Zero-Remnant Beam Cutting and Nesting
Chuck-type profile lasers leave a 100 to 300 mm tail on every bar because the chuck has to hold the steel. The PCL H-beam laser has no chuck, so the last part is cut to the end of the bar and the full 12 m length is available for nesting.
At a glance
- Chuck machines lose 100–300 mm per bar; the H-beam laser loses 0 mm.
- A 300 mm tail on HEB 300 is 35.1 kg of steel per bar.
- The last part keeps its full end profile: cope, access hole and bevel.
- Nesting can use the whole 12 m bar, with reusable drops recorded.
On this page
Where the offcut comes from
Every bar ends with some steel that cannot become a part. On a beam line it has two sources:
- The clamping length. Profile and tube lasers with a chuck have to hold the bar while they cut. The length inside the chuck cannot be cut, so it is left as a tail of 100 to 300 mm on every bar.
- The nesting drop. When the parts on a bar do not add up to its full length, the leftover piece is a drop. Unlike the tail, a long drop can be kept and used for another job.
Zero-remnant cutting removes the first source completely. Good nesting keeps the second as small and as reusable as possible.
Why there is no tail on the H-beam laser
The PCL H-beam laser does not use a chuck. The beam lies on the bed and the gantry carries the 5-axis head along it, so nothing holds the end of the bar. The last part on the bar is cut right to the end, including its cope, access hole and bevel. The process is shown on video in weld access holes and zero-remnant cutting.
How much steel the tail costs
| Section | 100 mm tail per bar | 300 mm tail per bar | 300 mm tail per 1,000 bars | PCL H-beam laser |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPE 300 42.2 kg/m | 4.2 kg | 12.7 kg | 12.7 t | 0 |
| HEA 300 88.3 kg/m | 8.8 kg | 26.5 kg | 26.5 t | 0 |
| HEB 300 117 kg/m | 11.7 kg | 35.1 kg | 35.1 t | 0 |
| HEB 400 155 kg/m | 15.5 kg | 46.5 kg | 46.5 t | 0 |
| HEB 600 212 kg/m | 21.2 kg | 63.6 kg | 63.6 t | 0 |
Example: a shop cutting 2,000 bars of HEB 300 a year on a chuck machine with a 300 mm tail loses about 70 t of steel, before cutting a single part. Multiply by your steel price to see the cost. Section weights for other sizes are in the steel beam size chart.
Nesting parts along the bar
Nesting decides which parts go on which bar and in what order. On structural sections it works best when:
- Parts are grouped by section. All HEB 300 parts from a job are nested together, so each 12 m bar is filled from a larger pool of lengths.
- The longest parts go first. Short parts such as stiffeners and cleats fill the gaps at the end of the bar.
- End profiles are matched. Two parts whose ends are both square can sit next to each other with one cut between them. Parts with copes or bevels need clearance for the head.
- Drops are recorded. A drop longer than your shortest common part goes back to stock with its length and section marked.
Because the last part finishes at the bar end, the whole 12 m length is available to the nest. On a chuck machine the usable length is the bar minus the tail. Part files come straight from the detailing model; see cutting from Tekla DSTV files.
Other savings that come with it
- No second cut on the tail. There is no stub to saw off and scrap.
- Fewer bar changes. More parts per bar means fewer loads per job.
- Cleaner scrap handling. Small tails are the hardest offcuts to sort and sell; with no tail, only reusable drops remain.
Questions
What does zero-remnant cutting mean?
It means the last part on a bar is cut right to the end, so no tail is left behind. It is possible because the H-beam laser does not hold the bar in a chuck.
How long is the tail on a chuck machine?
Typically 100 to 300 mm per bar, depending on the chuck design and the section. It is the length the chuck needs to grip while the last cut is made.
Is zero remnant the same as zero scrap?
No. The tail disappears, but a nest can still leave a drop when the parts do not fill the bar. The difference is that a drop is usually long enough to reuse, while a tail is not.
Does zero-remnant cutting work with copes and bevels on the last part?
Yes. The last part is cut with its full end profile, including copes, weld access holes and bevels, the same as any other part on the bar.
Which sections does it apply to?
All sections the machine takes: H-beams, I-beams and channels up to 1,000 mm high and angles up to 800 mm leg, on bars up to 12 m.
Send a part list for a nesting check
Machine specifications and power options: H-beam laser cutting machine. Section dimensions: steel beam size chart.
