CNC bit diameter
On a CNC nest, the kerf is the diameter of the bit that profiles the part.
Diameter, once
Sheet goods are often cut with a bit of 6 mm or more. Enter the part at its cut size and the bit diameter as the kerf. A second offset of the same radius, applied later in CAM, pays the gap twice.
A router can follow a free nest. The kerf field is the same field a panel saw uses. Only the number changes.
Worked exampleCNC nesting vs panel saw layouts