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Cut List Optimizer

Arrange a one-dimensional cut list across equal stock lengths with explicit kerf, waste, and a deterministic FFD plan.

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How to use

  1. 1.Enter one stock length and the kerf consumed for each requested piece.
  2. 2.Add one row per part as label, length, quantity using a consistent unit.
  3. 3.Build the heuristic plan, verify every assignment and shop allowance, then copy the stock-by-stock list.

About Cut List Optimizer

Cut List Optimizer builds a practical one-dimensional cutting plan for rods, boards, pipes, rails, trim, or rolls that share one stock length. Enter the stock length, a kerf allowance, and rows in label, length, quantity format. The result lists every stock piece, its assigned parts, consumed length, and remaining waste. It also reports total waste, total kerf, and part utilization. The entire calculation runs in the browser and the plan can be copied as plain text.

This tool solves a bounded version of the one-dimensional cutting-stock problem. Research describes that problem as assigning requested shorter pieces to standard-length stock while reducing unused material. The implementation uses First Fit Decreasing, or FFD: expand quantities into individual pieces, sort them from longest to shortest, and place each piece into the first existing stock piece where it fits. If none fits, open another stock piece. Original row and copy order break equal-length ties, so identical input always returns identical output.

Kerf is material removed by the saw blade or cutting process. This page uses a conservative, visible convention: every requested piece consumes its entered length plus one kerf. For example, two 4-unit pieces with a 1-unit kerf consume 10 units. Some real workflows can avoid a final kerf when a stock end is accepted as a finished edge, while angled cuts or cleanup allowances can consume more. Adjust the entered convention to match the shop process instead of assuming the page knows the machine.

FFD is a heuristic, not an exact optimizer. It is fast and often useful, but it does not prove that the returned stock count or waste is globally minimal. A different arrangement, reusable offcuts, multiple stock lengths, grain direction, defect zones, trim allowances, cut order, clamping, or machine limits can change the best plan. The page states the heuristic next to the result so a convenient layout is never presented as a mathematical certificate.

This version is strictly one-dimensional. It does not arrange rectangles on plywood or sheet metal, rotate panels, or account for two-dimensional saw paths. Although some search phrases use “plywood cutting,” a length-only list cannot safely answer a sheet-layout problem. Use dedicated two-dimensional nesting software for sheets, especially when grain, rotation, or guillotine-cut constraints matter.

Inputs use one shared unit. You may work in millimeters, inches, or another unit, but stock length, kerf, and every part length must use the same scale. Labels may not contain commas because commas separate the three row fields. Quantities are whole numbers. Each part plus its kerf must fit one stock piece, and the expanded list is capped at 1,000 pieces to keep interaction responsive.

Eight hand-audited golden cases cover exact fits, fractional kerf, repeated sizes, capacity splits, and mixed lengths. Tests verify that every piece is assigned once, no stock piece exceeds capacity, and total stock equals part length plus kerf plus waste. These conservation checks catch attractive layouts that silently lose a cut or undercount material.

Use the result as a planning draft, then confirm actual stock dimensions, blade width, end trim, measurement tolerance, and safe cutting sequence before work begins. The tool does not replace a shop drawing, machine controller, structural specification, or operator judgment. Mark reusable remnants separately; the displayed waste is simply unused length in this run, not a claim that the offcut has no future value.

Methodology & sources

Expand at most 1,000 labelled pieces, sort by descending length with stable source-order ties, and place each into the first stock piece where length plus one kerf fits. Open new stock as needed; conserve stock = parts + kerf + waste. FFD is explicitly non-optimal.

Frequently asked questions

Does this guarantee the least possible waste?
No. First Fit Decreasing is a fast deterministic heuristic and does not prove global optimality.
How is kerf counted?
The entered kerf is added once for every requested piece, a conservative convention shown in the totals.
Can it optimize plywood sheets?
No. This version is one-dimensional and does not place or rotate rectangles on sheets.
Can I mix inches and millimeters?
No. Use one consistent unit for stock, kerf, and every requested length.

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