Metal cutting waste and offcut calculator
Cutting waste has several parts: saw kerf becomes lost material, short leftovers may become scrap and longer offcuts may remain useful inventory. These are not identical measures, so a meaningful cutting report separates them.
Browser-based · No sign-up · Straight 1D cuts only
Finished parts + cutting allowances + leftover = stock length
What this calculation covers
MetalCut shows length allocated to finished parts, estimated kerf loss and the remaining stock on each used bar. You can set a minimum reusable offcut length to distinguish potentially useful remnants from shorter leftovers.
Material reuse depends on profile compatibility, condition and workshop processes. A reported reusable length is a planning classification, not a guarantee of future value.
A real-number cut list example
Four 1,250 mm parts yield 5,000 mm of finished length from a 6,000 mm bar. At four 3 mm cuts, kerf is 12 mm and leftover is 988 mm. Finished-part utilization of the bar is about 83.3%. If your reuse threshold is 300 mm, the 988 mm offcut is reported as reusable.
Length balance: 5000 mm finished + 12 mm kerf + 988 mm leftover = 6000 mm stock.
This illustrative example assumes zero head trim and tail reserve. Always enter your actual machine allowances.
How to prepare a cutting plan
Find finished-part utilization
Divide finished-part length by the full stock length used, accounting for how the tool reports utilization.
Keep kerf separate
Count material removed by cuts separately from the unused tail.
Classify the remnant
Choose a realistic minimum reusable size rather than treating every leftover as valueless scrap.
Enter stock, parts and saw kerf in the free 1D MetalCut calculator.
Common questions
Is offcut length the same as scrap?
No. A leftover longer than your chosen threshold can be treated as reusable inventory.
Does MetalCut include purchase prices?
The free browser version focuses on lengths, layout and cut loss; it does not calculate a monetary procurement quote.