Sheet cut list optimizer: plywood, MDF, glass and steel

It builds a cutting layout for rectangular sheets (plywood, MDF, glass or steel): how many sheets to buy, where each part goes and what is left over, with sheet cost and edge banding length. It has two modes: use one chosen sheet, or suggest the best among the sizes your supplier stocks. Use it to quote cabinets, order material and take a drawing to the panel saw.

The 40 cabinet parts need 6 sheets of 4 × 8 ft plywood at 78.9% yield; the area-based theoretical minimum is 5. Sheets cost $330.00 and banding totals 175 ft ($43.75 with 10% waste). The 23 in deep sides and tops fit only two rows per 48 in sheet, which is why a sixth sheet is needed.

Turning parts 90° nests them better and often saves sheets, but only for material with no visible grain, such as paint-grade MDF. For veneered plywood, patterned laminate or brushed metal, choose "Keep the grain": the part length always runs along the sheet length. Compare both to see what the grain costs.

In "Suggest the best sheet" mode, tick the sizes available, each with its price; it builds a plan for each size and recommends the lowest cost. In the example, with 4 × 8 ft sheets at $55 and 49 × 97 in MDF at $62, both need 6 sheets for the 40 parts, so the 4 × 8 ft sheet wins at $330.00 against $372.00. When mixing two sizes is cheaper, a "Combination" row shows up, such as 5 large sheets + 1 small one.

Enter in the fifth column how many edges of each part get banding: 1 = one long edge, 2 = both long edges, 3 = both long and one short, 4 = all. The total is multiplied by quantity plus the waste entered (10% in the example). In the example the 8 doors banded on all four edges account for 63 ft of the 175 ft.

Yes: write the material in an extra column, using letters (e.g. "Ply 3/4", "Ply 1/4"). Each material gets its own plan, comparison and totals, and parts of different materials never share a sheet. If a thickness costs less, enter a price factor (e.g. "Ply 1/4; 0.6"). To cover defects and breakage, use the spare: at 10%, a 6-sheet plan becomes 7 to buy.

It is a good guillotine plan, where every cut runs edge to edge, and it is proven optimal only when it equals the theoretical minimum (part area ÷ usable sheet area); the size comparison and the mix are heuristics too. Only rectangular parts and defect-free sheets are considered, offcuts in stock are not used and the machine cut sequence is not set. Check actual sizes and prices with your supplier: some MDF is sold oversize at 49 × 97 in.