Sourcing Modes

When you add a material to a quote part, Forge MRP asks you to choose a sourcing mode. The sourcing mode tells Forge how you plan to get the material for this part, and it determines how costs, quantities, and waste are calculated.

There are four sourcing modes:

  1. Inventory — use stock you already have on hand
  2. Saw Cut — cut pieces from existing bar or plate stock
  3. Standard Stock — order standard-length bars from a supplier and cut parts from them
  4. Custom — order material cut to your exact specifications from a supplier

The mode selector appears as a tab bar at the top of the material section. Click a tab to switch modes — the form below updates to show the relevant fields.

1. Inventory

Use this mode when you already have the right material in stock and want to pull from your existing inventory.

How It Works

  1. Select Inventory from the mode tabs.
  2. Forge filters your inventory to show items matching the material type and shape you selected. Each item displays its description, dimensions, quantity on hand, location, and unit cost.
  3. Click on an inventory item to select it.
  4. Forge shows a summary: quantity needed, quantity available, storage location, and unit cost.
  5. Adjust the scrap rate if you expect some waste during machining.
  6. Review the cost breakdown on the right, which calculates total cost based on the unit cost and production quantity.

When to Use It

  • You have enough stock on hand to cover the order (including scrap).
  • You want to use up existing inventory rather than buying new material.

Note: If the selected item doesn't have enough stock for the required quantity, Forge will flag this. You can still select it, but you'll know you need to order more before production starts.

Cost Calculation

  • Production quantity = quote quantity + scrap (based on your scrap rate percentage)
  • Material cost = production quantity x unit cost from the inventory item
  • You can override the unit cost, add shipping, and apply a markup (as a percentage or fixed amount)

2. Saw Cut

Use this mode when you have bar or plate stock in your shop and will cut it to size yourself.

How It Works

  1. Select Saw Cut from the mode tabs.
  2. Enter the stock dimensions — these are the cross-sectional measurements of the bar or plate you're cutting from (e.g., diameter for round bar, width and thickness for flat bar). The fields shown depend on the shape you selected.
  3. The length dimension is your cutting length — how long each piece needs to be.
  4. Set cutting tolerances — the plus and minus tolerance on the cut length. Forge defaults to reasonable values (e.g., +1/8" for imperial) and factors these into total material requirements.
  5. Adjust the scrap rate if needed.
  6. Enter the unit cost (price per piece of cut material) or total cost.

When to Use It

  • You have long stock in the shop and a bandsaw or cutoff saw.
  • The part requires a specific cut length from larger stock.
  • You want to account for cutting tolerances and saw kerf in your material estimate.

Cost Calculation

  • Production quantity = quote quantity + scrap
  • Total length required = (cut length + tolerance allowances) x production quantity
  • Material utilization is displayed as a percentage — higher is better
  • You can add shipping and markup on top of the material cost

Summary Card

The summary card shows:

  • Total length required — the total linear material needed across all parts
  • Material utilization — percentage of material that ends up as usable parts vs. tolerance waste

3. Standard Stock

Use this mode when you plan to order standard-length bars from a supplier and cut parts from them in your shop. Forge calculates how many bars you need to buy and how many parts fit per bar.

How It Works

  1. Select Standard Stock from the mode tabs.
  2. Enter the cross-sectional dimensions of the bar (e.g., diameter for round bar). These match the shape you selected.
  3. Enter the part length — how long each finished part needs to be.
  4. Choose a bar length from the dropdown of common sizes (12 ft, 20 ft, 24 ft for imperial; 3 m, 3.66 m, 6 m for metric), or click Custom to enter any length.
  5. Set the kerf allowance — the width of material lost with each saw cut. Defaults to 1/8" (3.2 mm).
  6. Set the end waste allowance — the unusable material at the ends of each bar. Defaults to 1" (25.4 mm).
  7. Adjust the scrap rate for additional part-level waste.

When to Use It

  • You're ordering new bar stock from a supplier.
  • Parts are cut from standard-length bars (the typical scenario in a machine shop).
  • You want Forge to calculate how many bars to order and the resulting waste.

Cost Calculation

  • Parts per bar = floor( (bar length - end waste) / (part length + kerf allowance) )
  • Bars required = ceil(production quantity / parts per bar)
  • Unit cost is entered per bar, not per part — this is how suppliers price bar stock
  • Total cost = bars required x cost per bar
  • Shipping and markup are added on top

Summary Card

The summary card shows:

  • Parts per bar — how many parts you get from each bar
  • Total material length — total linear stock you need to buy
  • Unused material — the leftover stock after all parts are cut, shown in both length and percentage

Tip: If material utilization is low (Forge warns you below 50%), consider adjusting the bar length or part nesting to reduce waste. Sometimes a different standard bar length yields significantly less waste.

4. Custom

Use this mode when you're ordering material that's cut to your exact size by the supplier — or for any material that doesn't fit the standard type/shape/dimension pattern.

How It Works

  1. Select Custom from the mode tabs.
  2. Write a material description in the text area. Be as specific as your supplier needs — for example, "6061-T6 Aluminum plate, 1/2" x 12" x 24", mill finish" or "Delrin rod, 3" diameter x 6" long."
  3. Enter the unit cost (price per piece as quoted by the supplier) or the total cost.
  4. Adjust the markup and shipping as needed.

When to Use It

  • The supplier cuts the material to your exact specifications (common for plate, specialty alloys, or plastics).
  • You're quoting a non-standard material that doesn't fit into the type/shape system.
  • You have a supplier quote for the exact material and just need to enter the cost.

Cost Calculation

  • Production quantity equals the quote quantity (no bar stock math needed — you're ordering exactly what you need).
  • Unit cost x quote quantity = base material cost
  • Shipping and markup are added on top
  • No scrap rate section — with custom-cut material, waste is typically minimal or already factored into the supplier's price.

Choosing the Right Mode

| Scenario | Recommended Mode | |----------|-----------------| | You have the material in your shop already | Inventory | | You have long stock and will cut it yourself | Saw Cut | | You need to order standard bars and cut them | Standard Stock | | Supplier cuts material to your spec, or non-standard material | Custom |

In practice, many shops use a mix of modes across different parts in the same quote. A bracket might use Standard Stock for bar material, while a custom housing might use Custom mode for a specialty plate.

Cost Breakdown (All Modes)

Regardless of which mode you choose, the cost breakdown section on the right side of the material form lets you:

  • Enter cost by unit or total — toggle between entering the price per unit or the total price, and Forge calculates the other.
  • Set a scrap rate — as a percentage or a fixed number of extra parts. The production quantity adjusts accordingly (not available in Custom mode).
  • Add shipping cost — a flat amount added to the material cost.
  • Apply markup — as a percentage of (material + shipping) or as a fixed dollar amount. This is your margin on the material.

The final total displayed is: material cost + shipping + markup.

Customer-Supplied Materials

If your customer is providing the material (common in some contract manufacturing arrangements), the cost fields are automatically zeroed out regardless of which sourcing mode you use. You still track the material specification for production purposes, but it won't add to the quote price.

Related Articles

← Material Types and Shapes