How Better Nesting Can Reduce Material Waste in Laser Cutting

Raw material is one of the costs manufacturers have to keep a close eye on. When several parts need to be cut from the same sheet, even a small amount of unused space can add up over time.

For a company processing many sheets every day, the way parts are positioned can make a noticeable difference. This is where sheet metal nesting software becomes useful. Instead of arranging every part manually, the software can evaluate different layouts and help find a more efficient use of the available sheet.

Nesting is more than simply putting parts next to each other. A modern CNC nesting software system considers the shape and quantity of the parts along with sheet dimensions, material type, thickness and other production requirements.

Depending on the application, the nesting process can also consider part orientation, grain direction, remnants and cutting strategies.

For manufacturers using laser, plasma, oxyfuel or waterjet cutting, this makes nesting an important link between part preparation and CNC programming. AlmaCAM, for example, combines automatic 2D nesting with CAD/CAM preparation and NC programming for different 2D cutting technologies. AlmaCAM 2D CAD/CAM Nesting Software

Material saving is usually the first benefit people associate with nesting, but there is more to it.

Preparing a cutting job can take considerable time when programmers have to arrange a large number of parts, check layouts and make repeated adjustments. A good CAD/CAM nesting software solution can bring part preparation, nesting and programming into a connected workflow.

This can reduce repetitive work and give programmers a more consistent way of preparing production jobs

Automatic nesting becomes particularly useful when a production order contains many different parts or large quantities.

Instead of manually trying different arrangements, the software can calculate suitable layouts based on the available material and the production requirements. The programmer can then review the result and make adjustments where necessary.

AlmaCAM's current 2D CAM solution highlights automatic nesting, multiple nesting strategies and options aimed at reducing material waste

Not every leftover piece of sheet needs to become scrap.

A usable remnant can sometimes be kept for a future production job, particularly when smaller components need to be cut. Managing these pieces properly can help manufacturers make better use of material that has already been purchased.

This is especially useful for job shops where different part sizes and production quantities change regularly.

There is no single nesting setup that works the same way for every manufacturer. A company producing a small number of standard components may have very different requirements from a job shop handling hundreds of different parts every week.

That is why manufacturers should evaluate nesting software using their own production jobs rather than relying only on a software demonstration.