2D Panel Cut Optimizer

How to use the 2D Panel Cut Optimizer

1. Pick a unit system. Millimeters, centimeters or inches. The toggle converts existing values so you don't have to retype.
2. Enter panel size and kerf. Width × height of one sheet from the supplier — 2440 × 1220 mm for an 8×4 plywood, 3050 × 2000 mm for a typical glass pane. Kerf is the blade width destroyed per cut.
3. List the pieces. Width × height × quantity, plus a "Rotate" toggle. Leave Rotate on for utility parts; turn it off when the wood grain, veneer direction or surface pattern matters.
4. Read the layout. Each sheet is drawn to scale with the pieces in colour — same-size pieces share a colour. Hover any piece for its exact dimensions and rotation flag.

What is 2D cut optimization?

Given a rectangular sheet and a list of smaller rectangular parts, find a layout that fits the parts using as few sheets as possible. It's the 2D version of the classic cutting stock problem — and like the 1D case, finding the absolute optimum is NP-hard. The calculator uses a Shelf First-Fit Decreasing Height heuristic with rotation support: pieces are sorted by their tallest side, packed into horizontal "shelves" left-to-right, and new shelves are opened above when no existing one has room.

1. Pre-orient rotatable pieces landscape (height ≤ width).
2. Sort by height descending.
3. For each piece, scan existing shelves;
   place in the first one with room (kerf charged between pieces).
4. If no shelf fits, open a new shelf above the previous one
   (kerf charged between shelves).
5. If no panel fits, start a new panel.

For everyday cabinet, shopfront and window cut lists the result is typically within a few percent of the theoretical optimum.

Examples

• Kitchen cabinet shop: a single 2440 × 1220 mm melamine sheet usually carries the carcass sides, top and bottom for one base cabinet. Mark the visible-grain pieces "no rotate"; utility pieces can rotate freely.
• Glass shop: a 3050 × 2000 mm float-glass pane with a 1 mm scoring kerf, cutting two shower screens (1800 × 800) and a table top (1200 × 700) — typically fits on one pane with ~30 % waste.
• Steel fab shop: a 1500 × 3000 mm 3 mm steel sheet with a 2 mm plasma kerf, cutting backplates (400 × 300) and brackets (200 × 100) — the optimizer slots smaller pieces into the gaps between larger ones across shelves.

FAQ

What is a 2D cut optimizer?

A tool that packs rectangular pieces into rectangular sheets with as little waste as possible. Used by cabinetmakers, glass shops, sheet-metal fabricators, sign makers and anyone who buys material in panels and cuts smaller parts out of them.

When should I turn off rotation?

Whenever the grain direction or surface pattern of the material is part of the finished product — visible plywood faces, veneers, melamine with a directional grain, fabric-faced acoustic panels. Rotating those pieces would cross-grain them. For utility parts (carcass shelves, backers, scrap pieces) rotation is safe to leave on.

Does this guarantee the best possible layout?

No — exact optimisation of 2D bin packing is NP-hard. The calculator uses a Shelf First-Fit Decreasing Height heuristic, which is fast, predictable and within a small percentage of optimal for everyday cut lists. If you need an absolute optimum, the result is still a solid starting point.

How is the kerf handled?

Every cut destroys a strip of material equal to the kerf width. The optimizer adds the kerf between any two adjacent pieces (both horizontally inside a shelf and vertically between shelves) so the math reflects the real physical layout, not just the geometric one.

What materials does this work for?

Anything sold in rectangular sheets and cut into rectangular pieces: plywood, MDF, particleboard, melamine, hardwood panels, float and tempered glass, mirror, acrylic, polycarbonate, sheet metal, fabric, leather, even paper. Pieces must be rectangular — the optimizer doesn't handle bevels or curves.

Why is one of my sheets nearly empty?

A leftover piece couldn't fit alongside the others in earlier sheets. To reduce waste, allow more pieces to rotate, adjust dimensions slightly if the design lets you, or check whether the leftover sheet can be reused for the next job.

Privacy

Every calculation runs in your browser. Your cut list and panel dimensions never leave your device — nothing is sent to a server, nothing is stored in cookies, nothing is logged. The only thing this site remembers is whether you prefer mm, cm or inches, kept locally so you don't have to toggle it every visit.