The Framers Forum

Does anyone here use a pc based package for glass cutting optimisation? By that I mean something that will spread multiple glass sizes over multiple sheets, and give you a cutting plan to minimise waste?

Cheers

T

If I ever needed something like that, I would use the optimisation within Valiani Future Mat Designer software.

Hiya Tim

I am sure Microsoft Publisher would be able to cope with this merely by treating the glass size as a page/column size in Publisher.

Hope this helps,

Vince

swanlinnet wrote:Hiya Tim

I am sure Microsoft Publisher would be able to cope with this merely by treating the glass size as a page/column size in Publisher.

Hope this helps,

Vince

Not sure I understand your suggestion Vince - I have 40 or so *different* glass sizes for a framing contract. I know, roughly, that I'm going to need 4 or 5 1800 x 1300 sheets of glass (simply by multiplying all the glass dimensions and dividing the result by the area of a sheet. What I want is a cutting pattern for each of the sheets, something like

Hiya Tim

I would use a scale ruler to scale the sizes down if, that is, I needed for whatever reason to use computer software. You may not even need to scale them down at all.

But. for example Tim, say you have a dimension of 12 x12 then this can be represented in a scaled down/up drawing on paper. It need not actually
be 12x12 on paper.

I have not got a scale/slide rule any more but did use one a lot when I was flying to scale-down tracks/points ...just like a rectangle. For example,
every inch could represent, say, 10 nautical miles and this exact measurement we obviously couldn't draw on the chart. But we could plot them very accurately by merely using a scale ruler.

If, Tim, you want to work out the best, economical, method of transposing the 'rectangles' you have onto a larger sheet of glass then you could scale the sizes
down, even up, or even use the exact measuremtns if you have room enough on the paper.

Microsoft publisher or Corel Draw would precisely print (And, perhaps crucially, arrange the configuration for you) to your measurements (ratios) but the key would be to work to whatever scale you had pre-determined and use that scale for everything you intended to represent in that drawing/plan.

In truth, I would just settle for losing a bit of waste, But I suppose if it's a big job then waste can mount up and cost money. A scale ruler would work. You might not even need a scale ruler though if you want just to 'shuffle' them about on paper. Corel Draw would definetly do that for you.

Vince

tim

if your cutting by hand, why not print out the diagram at full size, and then put ya glass on top

that way you have a cutting pattern

When I was selling picture framing glass years ago, I tried optimising the cutting for the cut to size service I offered.

In the long run it was more trouble than it was worth, as you tend to get shreds of glass from the cutting that scratches the glass is stored and handled, when glass is cut in the factories to size it goes through a washing process before it is sorted, packed and stored.

Reality is that if a sheet of glass cost you say £5.00 and you have 30% wastage that amounts to 37.5p on an average frame size of 16 x 20”……it will most likely cost you much more than that to sort, cut and store your off cuts of glass.

stcstc wrote:tim

if your cutting by hand, why not print out the diagram at full size, and then put ya glass on top

that way you have a cutting pattern

Indeed - if I had a printer with a 1330mm platen I might do that, but my time is too valuable to sellotape together a bunch of smaller sheets. Normally I don't worry about this, but for this one job I have a large number of frames of varying sixes to make, and time will be a bigger constraint than the odd few quid on another sheet of glass.

BTW, the package I downloaded has a 30 day demo period The job will be finished before that expires! I may end up buying it anyway - as it was so easy to use! I just love intuitive software - this is the second package I've fallen in love with in as many weeks. I can't remember who said they were using ACAD14 in another thread, but whoever you are - get hold of Google Sketchup!

Hiya Tim

Tim , is Goodle Sketch Up really the bees kness ? I may get it this afternoon ?

Do you think it would be good for planning the apertures for mountboards ? I have never used it
but after reading your post Tim I think I will get it ?

Has anybody also used it ?

Vince

I'll tell you how good it is.

I'm planning on having a new shed built, but I want it to my exact dimensions. I also have unusual (to most shed builders apparently) ideas about where the doors and windows will go. I also want an overhang to the roof, and skylights. You get the idea. I tried for two days to use ACAD14 in 3d mode to draw what I wanted. I'm excellent at 2d work in autocad, but 3d just defeated me, so I started looking for a design package, and came across sketchup. Within ONE HOUR I'd downloaded it, watched the tutorials, and had my first wireframe 3D model done. Here's the output....

tim - not sure about the google product - but autocad is a full 3 dimensional imaging program - not sure what no a/c is up to now but autocad is not for framers its for serious 3d designers (cars watches electronic kit cameras) my copy i was given years and years ago and i only ever got as far as 2d ie ciggy cards - its not some thing a framer would ever seriously consider just look at the prices!! anyway i just play with it now!! making 3d dinosaurs which can be cut out in wood and then made!!

http://www.ecostsoftware.com/autodesk/a ... 4wodrjF-_w

well those are great tim - ill chuck acad out - like it ta

mikey dya see that price for the lite version!!

how much dya pay for it?

Yeah Mikey - I know - I 'borrowed' a copy many years ago which didn't require a dongle....hence ACAD14. I've used it to design loads of mechanical bits and bobs over the years, and even planned a couple of kitchens using it! I would have bought a bona fide copy of autosketch or acad lite or something similar, but when I saw the prices, I gave up! Google Sketchup has another big plus in its favour - it's FREE

ok done 37mb - sound right? you sure its free?

mikey

Basic version is free - but there's a 'pro' version which costs £300 or so - at least that's what I understood when I d/loaded it.

Brilliant drawings Tim .....very precise software.

i think it would perhaps be a bit too technical for me though

Corel Pro seems to be the best at the moment. !!!!

Vince

I have a really effective glass cutting optimisation programme.

As I cut glass on the excalibur, I put the unused portion in size order (shortest side) in the glass pile.

Each time I want to cut a piece of glass, I select the smallest one that will do the job.

In your example picture, there are some small pieces that surely can be cut from scrap.

I train my staff to think of a new sheet of glass/board is a £20 note, and to see if they can root through the change in their pocket before breaking into the new note (well it used to work with my pocket money - but that was normally a shilling not a £20 note)