What Size Plasma Cutter Do I Need

How to choose a CNC plasma cutter

What you need to know to start looking for a CNC plasma

Well I'chiliad not going to tell you lot who's auto to purchase. My reply to that might seem obvious. But I do want to discuss some of the questions and considerations that you should find the answers to before you lot even start looking for a machine. Having this figured out ahead of fourth dimension will help you become the right motorcar for your shop, regardless of which manufacturer y'all wind up talking to.

Step 1: Canvas size

Start with figuring out what you need to cut. The most important question is the maximum plate size – do you cut four' x eight' sheets, 8' x 10', x' x 40'? Plate size is where nosotros start when deciding which model motorcar you volition need. Every machine model is designed to cover a range of different plate sizes, merely one time you go across a certain betoken, yous automatically get bumped up to a larger automobile model. That'south just the reality of the car structure and the 'beam' size. Nobody wants a 4 x eight automobile with a beam design that's big enough to go 30' wide – it wouldn't exist economical.

Maximum plate thickness is besides used to determine which machine model you'll need, because some models are limited by the size of plasma they can acquit, or the maximum thickness they tin clear.

The next part of the equation is how many sheets you demand to cover. Nearly cutting machines are sized to cover a unmarried plate width. Merely some loftier-production shops or steel service centers may want a motorcar broad plenty to cutting ii plates side-by-side. That will quickly bump you up into a larger model gantry. Likewise, most machines can have track long enough to encompass one or more plates cease-to-cease. But the machine width is the more than important question to answer – here'southward why: you tin almost always add more track, but y'all can't make the auto wider once it'southward built.

Step ii: Working Areas

Another gene that affects machine size is the arrangement of working areas. The simplest machine only has i working surface area, which means the cut table is big enough for one plate at a time. But that ways that once yous finish cutting the plate, the auto sits idle while you unload the cut parts and fleck, and and then load a fresh plate. That's fine for small shops or low-production environments. But many companies desire to increase the automobile'southward efficiency by being able to load & unload while the machine is cutting. Hither'due south the trick though: do you go one big table, or two split up cutting tables? Whether it's a water table or downdraft table, you could go either way.

Sometimes having an open up zone between tables is nice for service access. Extra space between cutting zones as well helps avert smacking the motorcar with a plate swinging from a crane while trying to load the table. And then the distance betwixt i plate and the side by side needs to be at least the parking distance of the auto, plus a petty extra. The more space you get out, the safer you'll exist. The trouble is that every foot of additional rails length equals some additional cost and flooring space used, and then it's always a merchandise-off.

Step 3: Process Tools

Having a adept idea of what type of cut process tools you need volition besides help narrow downward which machine model you lot'll need. Do you only need ane plasma station, or 2? Exercise you demand an oxy-fuel torch, or mayhap 4, or viii of them? The more tools you demand, the wider the machine gets. And that'due south not only considering of the space each tool takes up on the gantry, only also considering of the 'cantankerous-cut' requirement.

Let's remember about a machine with ane plasma torch and four oxy-fuel torches, where you need to cut 10' wide plate. Yous are going to need that plasma torch to be able to cross-cut the entire ten' wide plate. And you'll probably want at least 1 of the 4 oxy-fuel torches to exist able to cross-cut the unabridged plate as well. That ways you'll need room on the gantry for all iv oxy-fuel torches to park off to the side while that plasma torch covers the plate. Likewise, yous'll need room on the other side of the gantry for the plasma station to park while one of the oxy-fuel stations covers the plate. As you can encounter, if you kickoff adding more tools, similar a 2nd plasma, a mark tool, more oxy-fuel torches, etc, the machine can get really big in a hurry. And a beveling station makes it even worse, because virtually bevel stations have up 24 – 36 inches of cross cut on the automobile!

Step 4: Don't Forget About Software

Don't under estimate the importance of programming and nesting software. Fifty-fifty for a small shop where you won't demand nesting capabilities, you lot notwithstanding accept to be able to generate program code for the CNC to run. Many new CNCs today have built-in programming adequacy, such as shape libraries or transmission plan editors. A lot of them also have the power to take in a DXF file or DWG file and "mail-procedure" it into M- and 1000-Code for the CNC to run. Merely even so y'all have to know how you are going to create and edit those CAD files for the CNC to import. In that location are lots of possibilities, but the indicate is that the machine is worthless if you tin't generate programs to run it. So don't forget about the software when planning the buy of a CNC plasma.

Stride v: Options

There's a million of them. You lot are going to have optional features on the CNC, the plasma arrangement, the oxy-fuel stations, the gantry, the software, the tabular array, dust collectors, and on-and-on. The best thing to do is educate yourself on some of them alee of time, so you tin exist certain to get the ones you need to make your business concern equally assisting every bit possible. That might mean getting the high-end options to improve your productivity, or information technology might hateful knowing that your business organization can get away without all the bells & whistles so y'all can proceed the investment toll low. Either way, knowing what is available and knowing the toll & benefit of each selection volition aid you lot make a better buying determination.