CNC plasma cutting tables

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I did try doing a search without finding what I was looking for.I'm currently at the SEMA show in Las Vegas and came across this plasma table.  It looks like a great product with good precision ways, and motors.    Has any one seen of have one of these set up's?  I'm thinking about getting one in the near future, and thought that I would ask first.Click Here for their web site---No good deed goes unpunished---
Reply:1. Its not exactly low Cost. you could put together a mechmate for at least half of that price.
Reply:Aint zacky low cost, I paid 7900 for my Torchmate 4X4 and they are one of about 3 well known and supported machines on the market.  If your really interested, do some more reading and research.  Torchmate, Plasmacam, and Bulltear lead the pack.  CNCZone has an extensive forum and can provide you hours of reading before you buy.BobI'm spending my Kids inheritance, I dont like him that much anyway!!!!!!Enuff tools to do the job, enough sense to use em.Anybody got a spare set of kidneys?  Trade?
Reply:What I was concerned about most was the ways that the motors move on.  On the set up that I saw had sealed bearing ways.  According to this company rep at the SEMA show, this company makes larger units and just scaled down the one I saw.  It also has a tablet that you can free hand draw anything you can think of and you don't need solidworks or any cad cam program.  I thought that was a nice addition to the system as well.      I will look closer at the other systems since I'm still in the early stages of deciding on what will work best for my situation.   Thanks for the input        -Greg---No good deed goes unpunished---
Reply:What was the name of the company?
Reply:I would not recommend using linear bearings on a plasma cutting table. The plasma dust and grime will ruin them quick. The best results that you can get from a plasma torch are more sloppy than you might think, cam followers and v-bearing rollers are more than enough precision.Ian TannerKawasaki KX450 and many other fine tools
Reply:Originally Posted by fortyonethirtyI would not recommend using linear bearings on a plasma cutting table. The plasma dust and grime will ruin them quick. The best results that you can get from a plasma torch are more sloppy than you might think, cam followers and v-bearing rollers are more than enough precision.
Reply:Linear bearings have been used for many years, and are quite necessary on high end precision cnc cutting machines. These machines are expected to operate at up to 3 shifts a day at extremely high duty cycles.....and the linear bearings rarely have a problem.If you are looking for a machine that you expect high tolerances and very little for maintenance requirements....go with linear recirculating bearings!Jim Colt   Hypertherm
Reply:great postLast edited by Cemrich; 11-09-2010 at 12:40 AM.Reason: made error
Reply:Linear bearings or slides are a very accurate and free moving bearing.  We use them on a lot of our test equipment here at work with great repeatability.   This is why I liked this set up better.  Plus with the larger motors and torch height control, plus having the tablet option really made me think.     I understand that everyone has their favorites and ideas.  I was just asking if anyone has used this product or have heard of them?       This is a great forum for talking about ideas.  I really appreciate how nice you guys are in helping me and others on this site.         Thanks again for the help.                                    -Greg---No good deed goes unpunished---
Reply:I have not seen this particular machine before. Torch height control is worth every penny.Large motors are good too. Missed steps are really frustrating.We tried a downdraft table set up and found that to make it work you need a HUGE fan. I'd recommend a water tray instead. On the other hand the water can make a mess of it's own.You will get a tighter running machine with linear slides, but they will require lots of cleaning.I stand by my comment about plasma accuracy vs. table accuracy. If you need high precision you need to go to a different cutting tool. On the parts we were making (off-road suspension and chassis parts) we found that the plasma cuts were not accurate enough to do bolt holes, so we drilled them.You can add a drawing tablet to any system out there. It's connected to the graphics program not the control program.I'm not sure why this company is recommending a PC vs. a laptop. The dirty environment killed several computers at the shop and the laptop lasted the longest.Ian TannerKawasaki KX450 and many other fine tools
Reply:You can do very nice bolt holes with plasma assuming you have the right plasma, the right cutting machine and the right torch height control. Attached are some pictures of plasma cut holes. I'd be happy to explain what systems did each sample.....and what kind of hole tolerances should be expected. In some cases with HyDefinition plasma, holes are acurate enough, and soft enough to tap threads into. Many people lump plasma into the category of roughing out parts......and for the most part that is true with many systems, and with older technology. Companies like Hypertherm have pushed plasma cutting technology into new tolerance levels, without losing the plasma advantage which has always been productivity. It is common to cut parts with .010" tolerances today with a good quality system.A few of these pictures of cut samples were cut on low cost (under $10k) entry level cnc machines, while some were cut on high end industrial quality machines (over $100k). Even low cost machines and air plasma systems, when coupled to a good quality torch height control system and properly programmed and set up will cut very round holes, top and bottom. The newest technology hole cutting capabilities can even eliminate taper, making holes almost identical to drilled holes.Jim Colt Attached Images