Reduce material waste
Maximize cutting efficiency

Enter your sheet size and part quantities. MOACUT automatically calculates an optimized cutting layout that reduces material waste.

Calculate right away, no sign-in needed. Free: up to 10 part types / 30 pieces per calculation

2D Sheet Nesting Workflow (4 Steps)

Step 1: Set Stock Sheet Size

Enter your measured sheet width and height in millimetres, or choose the 4×8 preset (1219 × 2438 mm). Nominal 1220 × 2440 mm panels are a different size; measure your material.

Step 2: Enter Part Dimensions & Quantities

Enter finished rectangle widths, heights, and quantities. Import CSV files exported from Excel or Google Sheets for large cut lists.

Step 3: Set Spacing, Margin & Rotation

Configure inter-part kerf for blade/bit width, perimeter edge margin for clamp hold-down, and enable 90° rotation if grain allows.

Step 4: Calculate & Review Layout

Run the optimization calculation to obtain required sheet count, utilization rate, scrap percentage, and inspect visual sheet schematics.

Worked Calculation Example: Why Kerf Changes Sheet Count

Dividing total part area by sheet area does not prove that finished rectangular parts will physically fit. Here is a verified benchmark placing twelve 600 × 400 mm parts onto a standard 1220 × 2440 mm sheet:

Input conditions: Sheet 1220 × 2440 mm | Parts 600 × 400 mm × 12 | Edge Margin 10 mm | 90° Rotation ON
ScenarioRequired SheetsParts PlacedUtilizationScrap Rate
Kerf 0 mm (Touching / Common-Line)1 sheet12 parts on Sheet 196.7%3.3%
Kerf 3 mm (Saw Blade / Endmill)2 sheets10 on Sheet 1 + 2 on Sheet 248.4%51.6%
Kerf 0 mm (Touching / Common-Line)1 sheet
Parts Placed12 parts on Sheet 1
Utilization96.7%
Scrap Rate3.3%
Kerf 3 mm (Saw Blade / Endmill)2 sheets
Parts Placed10 on Sheet 1 + 2 on Sheet 2
Utilization48.4%
Scrap Rate51.6%

With a 10 mm edge margin, usable width is 1200 mm. At 0 mm kerf, two 600 mm parts fit exactly across (600 + 600 = 1200 mm), fitting all 12 parts on 1 sheet (96.7% yield). At 3 mm kerf, adjacent parts need 600 + 3 + 600 = 1203 mm, exceeding the 1200 mm usable width. Consequently, the first sheet fits only 10 parts, and the remaining 2 spill onto a 2nd sheet (48.4% overall yield). This demonstrates why actual geometric placement—not area division alone—dictates sheet purchasing.

Output Metrics & Shop-Floor Interpretation

Required Sheets

Total count of stock sheets allocated to fit all parts in the cut list. Directly determines raw material purchase orders.

Total Used Area

Sum of placed finished rectangle areas (width × height) in square metres. Excludes kerf sawdust gaps and unused offcuts.

Sheet Utilization

Calculated as (total part area ÷ total allocated sheet area) × 100. Measures raw material efficiency.

Material Scrap Ratio

100% minus utilization rate. Measures the portion of purchased stock turned into offcuts, edging, and blade dust.

Est. Material Cost

Required sheets multiplied by entered unit price per sheet. Estimates raw board expense (excluding labour or machine time).

Kerf Spacing, Edge Margin, and 90° Rotation

Cutting Tool Kerf

Width of material removed by the cutting tool. MOACUT treats this as layout spacing between adjacent parts to preserve finished part dimensions.

Sheet Edge Margin

Clearance reserved along all four outer edges of the sheet to avoid rough edge damage and provide vacuum clamp room.

90° Rotation & Material Grain

Enabling rotation allows swapping width and height to fit parts across rows and columns. Turn rotation off for directional grain (e.g. wood veneer, brushed metal).

Technical Scope & Engineering Boundaries

Supported Capabilities

Supports 2D orthogonal nesting of rectangular parts on rectangular sheets using a bottom-left heuristic bin packing algorithm to produce fast, practical shop layouts.

System Boundaries & Exclusions

1) Arbitrary true-shape or curved part nesting is not supported. 2) Global mathematical optimum is not guaranteed. 3) CAM toolpaths (G-code, lead-ins, tabs) are not generated and do not replace dedicated CAM software. 4) Cutter compensation offsets must be applied in machine-specific CAM.

Data Processing & Architectural Privacy

MOACUT’s standard 2D nesting runs locally in your browser. When you are signed in, the sheet and part sizes and quantities are also sent to our server for the Pro block layout (or a free account’s comparison figures); they are used only for that calculation and not stored. When a Pro user exports a 1:1 CAD DXF or vector PDF, the calculated layout is sent to the server export endpoint to generate the file.

Practical Engineering Guides

How to Calculate Required Sheet Quantity

Why an area estimate is only a lower bound: a verified 22-part drawer cut list needs two 4×8 sheets, fits two 3×6 sheets with rotation, and shows how to compare stock sizes in MOACUT.

How Kerf Affects Sheet Nesting

Understand how MOACUT applies kerf as spacing between rectangular parts, how it differs from edge margin, and when it changes sheet count and utilization.

CNC Sheet Optimization Workflow

A practical CNC sheet planning workflow using MOACUT cut lists, kerf spacing, edge margin, rotation controls, nesting results, and supported Pro exports.

Laser Cutting Sheet Nesting Workflow

Plan rectangular laser-cutting sheet jobs with MOACUT using part quantities, process spacing, edge margin, rotation, sheet count, utilization, scrap, and supported exports.

Grain Direction and 90° Rotation in Sheet Nesting

How MOACUT's 90° rotation switch works, how to enter grain-sensitive parts, and a worked example where locking orientation adds a sheet.

Standard Sheet Sizes: 4 × 8 ft vs 1220 × 2440 mm

Exact dimensions of MOACUT's sheet presets, imperial-to-metric conversions, and a worked example where 1 mm of sheet width changes the sheet count.

Estimating Sheet Material Cost and Scrap

How MOACUT calculates estimated material cost, utilization, and scrap, how to compare sheet sizes by total cost, and how to find a break-even sheet price.

What Is Nesting? Sheet Cutting Layouts Explained

Learn what nesting means, compare rectangular and true-shape nesting, and understand utilization and scrap before using a sheet cutting optimizer.

How to Choose Nesting Software: Free, Web and Desktop Options

Compare web calculators, free desktop nesting software, CAD/CAM nesting and machine-specific tools. Choose a cut list optimizer by input geometry, constraints and output.

Plan a 4×8 Plywood Cut List on 1220×2440 mm Stock

Build a plywood cutting plan for 22 drawer and cabinet parts on 1220×2440 mm stock. Check grain, kerf, sheet count and reusable remnants with a cut list optimizer.

Service Mission & Support Desk

MOACUT was developed to eliminate expensive sheet scrap waste and streamline layout planning for woodworking, signage, and fabrication workshops. The MOACUT Chrome extension and web app provide accessible, browser-based sheet planning.

Official Support Desk: For product inquiries, feature suggestions, bug reports, or commercial licensing, reach our official support desk at: contact@moacut.com

Frequently Asked Questions

What is 2D nesting, and how does MOACUT work?

2D nesting is a layout technique that arranges multiple rectangular parts onto sheet material to minimize scrap waste. MOACUT uses area-sorted parts and a bottom-left heuristic placement algorithm running in your browser to compute practical, high-yield cutting layouts.

Why can required sheet count differ from simple area division?

Dividing total part area by sheet area yields a theoretical lower bound that assumes parts can be reshaped fluidly. Real layouts must respect rectangle dimensions, blade kerf, edge margins, and grain orientation, which create geometric offcuts and can increase sheet count beyond area math.

Why should I configure the cutting width (kerf)?

Saw blades, router bits, and laser beams remove a strip of material during cutting. MOACUT applies the entered kerf as clearance between adjacent parts so finished dimensions are preserved.

How do edge margins and 90° rotation work?

Edge margins reserve clearance around all four outer edges to avoid raw edge flaws and allow clamp hold-downs. Enabling 90° rotation permits interlocking parts across rows and columns for higher yield; disable rotation for directional wood grain or brushed metal.

What are MOACUT's geometry limits and CAM boundaries?

MOACUT handles rectangular stock and rectangular parts; arbitrary true-shape/curved nesting is not supported. It produces layout drawings and bills of materials, but does not generate CNC G-code, toolpath lead-ins, tabs, or machine cutter compensation offsets, which belong in dedicated CAM software.

How is my dimension data handled and secured?

MOACUT’s standard 2D nesting runs locally in your browser. When you are signed in, the sheet and part sizes and quantities are also sent to our server for the Pro block layout (or a free account’s comparison figures); they are used only for that calculation and not stored. When a Pro user exports a 1:1 CAD DXF or vector PDF, the calculated layout is sent to the server export endpoint to generate the file.

What export formats are available for the cutting layout?

Cutting layouts can be inspected on-screen via interactive SVG diagrams and printed for workshop use. Authenticated Pro subscribers can export 1:1 CAD DXF files and vector PDFs; standalone SVG downloads are not provided.

Is MOACUT free to use?

Yes. Without signing in you can calculate up to 10 part types and 30 pieces per run and view the layout; a free account adds a comparison with the Pro block layout. Pro supports larger batches, subject to the 10,000-piece calculation cap, the server-side Pro block layout, and server-verified 1:1 CAD DXF/PDF exports.