CNC
CNC cutting and drilling for a kitchen: how the files are prepared
What a CNC shop needs to cut and drill a kitchen without retyping: finished sizes, a DXF per panel and a clear edge-banding rule.
A kitchen no longer has to be cut in a garage: shops with panel CNC machines cut, band and drill from a file. The difference between a job that passes first time and a job with a complaint is usually in HOW the files were prepared.
The three things a shop asks for
- A panel list with finished sizes: sizes WITH edge banding included. The shops' software (Wintable and similar) deducts the banding per edge itself — send pre-reduced sizes and the deduction happens twice, and every piece comes out small.
- Banding per edge: which edge carries which thickness (0.5 mm carcass, 2 mm front). Without it the operator bands by feel — and charges by feel.
- Drilling per panel: hole coordinates with diameter and depth — confirmats (through Ø8 for a 7×50 screw), hinge plates (two Ø5×11 holes per hinge), shelf supports (Ø5×8, 32 mm system) and Ø35 hinge cups in the front.
Which format carries what
- WTINPUT (.TAB): an order for Wintable software — the shop loads it and sees sizes, quantities, grain and banding, with no retyping.
- DXF: outline and holes per panel, for CNC centres; pieces drilled differently (left and right side) go as separate files.
- PDF cutting list: the human control document — goods are received and checked against it.
Common preparation mistakes
- Finished and cut sizes mixed up (banding deducted twice).
- Grain ignored: a woodgrain panel must not be rotated to save board.
- Narrow pieces (under ~150 mm) sent at finished size — the saw does not cut them that way; the shop cuts them wider with a "trim to size" note.
- Both side-panel pieces drilled identically, although hinge plates go on one only.
Frequently asked questions
The kitchen is in my head — how do I get to the files?
Draw it in the planner: the layout and estimate are free, and the document packages produce the cutting list, DXF, WTINPUT and the drilling scheme from one calculation — the files cannot disagree with each other.
Does every shop accept these files?
WTINPUT is accepted by every shop running Wintable (in Serbia, among others, Agacija and Tis). DXF is the general CNC standard. The PDF list works everywhere — including where cutting is done by hand.
Who is responsible if the machine drills wrong?
The shop drills what is in the file. Which is why the file must come from the same calculation as the list — and a mistake in our documents means a refund.