Cut optimiser
Enter the sizes you need to cut and we tell you how many lengths to buy, how to cut each one to waste as little as possible and how much material is left over.
1. Your cutsin millimetres
Outside sizes of the frame. At 45°, each piece is cut tip to tip; with square joints, the sides run full length and the top and bottom pieces fit between them. The transom and the mullion are cut square, between the frame pieces.
Got the list in Excel? Copy the size and quantity columns and paste them into the first size.
2. The bar and the saw
- Lengths to buy
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- Yield
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- Total weight
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- Pieces
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- Offcuts
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- Lost to cuts
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Want to order these lengths?
We put the message together with the lengths of each profile and the cutting plan, with no obligation.
The message is put together with what you are looking at, with no obligation.
Plan for guidance only: it assumes whole bars of the length you entered. In Windows and frames, 45° pieces are entered with the size of the long side, tip to tip, and each 45° cut takes 1.41 times the saw kerf. Confirm the bar length with your supplier and measure before cutting.
Frequently asked questions
How do I work out how many aluminium lengths to buy?
Add up the pieces of each profile plus what the saw takes with each cut, and arrange them on the lengths so that as little as possible is left over. The optimiser tries the combinations and tells you how many lengths to buy and how to cut each one.
How much material is lost with each cut?
The thickness of the blade, which on aluminium saws is usually between 3 and 4.5 mm. That is why you cannot get two 3 m pieces out of a 6 m length: the second one comes out 3 or 4 mm shorter.
What is the end trim?
The small piece cut off at the start of the length to leave the end straight and square. If your lengths come well cut, leave it at 0.
What size do I enter if I cut at 45°?
Tap «Windows and frames»: there each cut can be straight or at 45° (at one end or both). The size is the long side of each piece, from tip to tip. Each 45° cut takes 1.41 times the saw blade. If the profile can be flipped over, like a tube, turn on «Alternate the mitres»: two neighbouring pieces share the angled cut and each one saves a profile width.
How do I work out the cuts for a window or door frame?
With «Windows and frames»: enter the outside width and height, the profile width and whether the joints are at 45° or square, and it gives you the cut list with each angle. One tap adds them to the plan and tells you how many lengths to buy.