Yes, thats the plan, it protrudes enough to get me over the screw so i can fit a drop bracket for the nut. The cutout clears the Z axis motor body.

The Z front plate and the very front plate where the tool mounts are 20mm thick and needed 7.5mm taken out of each to align the rails and screw. I don't feel that will make any difference at all to strength - the tool mount plate is also reinforced by having the linear rails bolted to the back of it. The rear Z plate is has the Z axis linear carriages aligned directly with the support plates (shown in the pic) for the X axis linear carriages - the forces are transferred directly from Z to X.

Having built two plasma tables out 3mm steel which were still very sturdy, this thing is being built like a mini battleship!