Board sheet-size optimizer

Pick the smallest set of stock sheet sizes that satisfies your cut orders, and compare the result across sites, substrates, and presses. Three planning modes built in: Compare (which press is the better fit?), Split (best-fit) (route each order to the cheapest press), and Split with capacity caps (respect line balances).

Start a new run Manage sites · substrates · machines Run history Download bulk template (XLSX)

Step 1

Define your sites and presses

Each site has machines (presses) with their own sheet envelope and trim tolerances. Pre-load via the Sites & Machines admin or upload them on the Machines tab of the bulk template.

Step 2

Register substrates by code

Each (site, substrate code) pair carries the product params (grade, GSM, thickness). Same code on multiple order rows = same params, automatically. Optionally bind a default machine.

Step 3

Enter orders + run

Type or paste orders into the grid, or upload an XLSX. Pick a run mode, choose which presses to evaluate, and run. Results show KPI comparisons, charts, and recommendations.

Run modes

Compare — every selected press evaluated against the full order set. One result row per press. "Which press is the better fit?"
Split (best-fit) — orders auto-routed to the press where each fits cheapest. Equal-cost ties go to the least-loaded press. "Distribute the work."
Split with capacity caps — same as Split, but each press has a utilization % cap (slider per press). The greedy router prefers below-cap presses. "Respect line balances."
Set a default mode per site in Sites admin · override per run on the New Run page · click Run all modes & compare to fire all three at once.

KPIs & insights

Total tonnage incl. waste · headline cost driver.
Loss % — waste vs. demand.
Trim W% / L% — share of sheets requiring guillotine cut.
Distinct sheet sizes used vs. allowed (the elbow on the K-sweep chart).
Family of solutions table — every K from 1 up to Max sizes, with the chosen K highlighted.
Tonnage and W×L charts per result, with reference lines for the press min/max envelope.
Recommendations panel — heuristics call out the K elbow, comparative waste across substrates, and machine-fit opportunities.
History search & group — by site, substrate code, GSM, machine, run mode, or label.

Bulk template

Three sheets in one workbook:

Orders — Site, Substrate Code, Identifier, Width, Length, Quantity, (Substrate Name, GSM, Thickness µm for new codes), Kind (historical / forecast), Period (a free-text time bucket like 2026-Q3 — reference only, does not affect the calculation; used for filtering/grouping in History), Note. Tonnage is computed automatically from W × L × Quantity × GSM × 1e-12.
Machines (optional) — Site, Code, Name, Max W/L, Min W/L, Max trim W/L. Pre-load every press for a site in one upload.
Instructions — full reference inside the workbook.

⚠ The optimizer requires a machine for every (site × substrate) target. After upload, if any site has no machines, the UI will flag it with an inline + Add machine panel — you can add presses without leaving the New Run flow.