Integrate Nesting into Your Production Workflow

Your ERP manages orders. Your MES schedules machines. Your CAM generates toolpaths. But nesting — the step that determines how much material you use — is still a manual process in most shops. Here's how to change that.

The Integration Architecture

With an API-based nesting engine, integration follows a simple pattern:

1. Your system (ERP, MES, quoting tool, or custom app) collects the parts list and material specifications
2. Your system calls the nesting API with part dimensions, quantities, and sheet specifications as JSON
3. The API returns optimized placements, sheet count, utilization metrics, and waste percentage
4. Your system processes the results — generates cut files, updates material inventory, produces quotes, or sends coordinates to machine controllers

Common Integration Patterns

Quoting Integration

When a customer requests a quote, your system extracts part dimensions from the drawing or order, calls the nesting API to determine material requirements, and generates an accurate quote based on actual sheets needed — not estimates. This happens in seconds, not the hours it takes for manual quoting with manual nesting.

Production Scheduling

When a job enters production, the MES calls the nesting API with all parts for that job (or batch of jobs on the same material). The result feeds directly into the machine controller. The operator loads material and starts cutting — no manual layout step required.

Material Management

Every nesting result includes sheets used and utilization percentage. Feed this into your inventory system for accurate material consumption tracking. Over time, you build a precise picture of actual vs. estimated material usage across all jobs.

Technical Requirements

Integration with NestClass requires your system to make HTTP POST requests with JSON payloads — standard capability in virtually every modern programming language and ERP platform. Python, JavaScript, C#, Java, PHP, Go, Ruby — any language with an HTTP client works. Most ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, custom systems) support outbound HTTP calls natively or through middleware.