What Is ERP / MRP Driven Nesting?
ERP and MRP systems often contain much of the information a sheet
metal programming department needs before a nest can be created.
Production schedules may already define which parts are required,
how many must be produced, what material and thickness they use,
which work order they belong to, and which machine or work center
should manufacture them.
In a manual workflow, a programmer may need to read that information
from the production system and enter it again into nesting software.
ERP/MRP-driven nesting creates a connection between those two
workflows.
Instead of manually reconstructing each nest job, production data
can be imported and used to create nesting jobs automatically.
The goal is not simply faster data entry. It is to create a more
direct and repeatable path from production demand to a
manufacturing-ready nest.
The Traditional Manual Nesting Workflow
Consider what can happen when production scheduling and nesting are
disconnected.
A scheduler releases work through the ERP or MRP system.
A programmer then reviews that production demand and manually
recreates a nest job inside the CAD/CAM or nesting system.
The programmer may need to enter:
- Part numbers
- Production quantities
- Material
- Material thickness or gage
- Work orders
- Machine assignments
- Production priorities
If multiple jobs are released every day, the amount of repetitive
entry can become substantial.
Manual entry also creates another opportunity for quantities,
materials, or machine assignments to be entered incorrectly.
What an Automated Nesting Workflow Looks Like
From Production Schedule to Nested Layout
ERP/MRP integration allows production demand to move into the
nesting workflow with significantly less manual reconstruction.
1
ERP / MRP Schedule
Production requirements are released from the manufacturing
system.
2
Production Data Import
Part numbers, quantities, material, work centers, and other
available fields are read.
3
Automatic Nest Job Creation
Parts are organized into jobs based on production
requirements.
4
Production-Ready Nests
Nested jobs are prepared for the designated CNC manufacturing
process.
What Production Data Can Be Used?
The specific information available depends on the ERP, MRP, or
scheduling system and how the manufacturer has configured it.
Common production fields may include:
Common Scheduling Data
An integration does not necessarily require every field below.
The interface can be designed around the production information
available from the manufacturing system.
Part Number
Quantity
Material
Material Gage
Work Order
Work Center
Machine
Due Date
Production Priority
1. Reduce Manual Nest Job Construction
One of the most immediate benefits of integration is the reduction
of repetitive job setup.
If production quantities, materials, and work-center information
already exist in the ERP or MRP system, programmers should not
necessarily need to type the same information into another system.
Automated job construction allows the nesting system to use
production data directly.
The programmer can then spend more time reviewing the resulting
jobs and handling exceptions instead of rebuilding scheduling
information manually.
2. Reduce Data Entry Errors
Re-entering production information creates another place where
mistakes can occur.
A quantity may be entered incorrectly. A material thickness may be
selected incorrectly. Work intended for one machine may be assigned
to another.
Using the original production schedule as the source of nesting
information can reduce these duplicate-entry risks.
3. Automatically Group Parts by Material and Thickness
Nest jobs usually need compatible parts.
Parts made from different materials or thicknesses cannot simply be
combined onto the same sheet.
Production-driven nesting can automatically group compatible parts
based on scheduling data.
This reduces the amount of manual sorting required before nesting
begins.
4. Organize Jobs by CNC Work Center
The production system may already know which work center should
manufacture a part.
That information can be used to organize nesting jobs for the
correct CNC machine or production process.
This is especially useful for manufacturers operating multiple
lasers, punches, plasma machines, waterjets, or other compatible
CNC equipment.
ERP/MRP integration becomes particularly valuable when production
demand must be organized simultaneously by part, material,
thickness, quantity, and machine.
5. Automatically Import Part Geometry
Production schedules typically reference part numbers rather than
containing the complete manufacturing geometry.
The nesting workflow therefore needs a reliable way to locate the
corresponding parts.
Depending on the implementation, those parts may already exist in a
manufacturing part library or may need to be imported from CAD
files such as DXF or DWG.
Batch import can reduce the amount of manual file-by-file
preparation required when many new parts enter production at the
same time.
Connect Your Production Schedule to SS-NEST
SS-NEST Manufacturing Software Extension can read production
schedule data, construct nest jobs, sort work by material,
gage, and CNC work center, and support automated manufacturing
workflows.
Explore SS-NEST MSE
6. Use Existing Manufacturing Part Libraries
Part geometry does not always need to be imported from scratch.
If the required component already exists in the manufacturing
system or Striker PARTshare environment, the nesting workflow can
reference the existing production-ready part.
This helps reduce duplicate geometry and supports a more controlled
manufacturing-data workflow.
7. Return Production Information
Integration should not necessarily stop when the nest is created.
Manufacturing information can also be valuable to downstream
systems.
Depending on the integration, results may include information such
as:
- Material usage
- Work order completion
- Job status
- Production quantities
- Nesting results
This helps create a more complete data flow between scheduling and
manufacturing.
8. Improve Production Traceability
Automation creates the most value when the system also records what
happened.
Logging can provide visibility into imported jobs, rejected
records, missing part geometry, material conflicts, and other
conditions that require attention.
Instead of relying on programmers to remember how a job was
constructed, the system can provide a documented production trail.
How Much Automation Is Appropriate?
ERP/MRP nesting integration does not have to mean that every
production decision becomes completely automatic.
Different manufacturers need different levels of control.
Basic Integration
Import part numbers, quantities, materials, and other schedule
information so programmers do not need to re-enter production
data.
Job Automation
Automatically group compatible production requirements and
construct nest jobs based on material, gage, and machine.
Nest Automation
Continue the workflow into automatic nesting, sheet selection,
and machine-ready production preparation.
Closed-Loop Data
Return useful production information to other manufacturing
systems after nesting or processing.
Where Should Programmers Remain Involved?
Automation should remove routine work, not hide production
problems.
Programmers may still need to review:
- Missing geometry
- Unusual materials
- Special tooling requirements
- Difficult part combinations
- Rush jobs
- Machine availability
- Remnant decisions
- Production exceptions
A strong system automates predictable work while clearly identifying
the exceptions that require human judgment.
ERP/MRP Integration for Mixed-Machine Shops
Automated scheduling becomes even more valuable when a manufacturer
operates several types of CNC equipment.
A production schedule may include work for:
- Fiber lasers
- CO2 lasers
- CNC turret punches
- Plasma machines
- Waterjets
- Combination equipment
Work-center information can help separate incoming production
demand into machine-appropriate nesting jobs.
Combined with machine-independent CAD/CAM, this creates a stronger
foundation for shop-wide production automation.
ERP/MRP Integration Evaluation Checklist
Questions to Answer Before Automating Nesting
The technical connection is only part of the project. A good
implementation begins by understanding how production data
actually moves through the shop.
What system creates the production schedule?
What schedule-file format can it export?
Are part numbers consistent between systems?
Where is production geometry stored?
Are quantities included in the schedule?
Is material identified consistently?
Is material thickness or gage available?
Are CNC work centers identified?
Are work order numbers available?
Should due dates influence nesting?
How should rush jobs be handled?
Can DXF or DWG files be imported automatically?
Which jobs should require programmer review?
What production information should be returned?
Automating Nesting with SS-NEST MSE
Striker Systems offers the
SS-NEST Manufacturing Software Extension for
manufacturers that want to connect production scheduling data with
their nesting workflow.
SS-NEST MSE can read production schedule information and
automatically construct nest jobs from the available data.
Jobs can be organized by material type, gage, and designated CNC
work center.
Parts may already exist in the Striker PARTshare library or can be
batch imported from DXF or DWG files as production data is
processed.
Manufacturing results can also be returned in industry-standard
formats to support a broader production workflow.
When Does ERP/MRP Nesting Automation Make Sense?
Not every shop needs this level of integration.
A manufacturer creating only a few nests each day may be perfectly
productive with an interactive workflow.
Integration becomes more valuable as the amount of repetitive
scheduling and nest-job construction increases.
Strong candidates often include manufacturers that:
- Create many nest jobs each day
- Operate multiple CNC work centers
- Process large numbers of part numbers
- Frequently re-enter ERP/MRP data into nesting software
- Want to reduce scheduling-entry errors
- Need more repeatable production workflows
- Want to automate more of the path from scheduling to CNC output
The larger the gap between production scheduling and CNC
programming, the greater the opportunity to remove duplicate work
by connecting those systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ERP or MRP nesting integration?
ERP/MRP nesting integration uses production scheduling data such
as part numbers, quantities, materials, thicknesses, work
orders, and work centers to help create nesting jobs without
requiring all of that information to be entered manually.
Can nesting jobs be created automatically from an ERP system?
Yes. When compatible scheduling data is available, nesting
software can use that information to construct jobs
automatically and organize parts based on manufacturing
requirements.
What information does an ERP/MRP system need to provide?
Useful fields may include part number, quantity, material,
material thickness or gage, work order, work center, machine,
due date, and production priority. The exact requirements
depend on the integration and available scheduling data.
Can DXF and DWG parts be imported automatically?
In supported workflows, production geometry can be batch
imported from DXF or DWG files when required parts are not
already available in the manufacturing part library.
Can ERP/MRP integration reduce nesting errors?
It can reduce errors associated with manually re-entering
production quantities, materials, machine assignments, and
other schedule information into the nesting system.
Can nesting results be sent back to other systems?
Depending on the integration, manufacturing information such as
material usage, work-order completion, and production results
can be returned in standardized formats for use by other
systems.
Does ERP/MRP nesting automation replace the programmer?
No. The goal is to automate repetitive job construction and data
handling while allowing programmers to review exceptions,
production priorities, unusual parts, machine conditions, and
other situations that require manufacturing judgment.