Waste increases production costs. When cutting steel sections, bars, or tubes, the required parts can be arranged in numerous combinations on the available material. The more orders, dimensions, and production specifications there are, the more complex the planning becomes. Inefficient solutions increase material requirements and, consequently, costs.

AutoBarSizer considers, among other factors, the part dimensions, machine parameters, and miter cuts. The goal is to minimize the amount of unused material. The software generates cutting layouts of standard sizes in a few seconds or minutes.

Bundle cutting saves production time by cutting multiple bars simultaneously. AutoBarSizer balances material and machine costs. Users can specify which factor is given greater weight during optimization. This increases throughput without losing sight of material consumption. This feature is particularly valuable for businesses with high production volumes.

Inventory management is also becoming a greater focus. AutoBarSizer now supports both planning remnant inventory and selecting appropriate lengths for standard bar stock. Companies can take this selection into account when purchasing bar stock, reducing the amount of offcut material generated later.

AutoBarSizer is designed as a software component for integration into existing IT systems. It can connect to machine control systems as well as MES or ERP systems. Data is transferred in XML format, either as a file or via the new REST API. The software runs on current Microsoft Windows operating systems.

Fraunhofer SCAI continues to develop the software based on the latest research findings. Customer requirements are either incorporated into new versions or implemented in custom solutions.

More information:
https://www.scai.fraunhofer.de/en/business-research-areas/optimization/products/autobarsizer.html