Marble and stone CNC automation
In natural stone every slab is different: its size, its veining, its cracks, its thickness. That is why most of the work on a marble CNC happens before cutting, on the computer.
In stone processing, raw material is by far the largest cost. Getting one more part out of a slab is worth more than making the machine cut slightly faster. So the software's first job is not cutting — it is placing.
What makes natural stone difficult?
- The outer boundary of each slab is irregular, not rectangular.
- Vein direction defines the look of the product; book-matching requires aligned placement.
- Cracks, holes and colour defects make regions unusable.
- Thickness tolerance and surface flatness vary.
- The material is expensive and a wrong cut cannot be undone.
How we solve it
1. Measuring the real slab
Camera or laser digitises the actual boundaries, crack zones and vein direction. Millimetre accuracy requires calibration: fixed focus, controlled lighting and regular reference checks. Autofocus or changing light is the most common way measurement quietly goes wrong.
2. Nesting the parts
Parts from the order list are placed on the slab, skipping unusable regions and respecting vein direction. The operator sees the layout on screen, can drag and lock a part, and the software recalculates the rest.
3. Generating the cutting path
Once the layout is approved, tool radius offset is applied, entry and exit points are set, and the cutting order is arranged so parts do not tip and the blade does not travel idle. Bridge saw, disc and waterjet each have their own rules.
4. Driving the machine
The generated program is passed to the motion and PLC layers, which handle axis synchronisation, blade speed, water flow, feed rate and the safety chain.
Machines we work with
- Bridge saws, single and multi-axis
- CNC machining centres and profiling machines
- Waterjet cutting tables
- Edge cutting, calibrating and polishing lines
- Existing machines whose control system will be replaced (retrofit)
What it delivers
Lower waste is a direct material saving. Beyond that, seeing the layout before cutting prevents wrong cuts, reduces dependence on operator experience and records which order came out of which slab. We do not promise a fixed percentage: the gain depends on your slab quality, product mix and current method. If you share your cutting plans, we can make a comparison with your own data.
Let's talk about your stone machine
Tell us the machine type, its current control system and the problem you want solved.