Aluminium systems

Aluminium Profile Cutting List Optimizer

Aluminium offcuts are expensive to generate and awkward to store, and a window job produces plenty of both when the cutting is planned bar by bar as it goes. The waste is rarely dramatic on any one bar; it is the accumulation across twenty bars that shows up at the end of the month.

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This optimizer plans the whole job at once, profile by profile. It takes the saw kerf and the end trim into account, uses the offcuts already on the rack before buying anything new, and tells you how many bars of each profile to actually order.

What This Tool Does

It groups your cutting list by profile code, plans each group separately across your stock length and any offcuts you have, and reports the bars to buy, the waste percentage and the reusable leftovers the plan will produce.

Who It Is For

Aluminium fabrication shops cutting window and door jobs.
Workshop owners who want their offcut rack used instead of growing.
Estimators needing a bar count before pricing a job.

How To Use It

List every cut: the profile code, the length and the quantity. Use the same code for pieces cut from the same extrusion, because each code is planned separately.
Add any offcuts on the rack as their own rows, with the same profile codes.
Set the stock length your supplier sells, the saw kerf and the end trim per bar.
Press the button for a plan per profile and a total bar count.

Inputs And Units Explained

Profile code — the grouping key. Pieces only get cut from stock with a matching code.
Cut length and quantity — the finished lengths you need, which should already include any joint allowances your system requires.
Offcuts — length and quantity of what is already on the rack, per profile.
Stock length — what your supplier actually sells. Aluminium commonly comes in 19 to 21 foot lengths, and it varies by brand and dealer.
Saw kerf — what the blade removes per cut, usually 3 to 4 mm on an aluminium saw.
End trim per bar — removed from the usable length of every new bar if your shop trims mill ends.

How The Calculation Works

Each profile group is solved on its own with a first-fit-decreasing pass: longest pieces first, each placed into the first bar with room, allowing a kerf for every cut after the first. Offcuts are offered to the planner before new stock, so they get consumed first. A new bar’s usable length is the stock length minus the end trim at both ends.

The result is a practical plan, not a proven optimum, and the page says so. For the sizes of cutting list a window shop runs, the difference between this and an exact solver is almost always nothing.

Worked Example

A small window job: four frame pieces at 1,495 mm, four at 1,195 mm, and eight sash pieces at 1,150 mm, from 19 foot stock with a 4 mm kerf and 10 mm end trim.

Input or result	Value
Frame profile	Planned across bars of 5,772 mm usable
Sash profile	Planned separately, as it is a different extrusion
Output per profile	Bars to buy, waste percentage, leftover lengths

The leftovers list is the part worth keeping. Write the lengths on the offcuts and enter them as stock next time, and the second job buys noticeably less aluminium than the first.

Features And Benefits

Profiles planned separately, which is how they are actually cut.
End trim and kerf both accounted for, so the plan survives the saw.
Offcuts consumed before new stock is bought.
CSV export of the bar-by-bar plan for the shop floor.

Assumptions And Accuracy Limits

A heuristic, not a guaranteed optimum.
Cut lengths must already include your system’s joint deductions. The tool cuts exactly what you list.
Mitre cuts are treated as straight lengths; allow for them in the lengths you enter.
Colour and batch matching are not considered, and on anodised or foiled profiles they matter.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

Mixing profiles under one code. The plan will happily cut a sash from a frame bar on paper.
Ignoring end trim. If your shop trims mill ends, the usable bar is shorter than the stock length.
Entering glass sizes instead of profile lengths. They are different numbers.

Aluminium Profile Cutting List For Fabricators And Owners

Aluminium sections come in fixed lengths and every frame, sash and mullion is cut from them at 45 or 90 degrees. A cutting list that groups lengths well can noticeably reduce the number of sections bought for a job, which matters when you are ordering for a whole house.

Enter the lengths your windows and doors need and the stock length of the section, and the tool produces a cutting plan with the leftover on each piece so you can order the right quantity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What stock length should I use for aluminium in Pakistan?

It varies by brand and dealer, commonly somewhere between 19 and 21 feet. Ask your supplier what they actually stock and enter that, because planning against the wrong length changes the bar count.

Does it handle the cut deductions for my window system?

No, and it should not. Joint deductions are specific to the profile system, so enter cut lengths that already include them. The planner fits exactly the lengths you give it.

Can I reuse offcuts from a previous job?

Yes, and that is the main saving. Add each offcut as a stock row with its profile code, and the planner uses them before buying new bars.

How do I make an aluminium window cutting list?

List the frame and sash lengths for every window, subtract any joint allowance and enter them with the stock length. The tool arranges the cuts and shows waste.

How long are aluminium sections?

Commonly 6 metres or 20 feet, but it depends on the supplier and the profile. Check with your supplier.

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Get A Measured Quotation

If you would rather hand the whole window job over than plan the cutting yourself, that is a service too. Ramzan Steel Works fabricates and fits aluminium windows and doors across Islamabad and Rawalpindi.