Geometric NestingWorks for SolidWorks: Smarter Material Utilization and Faster Manufacturing

Introduction: Material waste and inefficient layouts are common challenges in sheet metal, laser cutting, plasma cutting, and CNC routing workflows. This is where the Geometric NestingWorks add-in for SolidWorks becomes a powerful productivity tool. It brings advanced nesting capabilities directly into the SolidWorks environment, allowing engineers and designers to optimize material usage without leaving their CAD workflow.

What Is Geometric NestingWorks? Geometric NestingWorks is a SolidWorks add-in designed to automatically arrange 2D profiles onto sheet stock in the most efficient way possible. It supports parts derived from sheet metal, flat patterns, sketches, or imported DXF and DWG files. By intelligently nesting these geometries, the add-in helps reduce scrap, lower material costs, and improve overall production efficiency.

Key Features and Capabilities: One of the biggest strengths of Geometric NestingWorks is its automation. Instead of manually arranging parts on a sheet, the software calculates optimal layouts based on user-defined constraints such as sheet size, spacing, rotation angles, and grain direction.

The add-in also supports common manufacturing processes like laser cutting, waterjet cutting, plasma cutting, and routing. This makes it especially useful for fabrication shops and design engineers working closely with manufacturing teams.

Another valuable feature is batch nesting. You can nest multiple parts or entire assemblies at once, saving significant time on large production runs. The results can be exported as DXF or DWG files, ready for CAM software or machine controllers.

Why Use NestingWorks Inside SolidWorks? Keeping the nesting process inside SolidWorks offers a major workflow advantage. There’s no need to export files to external nesting software, make changes, then re-import results. Design updates can be reflected quickly, reducing errors and miscommunication between design and manufacturing.

For engineers focused on design for manufacturing, this tight integration helps ensure that parts are not only functional but also optimized for cost-effective production.

Who Benefits the Most? Geometric NestingWorks is ideal for mechanical designers, sheet metal engineers, and manufacturing-oriented teams. It is particularly valuable for small to mid-sized fabrication shops where material cost savings and turnaround time have a direct impact on profitability.

Conclusion: Geometric NestingWorks transforms nesting from a manual, time-consuming task into an automated and intelligent process within SolidWorks. By optimizing material usage and streamlining the path from design to manufacturing, it helps engineers deliver better designs while reducing waste and production costs. Thinking of applying these strategies to your own projects, visit our Contact Us page to discuss your requirements and see how we can support your design and production needs.