Material optimization & job costing · Glass processing & fabrication — Price every glass order from the real cutting plan, not a flat waste guess
Glass cutting optimization and job costing nests each order's pieces onto stock sheets and logged remnants, then prices the job from its share of the plan plus edgework, holes and tempering. After cutting, actual sheets used and breakage are compared with the plan, so prices and remnant use improve over time.
Cutting batch · 1/4 in clear
7 customers · closes 2 pm| Order | Pieces | Glass cost |
|---|---|---|
| 30421 | 18 | $412 |
| 30424 | 6 | $138 |
| 30427, new | 44 | $1,036 |
| Remnants used | 2 | Logged |
Each order's glass cost is its share of the cutting plan. The owner checks the new customer's price.
Approve the quoteWhy it matters
Why glass processing & fabrication add this
Many glass shops price with a flat waste percentage. Small orders with awkward sizes lose money, large clean orders are overpriced, and remnants pile up because nobody can find the right one in time.
An optimizer that plans the cut and feeds the price fixes both sides. The estimator still checks the number, but it starts from what the order will actually use.
Example · illustrative
A tempering plant optimizing tomorrow's cutting
At 2 pm the office closes tomorrow's cutting batch with orders from seven customers. The optimizer nests every 1/4 inch clear piece onto jumbo sheets, using two logged remnants first. Glass cost for each order comes from its share of the plan, not a flat waste allowance. A large order for a new customer is priced from the plan and checked by the owner before the quote goes out. After cutting, the sheets used and the breakage are read back and compared with the plan.
How it works
Step by step
- Starts whenAn order or quote lists glass pieces, or a cutting batch closes
- 1Step 1Collect the piecesSizes, quantities, glass type and thickness come from the order or quote.
- 2Step 2Build the cutting planThe optimizer nests pieces onto stock sheets and logged remnants of the same type and thickness.
- 3Step 3Price the jobGlass cost comes from the plan, plus edgework, holes, tempering and IG or laminating at the shop's rates.
- A person decidesApprove the quoteThe estimator or owner checks the price and changes anything before it goes to the customer.
- 5Step 5Compare actual useSheets used, breakage and remakes are read back from the cutting table and compared with the plan.
By hand today
- Glass is priced with a fixed waste guess on every order.
- Small odd sizes use more glass than the quote shows.
- Remnants pile up with no record.
- Nobody compares yield with the plan.
With the automation
- Each quote uses the glass the cutting plan needs.
- Remnants are logged and used first.
- Actual yield and breakage are compared with the plan.
- The owner sees which products and customers earn their margin.
What it handles
What it does alone, and what it hands over
Plans
Nests pieces onto jumbo sheets and remnants of the same type and thickness.
Prices
Glass cost from the plan, plus edgework, holes, tempering and IG or laminating at your rates.
Tracks remnants
Logs usable offcuts with size and location so the next plan uses them first.
Compares
Planned versus actual sheets, breakage and remakes per batch.
What stays with people
- The estimator or owner approves every quote before it goes out.
- The cutter can change the plan at the table.
- The owner sets rates, margins and which remnants are worth keeping.
Systems it connects to
- A+W Software
- FeneVision
- LiSEC
- Bottero
- Intermac
- QuickBooks Online
Cost
Typical cost for glass processing & fabrication
Typical ranges as of October 2026. Not a quote.
Ready-made tool, set up by us
An existing platform on your own account, configured for your business.
- Setup, one timepaid to Lorryn
- $1,500–$3,000
- Tool subscriptionpaid to the provider
- $50–$150 / month
Fits when your process matches what the platform already does.
Custom build
Built around how you work, with no platform subscription. You own it.
- Build, one timebasic version to full version
- $2,250–$10,000
- Running costshosting and usage, on your accounts
- ~$5–$25 / month
Fits when your systems, rules or exceptions don't match a ready tool.
Optional Automation Care: $125 · $250 · $375 / month
1, 2 or 3 hours of support a month, with monitoring and alerts included. Without it, you run it yourself after handover.
Typically works with A+W Software, FeneVision, LiSEC, Bottero.
Booking into or writing to your field-service, practice or shop software adds up to $500 to the ready-made tool (often a built-in feature) and $500–$1,500 to a custom build.
Your price depends on volume, the systems involved and how many exceptions need a person. Our team confirms a fixed price before any work starts.
From our work
Glass processing plant
FAQ
Questions owners ask
No. It can feed the plan to your existing cutting software or work alongside it for pricing and remnants.
Yes. Each layer is planned on its own glass type, and the unit is priced with the IG or laminating step.
Rectangles are planned automatically. Shapes and holes are priced from your rates and checked by the estimator.
Usually by the cutter, with size and rack location, from a tablet or phone at the table.
Yield per batch, remnant use, quote turnaround and margin by order size, before and after.
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