Bar and tube cut list optimizer

It tells you how many stock lengths to buy and how to cut each one to get all the parts with the least waste. Fabricators, welders and woodworkers use it for tubes, angles, flat bar and lumber that come in 20 or 24 ft lengths. The calculator groups bars cut the same way into patterns ready for the saw.

The 58 parts fit in 10 bars of 20 ft, in 4 cutting patterns, at 98.8% yield. Total waste is 2.33 ft (1.2% of stock bought), mostly short drops and end trims. At 3.05 lb/ft and $1.20/lb, the 10 bars weigh 610 lb and cost $732.02.

With one stock length and no stock drops, when the bar count equals the lower bound (sum of parts with kerf ÷ usable bar length): no plan can use fewer bars. When the list has few distinct lengths the calculator also checks every pattern combination and shows "Proven optimal". With several lengths or stock drops the plan is a good heuristic result, not necessarily the optimum.

Fill in the 2nd length and, if the price per pound differs, the price of each bar: the calculator builds a plan with each length alone and a mixed plan and recommends the lowest cost. In the example, adding 24 ft stock at the same price per pound does not pay: 10 bars of 20 ft cost $732.02, against $790.58 with 24 ft bars only and $746.66 for the best mix. Long bars also need suitable trucking and rack space.

It is the leftover worth keeping for another job; anything shorter than the minimum entered (2 ft in the example) goes to scrap. On the next job, list those drops under "Drops in stock" (length; quantity): they are used before any new bar, and the result shows how many were used. In the example, listing two 120 in drops cuts the purchase from 10 to 9 bars of 20 ft.

Yes: copy the ID, length and quantity columns and use "Paste from Excel", or load the .xlsx or .csv file. Pick the unit of the list lengths (in, ft, mm, cm or m). The ID is optional and shows next to each length in the plan.

Cuts are square and each plan covers one shape; for miter cuts add the angle projection to the part length. With several lengths or stock drops the result is heuristic. Bar defects, saw cut order and handling of long bars are not considered. For lists with several sizes, run one plan per shape.