Woodworking
cutting optimizer
Oak, pine, plywood, MDF — reduce waste and maximize yield on every woodworking project.
Start optimizingWhy do woodworkers waste 15–25% of material?
Woodworkers typically waste 15–25% of material due to suboptimal cutting plans. On a 50 m² furniture project, that means up to 12 m² of wasted material — money straight from your pocket.
How can you cut wood waste to under 10%?
Our algorithm accounts for grain direction, blade kerf, and available stock sizes. 2D panel optimization with guillotine cuts ensures every plan is immediately executable in the workshop.
Industry at a glance
Grain direction
Decide per-part whether rotation is allowed. Essential for oak and walnut veneers.
Offcut inventory
Store usable offcuts and automatically reuse them in the next project.
PDF cutting plan
Printable, workshop-ready cutting plan with a single click.
Common use cases
Real-world scenarios where cutting optimization makes the biggest difference.
Kitchen cabinets
Optimizing melamine-faced MDF panels for upper and lower cabinets, drawer fronts, and shelves. Grain direction matters for visible surfaces.
Shelving systems
Cutting plywood for adjustable shelving units and bookcases. Multiple identical parts make optimization especially effective.
Flooring installation
Solid hardwood or engineered boards for floor fitting. 1D optimization along the length with stagger patterns.
Built-in wardrobes
Complex projects with 40–50 parts: sides, tops, bottoms, dividers, and back panels. CSV import from design software is essential.
A joiner cuts 23 different-sized pieces from 18mm plywood for kitchen cabinets, using 2800×2070mm stock sheets.
Common woodworking materials
| Material | Standard sizes | Kerf | Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) | 2800×2070, 2440×1220, 3050×1220 mm | 3.0–3.5 mm (circular saw) | No grain direction — rotation always allowed for maximum yield |
| Plywood (Birch/Pine) | 2500×1250, 2440×1220, 1525×1525 mm | 3.0–3.5 mm | Face grain runs along the length — set rotation constraints per part |
| Melamine-faced chipboard | 2800×2070, 2620×2070 mm | 3.5–4.0 mm (scoring saw) | Edge banding adds 1–2mm per sided edge — account in part dimensions |
| Solid hardwood (Oak, Walnut) | Boards: 2000–3000mm × 100–300mm wide | 2.5–3.5 mm | Use 1D mode for board optimization along the length |
Frequently asked questions
How does CutOptim handle grain direction in woodworking? +
What kerf value should I use for my table saw? +
Can I reuse leftover material from previous projects? +
How do I import my parts list from a design program? +
What is guillotine cutting and why does it matter? +
A Hungarian furniture workshop producing custom kitchen and bathroom cabinets switched from manual planning to CutOptim. With 8–10 projects per month using laminated chipboard, they tracked material consumption over 3 months.
Average waste dropped from 22% to 7.5%, saving approximately €200 per month on material costs. Planning time was reduced from 30–45 minutes per project to under 1 minute.