Machine Configuration
Overview
Each physical machine (winder, rewinder, or slitter) in your facility is represented as a machine record in Deckle Plus. The machine record stores the constraints the optimizer must respect when generating cutting patterns for that machine.
You can configure as many machines as your plan allows. Basic plan supports up to 2 machines; Suite plan is unlimited.
Required Fields
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
Machine Name* key: name | string | Human-readable label shown in the UI, e.g. "Paper Machine 4" or "Slitter Line 2" |
Deckle Width* key: deckleWidth | number (mm) | Maximum usable paper width. Orders that exceed this value cannot be added to a run on this machine. |
Max Blades* key: maxBlades | integer | Maximum number of individual blade. Every blade counts including duplicates of the same width. A pattern of [800, 800, 600] uses 2 blades. Set this to your machine's physical blade count. |
Max Waste Target key: maxWasteTarget | number (%) | Maximum allowable trim waste percentage across the full run. Leave blank to let the optimizer minimize waste without a hard ceiling. |
Per Pattern Waste Target key: perPatternMaxWasteTarget | number (%) | Per-pattern waste cap. The optimizer will not suggest any individual cutting pass that exceeds this waste percentage. |
Notes / Description key: description | string | Optional notes about the machine: maintenance schedules, special capabilities, or any relevant context for planners. |
Blade Count Limit
The blade count limit controls how many individual blade positions a single cutting pattern can use. For example, if maxBlades = 8, the optimizer will never suggest a pattern that requires more than 8 blades, even if doing so would reduce waste further.
Counting blades correctly
Every blade counts individually, including multiple blades of the same width. A pattern of [900, 900, 900, 300] uses 4 blade positions, not 2 unique widths. Set this to your machine's physical blade count.
Waste Targets
Max Waste Target (%) sets an upper bound on total trim waste across the entire run. If the optimizer cannot produce a plan within this bound (e.g. the order mix is too fragmented), it returns the best achievable result and flags that the target was not met.
Per Pattern (%) sets a per-pass cap. No individual cutting pattern in the run will exceed this waste percentage. This is useful when you want to avoid heavily wasteful passes even if overall run waste is acceptable.
Both fields are optional. If left blank, the optimizer minimizes waste without a hard ceiling. The result will always be the best achievable plan for the given order set and machine constraints.
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Machine configuration settings panel with machine name, deckle width, blade count, and waste target fields highlighted
Multiple Machines
When you have multiple machines, each production run is assigned to a single machine. The optimizer uses that machine's constraints exclusively. Two machines with different deckle widths will produce different pattern options for the same order set.
If you run the same order set on two different machines (e.g. due to capacity), create two separate production runs, each assigned to its respective machine. The optimizer will calculate patterns independently for each.
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