ABC Tools
Cut List Optimizer illustration

Cut List Optimizer

Plans how to cut a list of parts from standard stock lengths using the fewest pieces: enter the stock length, the saw kerf and your parts list, and get a cut-by-cut plan per stock piece with waste, utilization and cost. Uses first-fit-decreasing packing refined by repacking and swap passes.

Read the full guide to this tool

Length of one full stock piece — a 2400 mm board, a 3000 mm steel bar, … Any unit works if all lengths share it.
Material the blade turns to dust at every cut; 2–4 mm for most circular saw blades.
"700 x 4", "700x4" and "700, 4" all mean four parts of 700 mm; a bare "700" is one part.
Leave blank to skip costing; any currency.

Notes

  • The plan counts one kerf between consecutive parts; if the last part needs a finishing cut, its offcut shrinks by one more kerf.
  • 1D cutting stock is NP-hard; first-fit decreasing plus the improvement passes used here is usually optimal or within one stock piece of optimal for workshop-sized lists.
  • The pairwise-swap pass does not reduce total waste — it concentrates it into one long offcut you can actually reuse.

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