What Nesting means
Nesting is the layout of parts on a sheet before cutting: which part sits where, in which rotation, sharing edges or bridging common cut lines. The nest decides material utilisation — how much of the sheet becomes parts and how much becomes scrap — which is why it moves cost more per decision than almost anything else in quoting.
Why it matters on the shop floor
Nesting is also a design outcome. Parts designed with straight shared edges, one thickness per order and tolerances that allow tight packing nest at 80–90% utilisation; irregular contours with grain restrictions can fall far below. We report utilisation with quotations on part families where it matters, because the nest — not the machine — is where the material money is decided.
What to remember
- Common-edge and bridged nesting saves material but couples parts — rework on one affects the other.
- Grain direction requirements limit rotation and therefore the nest; state them only when real.
- One thickness per part family keeps the sheet allocation simple and the utilisation high.