A powerful technological module converts the CAD information to a cutting sequence in a fully automatic or interactive way. In a technology database you can set all the necessary data for each material and thickness.

Following automatic functions are available :

• Cleaning of the CAD information (splitting lines / arcs, eliminating duplicate elements, closing inaccurate connections)
• Recognition of outer and inner contours (ev. Several outer contours can be automatically split up into several parts).
• Automatic assignment of leadin and leadout according to the specifications in the technology database. The leadin and leadout can however also be defined after nesting in the sheet.

NESTING OF PARTS INTO SHEETS

Multiple parts can be loaded and nested into the sheet in various ways. If the automatic nesting is used the parts are positioned in the most economical way according to different criteria :

• nest to the corner, or to the border of the sheet
• nest of the parts under a variety of angular positions
• enable/disable mirroring of the parts
• nest in multiples
• nest according to different priorities,
• nest user created groups of parts (pre-nesting applications).
• nest with multiple burners
• nest with different scenarios

The nesting module can calculate multiple solutions and keep the result with the minimum cost, taking into account the cutting time and the material waste. The nesting can also consider the use of multiple burners and calculate the optimum combination. A skeleton sheet can be used to fill with new parts.

After nesting the cutting sequence is calculated so that parts in holes of other parts are allways done first. If not all parts fit into the sheet, a next sheet can be loaded and the quantities to nest are updated automatically.

Besides the fully automatic nesting there are several functions for interactive nesting :

• Mirror, Rotate
• Group Definitions
• BUMP-mode - when parts are place near or over other parts, they are placed immediately at the correct distance (also in corners).
• Placing parts on a grid or a line on the correct distance.
• Nesting of round parts on a grid with minimum material consumption.
• Use of multiple burners on a part
• Management of the quanties allow to see how many of each item you still must nest.
• Manual setting of leadin/leadout on the parts, according to different possibilities (random, perpendicular, parallel or as a tangent arc).

A big advantage is that one can use both automatic and interactive nesting together. You can nest some large parts manually, and then allowed to fill with small parts automatically.

Additional functionalities:

• Common cuts of the parts that are on a certain distance. New gaps between the common cut parts are automatically detected. The cutting sequence of the common cut can be determined semi-automatically or interactively. Common cuts can also be used  in combination with different burners.
• Continuous cut for cutting several parts with one piercing.
• Setting bridges between the parts.

• Creation of standard nestings that can be load in next sheets can speed up the nesting significantly in specific cases.
• Adding loops/fillets to burn sharp corners.

• An overview of the parts with the cutting times, number of piercings, waste, etc. can be called at any time.

 
The result is printed in a clear report: