Patent ID: 8010216

Claim:
A computerized method comprising: storing in a computer: a specification of a number of subsequent batches to be included in a look-ahead process, an initial specified maximum-number-of-items-in-a-group setting, a set of which characteristics are to be matched, wherein the set includes at least a length to be matched, and a specification of at least one type of optimization including type labor optimization, raw material optimization, scrap-or-yield optimization, number-of-saw-cycles optimization, and space optimization; receiving into the computer a plurality of orders, wherein each one of the plurality of orders specifies characteristics for one or more cut-part items to be cut from pieces of stock material; specifying a plurality of batches, and associating at least one of the plurality of orders into each one of the plurality of batches, wherein the plurality of batches include an initial primary batch and one or more subsequent batches including a first subsequent batch; determining matches, in the computer, wherein the determining matches includes determining, for each of a plurality of the cut-part items, whether others of the plurality of cut-part items have matching specified characteristics within the set of which characteristics are to be matched, and as a result forming groups of matched cut-part items, wherein each group defines cut-part items that would be cut together in one cycle from a load of pieces of stock material grouped together and aligned such that a single saw cycle cuts cut-part items from all of the pieces, wherein the plurality of cut-part items are selected from the primary batch and the specified number of subsequent batches for the look-ahead process; optimizing, in the computer, based at least in part on the specification of the at least one optimization type, placement of the groups of matched cut-part items relative to a plurality of loads of pieces of stock material, wherein the optimizing includes those cut-part items in the primary batch and in one or more of the subsequent batches across a given schedule for performing the cutting operations; and outputting a primary-batch cutting specification for a plurality of cuts to be performed on each of a plurality of loads to obtain the plurality of cut-part items of the primary batch plus one or more cut-part items selected from the subsequent batches.