Cut List Optimizer
Wire duct comes in 6′ sticks. DIN rail comes in 2 m lengths. Your panel does not — so somebody guesses, orders a case “to be safe,” and the leftovers go on a shelf you are already out of room for. Drop in the lengths from your BOM and this tool tells you the exact number of sticks to buy and the order to cut them in. Kerf included. No pallet of hope.
Pick the stock you are cutting from
Enter the lengths your BOM calls for
Quantity, length, and an optional tag so the cut sheet tells the shop where each piece goes. Press Enter in any field to add another row.
| Qty | Length | Tag / location |
|---|
Budget the consumables optional
Switch this on and the plan comes back with a costed consumables list — duct, cover, rivets, rail, end brackets — so you can hand a real number to whoever signs the PO.
Cut plan
Cut order
Duct and rail are the easiest money in the shop to throw away.
A 6′ stick of 2×4 duct lists around $75 — call it $12 a foot. Nobody signs off on throwing that away; it happens one careless cut at a time, and then again when the buyer rounds a 7‑stick job up to a full case because nobody knew the real number. Two habits fix it: cut to a plan, and order to the plan.
Do not over‑order what you cannot store
Six‑foot duct and two‑metre rail are awkward, bulky and easy to damage on a rack. Every extra case is floor space, handling and a bent stick waiting to happen. This tool gives your buyer an exact number to purchase — not a guess with a safety margin bolted on.
Consumables are not cheap any more
A mid‑size panel can eat well over a hundred dollars in duct, cover and rail before a single wire is pulled. Cutting straight down the BOM instead of to a plan routinely burns an extra stick or two per panel. Multiply that by every panel you build this year.
An offcut is inventory until you drop it in the bin
Set a keep‑length, and the plan tells you which drops are worth tagging and racking for the next job. The ones below the line are scrap — and you will see exactly how little of that a good plan leaves behind.
Datasheets for the standard duct and rail
The Panduit, Phoenix Contact and Allen‑Bradley part numbers that turn up on panel builds — the common sizes, not just our shelf stock. Each row links to the manufacturer datasheet and, where we have one, shows the reference price the tool defaults to. If you would rather not tie up your own cash and rack space in duct, we carry it. Need a size that is not here? Use the Generic option in the tool above, or ask and we will source it.
Disclaimer. This tool is provided free, as‑is, for planning only. Default prices are published web pricing used for reference only — single‑unit online list figures for a whole stick, captured August 2026. They are not a quotation, they change constantly, and they will not match your distributor, your contract or your quantity breaks. Part numbers, dimensions, stock lengths and availability must be verified against the manufacturer’s current data before you order. Cut plans assume perfect stock, square ends and the kerf you entered — always measure and confirm before you cut. Think‑PLC, LLC accepts no responsibility for mis‑cuts, wasted or short material, pricing or quantity errors, purchasing decisions, or any other loss arising from use of this page. Datasheet links go to the manufacturer.
Let us carry the duct.
UL‑listed control panel fabrication out of Winston‑Salem, NC. Send us the drawing package and we will cut, drill, wire and test it — on our stock, in our space, with none of it sitting in your building waiting to get bent.
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