Cut-to-length means the board arrives at the length the packer uses, rather than in a 3,000 mm length that has to be sawn on site. For carton corner pieces, banded bundles and stillage protection, that removes a cutting step from the packing line and removes the ragged ends that a hand saw produces.
Cut-to-length data
| Piece length | Per meter cost | Where used |
|---|
| 300-400 mm | Highest per meter | Carton corners, band pieces |
| 500-800 mm | Mid | Stillage, appliance corners |
| 1,000-1,500 mm | Lower | Pallet verticals on low loads |
| 2,000 mm and above | Lowest per meter | Full height pallet and panel |
| Mixed set | Nested | Whole line, one delivery |
Why hand cutting is a false economy
A hand saw or a guillotine in the packing area produces a ragged end, and a ragged end is where a profile starts to tear under band tension. It also produces dust and takes operator time that is usually not costed.
The saving looks real because a long board costs less per meter than a short cut piece. It disappears once the cutting time, the waste and the tear failures are counted, which is why most operations move to cut-to-length once volumes are steady.
Short pieces and how they are priced
Pieces from 300 mm up are cut from the same board, so the material cost per meter is unchanged and the difference is the cutting operation. That is why a 300 mm piece costs more per meter than a 1,200 mm piece but less in total than a long board plus the labour to cut it.
Where an order includes several short lengths, nesting cuts so that longer offcuts become the short pieces reduces the material waste to near zero.
Packing short pieces for the line
Short pieces are bundled in counts that match the line, typically 50 or 100, strapped and labelled by length. Where several lengths run on the same bench, colour coded bundle labels avoid a mis-pick that only shows up at the end of a pallet.
For very high volume, pieces can be supplied in a dispenser carton rather than a strap, which is a packing change we can quote separately.
One practical detail: pieces under 500 mm are easy to lose behind a pallet and easy to over-order, because nobody counts them after the first week. A bundle count marked on the outer wrap gives the line a way to reorder before it runs out mid-shift, which is the sort of small control that decides whether a cut-to-length change actually saves money.
Questions buyers ask before ordering
What is the shortest cut piece?
300 mm, and the cutting cost per piece rises below 500 mm.
Do you charge a cutting fee?
Cutting is part of the piece price. There is no separate line item for a length change.
Can pieces be supplied in a dispenser carton?
Yes, as a packing option, quoted separately from the board.
How are short pieces bundled?
50 or 100 per bundle, strapped and labelled by length.
Can I order several short lengths together?
Yes, nested so that offcuts from longer pieces become the short ones.
Samples and prices are issued from mona@hengnicepacking.com once cut length, wall thickness and quantity are known.
