Classification of Real World Trim Loss Problems

Abstract

Trim loss problems, also called cutting stock or depletion problems, are essential for production planning in some industries (e.g. in the paper, wood, metal, glass, plastic, and textile industries). In these industries the minimization of production costs is often approached in the following way: The raw material used is first produced in large standard sizes, possibly stored, and only later reduced to smaller sizes for in-plant processing or to meet customers’ orders. This production pattern, on the one hand, involves a temporal uncoupling of raw material production and manufacturing of final products, and on the other hand it avoids a frequent resetting of production facilities which would be necessary if the product size required were produced from the input material in one step only. There are drawbacks, however, since an additional stage of production (the cutting operation) is required which generates useless remainder (trim loss). “Trim loss planning” is concerned with minimizing the negative effects thus created on the production costs.