1. Start from your BBS
A bar bending schedule lists, per bar mark: diameter, shape, length, and quantity. That is exactly the input a cutting optimizer needs — each BBS row becomes a set of required pieces (quantity × length, at the given diameter).
2. Import it into SteelCut
Use SteelCut's BBS import: paste your schedule and map each row to required cuts. Double-check two things that commonly go wrong:
- Units — make sure lengths are in millimetres.
- Diameters — confirm each row's diameter matches your stock (e.g. Φ12 vs Φ14).
3. Set up stock and cutting rules
Enter your stock bar lengths, the saw kerf of your equipment, and your minimum reusable offcut length. If you have leftover bars from previous jobs, add them to the warehouse — SteelCut will use them first.
4. Calculate and review
Run the optimizer and review the per-bar cutting plan plus the efficiency report. Sanity-check the totals against your BBS: total pieces per diameter should match, and the waste percentage should make sense for your cut list.
5. Send it to the workshop
Export the PDF report (project info, summary, full per-bar plan) and print the piece labels with QR codes. The numbered cutting sequence tells the cutter exactly which bar to cut, in which order.
Related: How to cut rebar waste below 3% →