You can define company-level settings for multing and plate nesting in the Order Entry module. These settings define which combining methods are utilized and in which order. You can combine, save, and compare various combining run options until the desired result is achieved.

1. At the bottom of the Company Standards dialog box, click Combining Setup.
2. To use material grade substitutions with the optimization settings when performing a combining run, on the General Settings tab of the Combining Setup dialog box, select the Use Grade Substitutions check box.

   Grade substitutions must be set in the Shape / Grade / Size Maintenance dialog box. If the grade substitutions are not set, the material grades in the combining run and in the supplier pricing data set or the inventory need to match each other exactly.

3. Click the arrow buttons to move the optimization options that you want to use to the Optimizations Included list.
   The options are:

   • Inventory Exact-Match (In Stock): Use this option for inventory items in stock that are an exact match without the use of kerf or clamp allowance.

   • Inventory Exact-Match (On Order): Use this option for inventory items that are on purchase orders and have not yet been received and that are an exact match without the use of kerf or clamp allowance.

   • Inventory Least-Scrap (On Order): Use this option for inventory items that are on purchase orders and have not yet been received and that will provide the least amount of scrap.

   • Inventory Least-Scrap (In Stock): Use this option for inventory items in stock that will provide the least amount of scrap.

   • Warehouse Least-Scrap: Use this option to give preference to warehouse items that will provide the least amount of scrap. Warehouse items will only be used when they provide less scrap than the available inventory items.

   • Warehouse Force Inventory: Use this option to force the use of inventory regardless of the amount of scrap, no matter where it is located in the Optimizations Included list. This option is the opposite of Warehouse Least-Scrap.

     Note that you can only include Warehouse Least-Scrap or Warehouse Force Inventory, not both.

4. Use the Move Up and Move Down buttons to modify the order of the optimizations.

   The order is important while performing a combining run.

5. Open the Plate Nesting Settings tab.
6. In the Shear Cut Optimization list, click a suitable shear cut option to select it.
   The selected option determines the plate allowance to be used with the combining:

   • Use None when cutting plate on a burn table.
   • Use Shear Cut - First Cut Along Length or Shear Cut - First Cut Along Width to alert Tekla EPM that the nesting needs to allow for that type of cut first. Then, the nesting will allow for all subsequent cuts to be made with that condition.
7. If the material grain direction is unimportant and you want Tekla EPM to create the best possible optimization of a plate, select the Rotate Plates for Best Fit check box.
8. Click Save.
9. Remember to click Save in the Company Standards dialog box to save the combining optimizations.