Cutting optimisation for panel saws and beam saws
A panel saw, a beam saw and a sliding table saw all cut the same way: straight through the board, one strip at a time. Cutspan plans for exactly that — every layout can be cut with guillotine cuts — and gives the saw operator a plan to cut from and the office a CSV to import.
From the order to the saw
Parts in
Typed, pasted, imported from CSV, or read from a customer’s PDF or photo.
Guillotine layouts
Straight through-cuts only, every material on its own sheets.
Repeated sheets grouped
Sheets with the same layout print once, with how many to cut — ready for stack cutting.
Plan and CSV
A labelled PDF at the saw, a CSV for the saw’s own software.
Set up like your saw
Kerf
The width your blade really cuts — about 4.4 mm on many beam saws, 3.2 mm on a thin-kerf blade.
Read more →Trim per edge
Trim all round, or each edge separately when only the factory edges are damaged.
Grain
Locked on woodgrain decors and veneers, free on plain boards so parts turn into gaps.
Read more →Offcuts first
Offcuts on the rack are used before new boards are counted.
Read more →What goes to the saw and the office
| File | What it is for |
|---|---|
| PDF plan | Every sheet to scale with each part’s name and size on it; identical sheets shown once with their count |
| Saw CSV | The parts list in the fixed columns of MagiCut, for import into the saw’s optimiser |
| Plan CSV | Every part with its sheet and position, for your own records or software |
| Full CSV | The whole job with exact edging and board names; imports back into Cutspan |
Using Cut Rite, Ardis or a saw’s own optimiser?Most saw optimisers import a parts list from CSV. Use Cutspan to take the list in, check it and price the job, then import the CSV where the saw program is made — check the column layout your software expects first.
Edging and cost in the same step
Mark edging on each side at 0.8, 1 or 2 mm and the result totals the tape in metres and rolls for each material. Add a price per sheet and every plan has a board cost, so a cut-and-edge quote starts from the real layout, not from the area. See edge banding.
What stays with the operator
Cutspan gives you
- Layouts that can be cut with straight through-cuts
- The number of boards to take from the rack
- Every part named, with its size, on the sheet
- Offcuts worth keeping, drawn and sized
The operator decides
- The order of the cuts and the rotation of the board
- How many boards go into one stack
- Where to cut round defects in the board
- The program for a saw that needs its own file
Questions
Does Cutspan give a cutting sequence?
No. Every layout can be cut with guillotine cuts, but the order of the cuts, and how boards are stacked, stay with the operator or the saw’s own software.
Can it write a program for my beam saw?
No. It exports a PDF plan and CSV files. Saw programs such as PTX or a Holzma job are made in the saw’s own software, which can usually import the parts from CSV.
Does it handle a vertical panel saw?
Yes. A vertical panel saw also cuts straight through, so the same guillotine layouts apply; set the kerf of your blade.
Is it free for a workshop?
Yes. Layouts of up to 200 parts per calculation and every file are free without an account; signed-in users can plan up to 1000 parts at a time.
Plan your cut list now
Free, in the browser, with no account. Layouts, edging totals and machine files from one list.