Turn a cut list into a buying plan
See how many full lengths are needed before material is ordered or cut on the saw.
Free Fabora tool
Stock cutting optimiser for steelwork cut plans.
Use this free Fabora tool to plan cuts from standard or custom stock lengths, include saw kerf, and see bar-by-bar offcuts before material is ordered or cut.
Stock lengths3M, 4M, 6M, 7.5M, 9M, 12M, 15M, or custom
IncludedSaw kerf, offcuts, and purchased length
OutputBar-by-bar layout with practical notes
Free Fabora tool
Stock cutting optimiser
Built for quick cut planning where the job needs a sensible answer on bars, offcuts, and waste without extra clutter.
- Standard and custom stock lengths
- Kerf included
- Reusable offcuts marked clearly
Fabora RAMS
Main live product
Fabora RAMS remains the main live Fabora product for businesses that need faster job-specific RAMS with reusable company libraries.
This free tool is for practical stock planning. It is not a material database or a compliance tool.
Build the cut plan
A stock cutting optimiser works out how to cut a list of lengths from standard bar stock with the least waste. Enter your cut lengths and quantities, set the stock length and saw kerf, then run it. It returns the bars required, total purchased length, waste, reusable offcuts, and a bar-by-bar layout.
Choose a standard stock length or enter a custom one, set the kerf, add the cut rows, and run the optimiser. The result is built for quoting and buying: see how many full lengths to order before anything is cut on the saw.
Inputs
Enter stock and cut rows
Results
Ready when your cut list is ready
Choose a stock length, enter the saw kerf, add the cut rows, and run the optimiser to see bars required, offcuts, waste, and the bar-by-bar layout.
A quick way to turn a cut list into a practical stock plan
This tool is aimed at the common workshop question: how many full lengths are needed, what is left over, and where does the kerf loss land when the cut list is repeated across real bars.
Good fit for
Fabrication
RHS, SHS, angle, flat, strip, and similar stock planning.
Quick checks
Fast workshop or office checks before ordering or cutting starts.
Account for kerf and leftover stock
The layout includes saw kerf between cuts and shows what is left on each bar afterwards.
Spot usable offcuts quickly
Larger leftovers are marked separately so there is a clearer difference between scrap and something worth keeping.
Made for day-to-day steelwork planning, not internal app clutter
The public Fabora version stays intentionally simple. It focuses on the stock planning problem only and leaves out databases, saved runs, and heavier internal workflow features.
Workshop planning
Useful when a fabricator or supervisor needs a quick material plan without rebuilding a spreadsheet.
Site and remedial work
Handy for shorter cut lists where speed matters and the stock choice still needs to be sensible.
General stock-based work
Suitable anywhere the main question is how to cut repeat lengths from bar or strip stock in a practical way.
Tool FAQ
Short answers on stock lengths, kerf, and offcuts
These answers cover the main points people tend to check before they use the calculator on a live job.
More free tools
Once you have the bars sorted, work out what they weigh with the steel weight calculator, or browse the rest of the Fabora tools.
What stock lengths can I use?
The tool includes 3M, 4M, 6M, 7.5M, 9M, 12M, 15M presets. You can also enter a custom stock length in millimetres if your supplier or job uses something different.
Does the tool include saw kerf?
Yes. Enter the saw kerf in millimetres and the optimiser includes that loss between cuts on the same bar.
Can I enter a custom stock length?
Yes. Choose the custom stock length option and enter the full length in millimetres.
Is this for steel fabrication only?
It is aimed at steelwork and fabrication teams, but the calculator can still help with other stock-based cutting jobs where the same bar-length planning logic applies.
What counts as a reusable offcut?
In this first public version, offcuts of 300 mm or more are marked as reusable. Shorter leftovers are shown as short offcuts and still counted in waste.