Stock Length Cut Optimizer

[SPHughes82]

I am work on determining the better use of a 120" or 240" Stock length. I have about 12 different parts to cut, all different sizes. Is there a simple excel formula or table that can do this?

 

[J.Ty.]

Hi,

Please post the sizes you need, I will try to do this. There is no Excel function for that.

J.Ty.

 

[J.Ty.]

In principle, 240 is always better, because every solution you have for 120 stocks can be produced from 240 stocks too, by cutting first each piece into two halves. This is a computationally hard problem (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bin_packing_problem). There are a few approximate solvers. It took this one: https://www.codeproject.com/Articles/706136/Csharp-Bin-Packing-Cutting-Stock-Solver and it produced a solution (probably not the optimal one, but close to it), which gives about 3% of scrap from 240 stocks. The program is fairly easy to use, it can acommodate price differences between the stocks. Please let me know if you encounter any problems.

J.Ty.

 

[SPHughes82]

I need to tell if I should be order 120 or 240. The 240 may not always be better. I understand that I cut 240 in half and get 120. But if I have ones that I get less scrap from a 120 then a 240, I can order different quantities of the different lengths.

 

[J.Ty.]

Use the program I suggested and look what it computes. For the sizes you sent me it uses 11 pieces 240 each and produces about 3% scrap, which is roughly 80, in small pieces. Therefore there is no chance that you order 21 pieces 120 each and save on price of one 120 piece.

J.Ty.