What comes with a Swift-Cut table
- Three software packages on the standalone console: CAD, CAM (SwiftCAM) and CNC. Swift-Cut says the software is not sold by subscription.
- SwiftCAM imports DXF and DWG from the console or a USB stick, and JPEG through an image importer; Swift-Cut says any CAD program that saves DXF or DWG will do.
- Each profile can be cut, engraved, centre-marked or ignored, and the software sets lead-in, cut height and feed rate itself.
- Nesting is built in. In the 2019 manual we read, the Advanced version of SwiftCAM nests parts from the job library automatically; the Standard version places them by hand.
- Job reports show cutting time and material use, and the plate-alignment feature fits the nest to a plate that lies crooked on the bed.
Where Zorocut fits
SwiftCAM already does the CAM and, in its Advanced version, the nesting, so Zorocut is not the last step here either. It earns its place before the job is booked: it prices a customer's mixed order from the drawings — cut length, pierces, sheet use — while the table is busy, and it nests many different parts true-shape in the office. The output is one DXF per sheet that SwiftCAM imports as a drawing.
| Zorocut layer | In SwiftCAM's import |
|---|---|
| ZC_CUT | Keep; profiles stay on the Cut working type |
| ZC_MARK | Keep only if you want a mark; choose the working type in SwiftCAM |
| ZC_ENGRAVE | Keep only with the engraving option; choose the working type in SwiftCAM |
| ZC_SHEET | Deselect: it is the plate's edge |
| ZC_LABEL | Deselect: part names, not cuts |
Settings to try
- In Zorocut, Machine tab: kind Plasma, Controller Other. Set the sheet to the plate you load; the Pro range runs from 1250 × 1250 mm to 4000 × 2000 mm.
- Export DXF R2000. If SwiftCAM refuses the file, try R12: the entities are the same, only the header is older.
- In SwiftCAM, add a job with the same sheet size, material and thickness, then import the DXF and deselect ZC_SHEET and ZC_LABEL in the layer step.
- Check that the parts land where Zorocut placed them before cutting; whether SwiftCAM keeps the drawing's origin is not documented.
Swift-Cut's own rule of thumb for clean holes is a diameter of about twice the plate thickness — 10 mm in 5 mm plate; see minimum hole size. Leave room for the kerf in the part spacing, since SwiftCAM offsets the cut after the nest: kerf width.
Not verified yet
Swift-Cut's public pages say DXF and DWG, but not which versions, which entities, or whether SwiftCAM reads the DXF unit header. The manual we read is for the smaller Swifty 1250 (v1.1, 2019) in a third-party copy; current Pro and XP software may differ, and the full specs are only in brochures behind a form. We do not know whether SwiftCAM treats a whole nested sheet as one part or lets you re-nest it. Import one sheet and dry-run it before a real job.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need SheetCAM for a Swift-Cut table?
No. Swift-Cut ships its own CAM, SwiftCAM, which imports DXF and DWG and writes the program for its own control. Set the controller to Other in Zorocut.
SwiftCAM already nests. Why use Zorocut?
For the quote before the job is booked, for mixed orders nested in the office while the table cuts, and for a Standard SwiftCAM that places parts by hand. If your Advanced SwiftCAM nests your jobs well, you may only need Zorocut's pricing; see how to price plasma cutting.
Is Zorocut affiliated with Swift-Cut?
No. Swift-Cut and SwiftCAM belong to Swift-Cut Automation Ltd; the names are used here only to describe compatibility.
Sources
Product names are used only to describe compatibility. Zorocut is not affiliated with their makers.
