Translate a spacing request into the correct field
A note that says “leave ten millimetres” is incomplete. It could mean separation between neighboring cases or a border around the pallet. Those requirements use different inputs and affect geometry differently. Case gap is space between placed rectangles. Edge clearance reduces the rectangle available to all cases. Ask where the space belongs before setting either field; otherwise a calculation can apply the requested value to the wrong boundary.
The configuration tool exposes both fields. Its model uses one equal case-gap value and one equal edge-clearance value. It does not infer different spaces on different edges from a free-text instruction. This page uses a fictional 1200 by 800 mm base and 400 by 300 mm cases to isolate the effects. The ten-millimetre values are comparisons, not recommended operating clearances.
Write the two formulas separately
With edge clearance c, usable length is L minus 2c and usable width W minus 2c. The deduction applies to both opposing edges. For a uniform row of n cases of length a with gap g, occupied length is n times a plus (n minus one) times g. There is no gap after the last case simply because n cases were counted. Any required border belongs in clearance instead.
The uniform line count is floor((usable length + g) / (a + g)), provided the dimensions and denominator are valid. Apply it independently to both axes for a selected orientation, then multiply. The mixed search validates individual rectangle separations rather than assuming every arrangement forms the same row structure. A uniform formula is therefore a useful check, not a complete mixed-pattern algorithm.
| Case gap | Edge clearance | Usable rectangle | Uniform TI | Mixed TI / area ceiling | Mixed status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 mm | 0 mm | 1200 by 800 | 8 | 8 / 8 | Optimal |
| 10 mm | 0 mm | 1200 by 800 | 4 | 6 / 8 | Best found |
| 0 mm | 10 mm | 1180 by 780 | 4 | 6 / 7 | Best found |
| 10 mm | 10 mm | 1180 by 780 | 4 | 6 / 7 | Best found |
Explain the row threshold instead of a percentage loss
The tight eight-case grid rotates every footprint. Four 300 mm sides exactly occupy the 1200 mm length; two 400 mm sides exactly occupy the 800 mm width. A ten-millimetre gap makes those spans 1230 and 810 mm, so both fail. A ten-millimetre border instead leaves only 1180 and 780 mm, and the same tight spans fail for a different reason.
These changes remove entire rows or columns. They are not a gradual ten-millimetre percentage reduction in count. The best uniform grid after either change has four cases, while Mixed finds six. The repeated count six in the table does not mean the requirements are equivalent. The returned coordinates, available area, and upper bound differ. A plan can satisfy one field's meaning and violate the other despite having the same total cases.
Run the single-change comparisons first
Open gap only and edge clearance only. Confirm both fields rather than relying on the page name. Inspect whether the first placement may touch the original pallet edge and how neighbors are separated.
Then open both allowances. The returned six-case candidate has its first placement at (10,10), with a cleared boundary ending at X 1190 and Y 790. Save coordinates to show that the border was applied on all sides.
Check the row formula at an exact boundary
Two 500 mm squares with a ten-millimetre gap need 1010 mm along their row, not 1020. The latter would incorrectly include a gap after each case. If a border is also required, add its two sides separately to the overall base requirement. This small arithmetic check makes the field meanings testable. It also explains why a row fits at its exact stated boundary but fails when the available span is reduced below that boundary.
Avoid counting the same allowance twice
If measured carton dimensions already include a protective sleeve or protruding feature, do not add that same feature again as a guessed gap unless the process requests additional separation. Likewise, measuring a usable pallet rectangle after excluding an edge region and then entering another clearance can double-count that inset. Describe the measurement boundary in the input record.
A gap does not automatically create a corridor for a hand, tool, or forklift, and edge clearance does not prove that a load is secure. The dimensions model declared spaces, not the reason they are needed. Obtain the actual requirement and separately review whether the resulting geometry supports the operation.
Carry only the selected spacing plan into the stack
At a hypothetical five complete layers, the zero-allowance eight-case result implies forty cases while the six-case candidate implies thirty. Use the count whose spacing settings match the accepted requirement. Do not retain forty in an order estimate after replacing its layer drawing with the cleared six-case layout. Interlayer thickness is another height input and is not represented by a horizontal case gap.
Spacing input record
Requirement to review: 10 mm between case rectangles and 10 mm inside every base edge. Pallet: 1200 by 800 mm. Case: 400 by 300 mm. Measured dimensions include the full packed case. Usable rectangle: 1180 by 780 mm. Mixed TI: 6; status best found; area ceiling 7. Uniform comparison TI: 4. Preserve both allowance fields, coordinates, and the source of each requirement. No physical handling clearance or stability conclusion has been established.
The methodology describes the spacing contract. A useful review starts with what “ten millimetres” means, then verifies the candidate against that meaning. Matching a count alone cannot confirm that the right spaces were modeled.