Direct answers about material optimization, the live 1D optimizer, and what's planned for 2D.
Material optimization is the process of deciding how to cut or arrange parts from raw stock (bars, sheets, panels) so that as little material as possible is wasted, while still meeting every quantity, length and constraint in a cutting or nesting list.
A cutting optimizer is software that takes a list of parts you need (lengths or shapes, with quantities) and the stock you have available, then computes a cutting plan — which stock to use and how to cut each piece — that minimizes waste and material cost.
A cutting optimizer tests many ways of grouping parts onto available stock and picks combinations that leave the smallest offcuts, account for saw kerf or blade width, and reuse offcuts above a minimum useful size wherever possible, instead of relying on manual guesswork.
Cutting stock optimization is the general name for this class of problem in operations research: given demand for pieces and a supply of stock material, find the cutting pattern (or set of patterns) that uses the least stock. Barcut Pro solves the 1D (linear/bar) version of this problem today, with a 2D (sheet/panel) version in development.
Yes, the 1D cutting optimizer is free to use, and guest use requires no account — enter a cutting list and stock lengths and get a plan immediately.
One-dimensional (1D) cutting optimization plans how to cut required lengths from stock bars — bars, profiles, extrusion, pipe or timber — using as little stock as possible.
A bar cutting optimizer is software that takes a cutting list and available stock bar lengths, then computes which bars to cut and exactly where, minimizing bars used and material wasted.
It searches combinations of pieces per bar (cutting patterns) that satisfy all demand using the least total stock, accounting for kerf, end trim and a minimum useful offcut.
Enter every stock length you have on hand, each with its own available quantity or left blank for unlimited — the optimizer chooses which lengths to use per pattern.
Kerf is deducted at each cut when calculating what fits on a bar, so the returned plan is achievable at the saw, not just achievable on paper.
Yes — see the aluminium cutting optimization page for material-specific detail.
Yes — see the steel cutting optimization page for material-specific detail.
Yes — mixed stock lengths are a core part of the 1D optimizer.
Yes. Paste or enter a cutting list of part lengths, quantities and optional labels, and Barcut Pro produces a cutting plan and a downloadable machine cutting list.
Two-dimensional (2D) cutting optimization, also called sheet nesting, decides how to arrange rectangular parts across sheet or panel stock so the fewest sheets are used and the least material is wasted.
Sheet nesting is the layout step in 2D cutting optimization: fitting flat parts onto a sheet as tightly as possible, respecting cutting-method constraints, so more usable parts come from fewer sheets.
1D arranges pieces along the length of a bar — only one dimension matters. 2D arranges shapes across the area of a sheet — both width and height matter, making the layout problem significantly more complex.
Not yet. 2D sheet and panel optimization is in development and is not currently available. The 1D cutting optimizer is live and free to try today.