Metal is where waste actually costs money
A 4 x 8 sheet of 11-gauge mild steel runs several times the price of cabinet plywood, and stainless or aluminum multiplies that again. An extra sheet bought because the blanks were laid out by eye is real money - and unlike wood offcuts, metal drops below a usable size go to the scrap bin at scrap price. A packing pass before you order stock is the cheapest optimization in the shop.
Our calculator runs 2D bin packing with rotation and per-cut kerf compensation. It handles rectangular blanks - panels, brackets before forming, enclosure faces, gussets cut square. For true-shape nesting of irregular profiles on a plasma table, you want dedicated CAM nesting software; for rectangles sheared or cut edge to edge, this tool does the job for free.
Kerf by cutting process
| Process | Typical kerf | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Shear / guillotine | 0 mm | No material removed - set kerf to zero |
| Fiber laser | 0.1 - 0.5 mm | Grows with thickness and nozzle |
| Waterjet | 0.8 - 1.2 mm | Consistent across materials |
| Plasma | 1.5 - 5 mm | Widest kerf; depends on amperage and tip |
| Angle grinder / abrasive saw | 1 - 3 mm | Disc thickness plus wander |
The kerf field in the optimizer takes any value in mm or inches - set it once per job. A shear job at 0 mm kerf packs noticeably more blanks per sheet than the same list cut by plasma at 3 mm; running both numbers takes seconds and tells you what the cutting method itself costs in material.
Common sheet metal stock sizes
| Sheet | inches | mm |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (US) | 48 x 96 | 1220 x 2440 |
| Half sheet | 48 x 48 | 1220 x 1220 |
| Oversize | 48 x 120 | 1220 x 3050 |
| Wide format | 60 x 120 | 1525 x 3050 |
| Metric (EU) | 39.4 x 78.7 | 1000 x 2000 |
| Metric large (EU) | 49.2 x 98.4 | 1250 x 2500 |
Layout tips specific to metal
Leave a margin on sheared edges. Mill edges can have camber and burrs. If a blank needs a clean edge, plan a trim pass and enter the usable sheet size slightly under nominal.
Account for grain on brushed finishes. Brushed stainless and anodized aluminum have a visible direction, and the optimizer currently rotates parts freely to maximize yield (orientation locking is on the roadmap). For directional finishes, treat the result as a sheet-count estimate and arrange those parts by hand.
Group by thickness, not by project. The optimizer packs one stock size per run. Batch every 1.5 mm part across jobs into one run and you consolidate drops instead of collecting one strip per project.
Mind heat distortion on thin gauge. Plasma on thin sheet warps long narrow offcuts. If a layout leaves a long 30 mm strip, consider re-running with that strip's worth of parts spread differently - cheaper than flattening.
FAQ
Can this calculator nest irregular shapes on sheet metal?
No - it packs rectangular blanks. Panels, enclosure faces, brackets before forming, and square-cut gussets work well. For true-shape nesting of irregular plasma or laser profiles, dedicated CAM nesting software is the right tool.
What kerf should I enter for plasma, laser or shear cutting?
Shear or guillotine: 0 mm, since no material is removed. Fiber laser: 0.1-0.5 mm. Waterjet: 0.8-1.2 mm. Plasma: 1.5-5 mm depending on amperage and tip. The kerf field accepts any value in mm or inches.
What sheet sizes does the sheet metal calculator support?
Any rectangular stock size. Common presets to enter: 48x96, 48x120, and 60x120 inches in the US, or 1000x2000, 1250x2500, and 1500x3000 mm metric. Both mm and inch input are supported with an instant toggle.
Is the sheet metal cut calculator free?
Yes - free with no part caps, no cooldowns, and no card. The first optimization needs no signup; a free account is only needed to save projects to the cloud.