How Much Does Manual Nesting Actually Cost You?
Why Nesting Software Often Pays Back Faster Than the CNC Machine Itself
Most manufacturing companies carefully choose their CNC machine, cutting head, pump, or tooling system.
Very few, however, analyze the software that determines every day:
- how much material becomes waste,
- how long the machine runs,
- how much engineering time is lost,
- and how profitable production truly is.
In waterjet cutting applications — especially when processing expensive materials such as aluminum, stainless steel, copper, or brass — nesting optimization has a direct financial impact. And this is exactly where modern nesting software makes a major difference.
1. The Hidden Problem Many Companies Ignore
In many production facilities, parts are still arranged manually.
The engineer:
- moves parts around,
- rotates geometries,
- tries to “fit” as many components as possible onto a sheet,
- and constantly compromises between speed and optimization.
At first glance, the process seems acceptable.
But there is a critical issue:
Two operators can cut identical parts from the same sheet — and consume completely different amounts of material.
With expensive materials, that difference quickly becomes serious money.
2. What Does Nesting Software Actually Do?
Modern nesting systems such as IGEMS are not simply “part arrangement tools.”
Their purpose is to:
- maximize material utilization,
- minimize waste,
- optimize cutting paths,
- reduce machining time,
- and automate production preparation.
The software automatically analyzes:
- part geometry,
- available sheet area,
- remnant materials,
- cutting direction,
- and optimal placement strategy.
The result:
- less scrap,
- faster preparation,
- and higher profitability.
3. Financial Example – Aluminum
Let’s assume the following scenario:
A company consumes:
- 40 aluminum sheets per month
- cost per sheet: €350
Total monthly material cost:
➡ €14,000
If nesting software improves material utilization by only 8%:
➡ savings = €1,120 per month
➡ €13,440 annually
Now comes the interesting part:
An annual license for IGEMS costs approximately €1,200.
In other words: The software can recover its annual cost within just a few weeks of operation.
4. With Copper and Brass, the Impact Becomes Even Bigger
The more expensive the material, the more important nesting becomes.
For example:
- a copper sheet may cost €900 or more,
- even a 5% utilization improvement creates significant savings.
In these cases:
- a few percentage points of optimization
- can equal thousands of euros annually.
This is why serious manufacturers no longer view nesting as “additional software,” but as a profitability tool.
Where Modern Optimization Creates the Biggest Advantage
Modern systems such as IGEMS use features that manual work simply cannot achieve efficiently:
- automatic part rotation,
- common line cutting,
- chain cutting,
- remnant management,
- cutting sequence optimization,
- automatic toolpath generation.
The result is not only better material utilization.
The result is:
- shorter preparation time,
- lower engineering workload,
- smoother workflow,
- and reduced machine downtime.
The Biggest Mistake: Viewing Software Only as a Cost
When users first hear that the license costs around €100 per month, the reaction is often:
“That’s an additional expense.”
But the real question is:
What is the cost of:
- 10% more scrap,
- manual nesting,
- slower production preparation,
- unused remnants,
- and wasted engineering hours?
In most cases, those losses are dramatically higher than the cost of the software itself.
Conclusion:
Many companies invest tens or hundreds of thousands of euros into machines while overlooking the software that determines daily profitability.
In waterjet cutting and high-value material processing, nesting optimization is not a luxury.
It is financial logic.
And that is why nesting software often delivers ROI faster than the CNC machine itself.
Author:
Dejan Čitaković
Engineering & Industrial Automation