 420 × 6 Kerf 3 mm per cut Bar 1 1,200 | 1,200 | 1,200 | 1,200 | 850 Bar 2 850 | 850 | 420 | 420 | 420 | 420 | 420 | 420 Review bars used · yield · remnant
Group pieces and compare patterns
The goal is not one ordered list but a sensible distribution inside the bars. A common manual strategy places the longest pieces first, reserves gaps for medium sizes and uses final spaces for short pieces. It helps explain the problem but becomes fragile as references and quantities grow.
A linear cutting optimiser automates this comparison. It tests combinations, rejects patterns exceeding available length and orders them so the team can review bars used and remaining material. The output must be readable bar by bar and piece by piece.
Measure yield without hiding remnants
Yield helps compare alternatives but does not tell the whole story. Two plans can have the same percentage yet behave very differently if one leaves a useful remnant and the other creates small offcuts. Show total consumption, waste, recoverable remnants and bars opened.
For a 6,000 mm bar with pieces of 1,200, 1,200, 850, 850 and 600 mm, the pieces total 4,700 mm. With five 3 mm cuts — the fifth separates the last piece from the remnant — 1,285 mm remains unused. The arithmetic is simple; repeating it across many references without losing traceability is the difficult part.
Leave the plan ready for the person cutting
Before sending an order to the workshop, check that every pattern has a reference, length, quantity and clear remnant instruction. If material is identified by batch or location, include that too. The operator should follow the sequence without reinterpreting the original spreadsheet.
Corte 1D keeps the cut list, calculation and order in one flow. Import the office file, adjust the data and bring the workshop a version that can be reviewed and saved. Optimisation becomes a verifiable decision instead of an isolated operation.