FAQ Almacam Components

A nesting algorithm is a software technology used to automatically arrange parts on a sheet of material before cutting. Its goal is to maximize material utilization, reduce waste and improve production efficiency.

Nesting algorithms are commonly used in CAD/CAM software, cutting machine software and digital manufacturing platforms for industries such as sheet metal, wood, plastics and composite materials.

True-shape nesting is an advanced nesting method that places parts according to their real geometry, rather than using simple rectangular bounding boxes.

This approach allows irregular shapes to fit together more efficiently, improving material usage and cutting productivity, especially for complex parts commonly found in sheet metal and industrial cutting applications.

In sheet metal fabrication, raw material represents a large portion of production cost. Efficient nesting helps manufacturers place parts on metal sheets in a way that minimizes scrap and maximizes material utilization.

Even small improvements in nesting efficiency can lead to significant cost savings, reduced waste and higher machine productivity.

Almacam Nesting Component is an industrial true-shape nesting engine designed to be embedded into CAD/CAM software, machine software and digital manufacturing platforms.

It is the core technology of the Almacam Components family and is built on more than 45 years of expertise in cutting optimization, sheet metal processing and CAD/CAM algorithm development.

Almacam Nesting Component is designed for software developers building industrial manufacturing solutions, including:

• CAD/CAM software publishers

• Cutting machine manufacturers

• Digital manufacturing platforms

• Automated quotation platforms

By integrating this component, companies can add advanced nesting optimization capabilities directly into their software.

Nesting software is widely used in industries where parts are cut from sheets or plates of material. Typical sectors include:

• Sheet metal fabrication

• Laser, plasma and waterjet cutting

• Wood and panel processing

• Plastics and composites manufacturing

• Glass cutting

• Packaging and printing industries

Any manufacturing process that cuts multiple parts from flat material can benefit from nesting optimization.

Integrating a nesting software library allows developers to add advanced optimization capabilities to their applications without having to develop complex algorithms internally.

Key benefits include:

• Faster time-to-market

• Reduced R&D complexity

• Proven industrial performance

• Scalable algorithms for demanding production environments

• Continuous technology improvement

Yes. Almacam Nesting Component can be used alone or combined with other modules from the Almacam Components family.

For example, it can work together with:

• CAD Import Component for automatic CAD file processing

• Cutting Component to generate production-ready cutting programs

This modular architecture allows developers to build complete digital manufacturing workflows.

Before nesting optimization, parts are typically imported from CAD files such as:

• DXF

• DWG

• STEP

These files contain the geometric information required for nesting algorithms to position parts efficiently on material sheets.

Almacam Components is a family of industrial software components designed to be embedded into CAD/CAM software, quotation platforms, and digital manufacturing applications. Available as software libraries (DLL) or web services, these components add advanced automation and industrial intelligence directly into your software.

At the core of the range is the Almacam Nesting Component — a proven industrial nesting engine built on more than 45 years of R&D and real production experience in sheet metal and cutting technologies. It delivers highly optimized true-shape nesting, maximizing material utilization while ensuring reliable industrial performance.

Around this core engine, the Almacam Components ecosystem includes complementary components that extend the digital workflow:

• Almacam Import Component – Automatically imports and analyzes 2D (DXF/DWG) and 3D (STEP) CAD files, detects sheet metal parts, and performs reliable unfolding even in complex assemblies.

• Almacam Cutting Component – Converts optimized nestings into high-quality, production-ready cutting programs, compatible with multiple cutting technologies.

Together, these components form a modular technology stack that software developers can integrate individually or combine to build complete digital workflows — from CAD import and part preparation to nesting optimization and cutting program generation.

Almacam Components are built for companies developing industrial software for cutting and manufacturing. They are particularly well suited for two main categories of organizations.

1. CAD/CAM Software Publishers and Machine Builders  Software developers and machine manufacturers integrate Almacam Components to strengthen their solutions with advanced nesting, CAD import, geometry analysis and cutting optimization technologies without developing these complex algorithms internally. This approach allows them to accelerate development, enhance software capabilities, and deliver more value to their customers while maintaining full control over their own applications and machines.

2. Digital Quotation and Production Platforms Almacam Components also power online quotation platforms and production management systems used by sheet metal and multi-material subcontractors.

By embedding CAD import, geometry analysis, and industrial nesting algorithms, these platforms can automatically process CAD files, generate fast and accurate quotations, and even drive production workflows. The result is shorter time-to-market, reliable cost estimation, and scalable performance for high-volume digital manufacturing platforms.

Thanks to their modular architecture, Almacam Components can be integrated individually or combined, allowing companies to build robust and future-proof manufacturing solutions.

Industrial nesting algorithms must consider more than geometry. They also handle manufacturing constraints such as:

• minimum spacing between parts

• part orientation rules

• common-line cutting

• sheet defects or forbidden zones

• remnant and offcut reuse

These constraints ensure that nesting layouts are ready for real production environments.

Developing an industrial nesting algorithm internally requires advanced expertise in mathematics, computational geometry and manufacturing processes, as well as many years of development and testing.

By integrating a proven technology such as Almacam Nesting Component, software publishers can accelerate product development and focus on their core application features.

Efficient nesting optimization reduces material waste and scrap, which lowers the environmental impact of manufacturing.

By maximizing the use of raw material sheets and reducing unused areas, nesting algorithms help manufacturers improve resource efficiency, production sustainability and cost performance.