A cutting machine having a beam and table with a platen supported on a ram on the beam for movement transversely of and toward the table is provided with means for distortionlessly limiting movement of the platen relative to the ram and the ram relative to the beam. Distortion due to tilting out of parallelism between the platen and the table is avoided. Preferably the limiting means are, respectively, impulse emitters between the platen and ram, and means for engaging a slide support for the ram with the beam while the beam is in fixed orientation relative to the table.