SOFTWARE

OPCutting - Tutorial of performing of cutting metal sheets optimization

This page describes, step by step, the creation of a cutting plan of metal sheets. You can print the page and in order to have assistance when making your first cutting plan of metal sheets with the sheet cutting software.

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Reminder to users who have arrived on this page from a search engine. OPCutting is a sheet cutting software for determining the arrangement of pieces on the metal sheets or wood panels, so as to reduce the number of sheets used and to limit the number of unusable offcuts.
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About this tutorial
	The tutorial explains the use of OPCutting with a simple example (for sheet layout) comprising two sheets of different formats in which we must cut of four pieces also of different sizes. The cutting plan contains only one type of metal and all sheets are the same thickness.
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The cutting list chosen for example
The video shows the panels and parts to be used in the cutting plan in an Excel workbook:
Identification Length Width Number Piece 1 92 in 65 in 13 Piece 2 32.6 in 29.4 in 10 Piece 3 47.5 in 37 in 8 Piece 4 69 in 16.5 in 9 We will cut these Pieces in panels with following formats: Identification Length Width Sheet 1 118 in 78.74 in Sheet 2 120 in 59 in
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Setting for sheet cutting optimisation
	You must first change some information in the options management module (see software user guide). Click on "Options / Options" menu. You can change the name in which objects are made cuts. In our case, we enter "Sheet" to the designation in which objects are made cuts. OPCutting allows you to determine whether or not to take into account the grain direction to fit the specifics of your business. We de-select also taking into account the grain direction because it is not useful for cutting sheet metal. Click on "OK" button to confirm the changes options.
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	To create your complex cutting plan with the sheet cutting software, you must first verify that the unit of measurement used by OPCutting is the "Inch" (see software user guide). Click on "Options / Unit of measurement" menu and click on "Inch" option then click on "OK" button to confirm.
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Begin the creation of the cutting plan
	To start creating your cutting plan, just click on the button showing a blank page.
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	Select the type of cutting plan. Note: You can select two types of cutting plan: Simple cutting plan or complex cutting plan (see software user guide). In our example, you must select the option "Simple cutting plan". Click on "OK" button to confirm the selection of the type of cutting plan.
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Data entry of the cutting plan
	You must enter the formats of sheets, given in the second table in the section "The cutting list chosen for example". You must change the values of the default sheet. Enter the length and width in corresponding edit zones with the values given for sheet 1. Click on "New" button to complete the entry and create a new sheet (see software user guide). Repeat the process for performing data entry of sheet 2. Click on "Finish" button to complete the entry sheets.
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	You must enter the sizes and quantities of pieces given in the first table in the section "The cutting list chosen for example". Enter reference, designation, length and width of the piece in corresponding edit zones with the values given for piece 1. Click on "New" button to complete the entry and create a new piece (see software user guide). Repeat the process for performing data entry of pieces 2-4. Click on "Finish" button to complete the entry of pieces.
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	You must enter the values of the cutting thickness. In our example, we chose a value of 0 in the margin (because a margin as is necessary for two-stage cutting - wood cutting) and 0.12 in. for cutting thickness (see software user guide). Enter these values in the corresponding entry zones then click the "OK" button to confirm.
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Result of the cutting optimization
	The sheet cutting software shows the diagram obtained after the optimization calculation has done. The diagram shows sheet by sheet, the layout of pieces. This layout is optimized by the software to limit the quantity of sheets used and the number of unusable off-cuts. It's possible to print the optimized cutting plan for use in the workshop then the diagram for the realization of cuts (see software user guide).
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	You can ask the sheet cutting software to display the drawings of pieces with these dimensions. It's possible to print the drawings of pieces of the cutting plan if it seems useful to you (see software user guide). Click on "Piece" button to display the drawings of pieces.
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	You can ask the sheet cutting software to display the cutting list obtained after it has done the calculation. It's possible to print cutting list for use in the workshop (see software user guide). It is also possible to export this cutting list to a file for reuse in Excel or other software. Click on "Cut.list" button to display the cutting list.
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	You can ask the sheet cutting software to display the summary of optimized cutting plan (see software user guide). This summary can be printed if you wish. Click on "File / Summary" menu to display the summary.
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Information and assistance of OPCutting Download of OPCutting - Software licence - Order of OPCutting - User Guide of OPCutting - Faq of OPCutting the cutting optimizer - Description of the video "Creation of a simple cutting plan" - Tutorial of creation of a complex cutting plan OPCutting cutting list calculator | BricoCalculette DIY Woodworking software | Woodworking Software Pack HiPub: Echange de bannières ciblées