Plasma Cutting Tables

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Looking for some info about 4x4, 4x8 plasma tables. -Which model/company is better?-Ease of use(software.....simpler the better!, plate loading etc)-cutting accuracy/reliability-customer service-Price-etc...I found these so far....Im sure I missed some...http://www.plasmacam.com/http://torchmate.com/http://www.practicalcnc.com/index.htmhttp://www.opetrol.com/steeltailor/http://www.trackercnc.com/Thanks in advance, I love this site BTW. So much info, resources and great people to learn fromRob,RHLKUSTOMS  www.RHLKUSTOMS.comMiller MIGmatic 200Lincoln Idealarc Tig 300
Reply:The best place to look for info on these systems is in yahoo groups. There are several for some of the vendors you mentioned.I own a PlasmaCAM and am very satisfied. It does exactly what I needed and expected but that is where you need to do your research. What type of work do you expect to do? Each system has it's strengths and weaknesses. One thing that I can say, is that the PlasmaCAM software is extremely powerful and easy to use. But with any system, there is a learning curve.Each system has things to consider like the type of drive motor. That will dictate speed and accuracy. Some system have some kind of torch height control. That can be very important when cutting material that warps or has height variations. If you plan on possibly using it for routing, can the z drive handle the load?  Other things to consider outside of what the vendor supplies is space, power ( for compressor, plasma cutter, controller and ventilation ), ventilation/dust control system, computer etc.
Reply:Tell us more about what you will use it for.What type of metal.How much per day/week/year.How thick? Whats the thinnest, and the thickest, you see cutting?How big of sheets, and how big of parts?I have had jobs where I had to order in 5x10's of 3/16", and just physically getting em on the table was a forklift job, and of course the table you needed to do that was totally different from one that is only used to cut 2x2' pieces of 1/8".What level of accuracy do you expect/need?What happens to the parts afterwards? Machining? Bending? Welding? Powdercoating?Some people expect cut parts at .001 accuracy, others are happy if its within an eighth.Is this for hobby, of pro use? Who will run it? For instance, some machines work fine when the boss runs em- he paid for em, he knows the programming software, he is careful and takes as much time as needed.Other machines need to be bulletproof enough to let trained monkeys run em on 3/8" plate 24/7. Price range?How big is your compressor now?A decent power supply to cut up to around 1/2" is gonna run you $2000 to $3000, easy. Plus $500 for a good machine torch. Add in at least a REAL 7 1/2 to 10 hp compressor, with good water filters. None of those Harbor Freight or Lowes "simulated horsepower" made by a motor company that cant tell the difference between a horse and Pamela Anderson.If your accuracy standards are higher, "High Definition" plasma power supplies start at around 40 grand.Ventilation and dust control is another cost- I use a water table, a smog hog electrostatic fume sucker, and big fans up high. All the machines you linked are small scale, light duty, fussy and cheaply built. They can all deliver decent work if you baby em, but none are even vaguely "industrial strength". They could be great, or totally inappropriate.Tell us more.
Reply:Originally Posted by RiesTell us more about what you will use it for.What type of metal.How much per day/week/year.How thick? Whats the thinnest, and the thickest, you see cutting?How big of sheets, and how big of parts?I have had jobs where I had to order in 5x10's of 3/16", and just physically getting em on the table was a forklift job, and of course the table you needed to do that was totally different from one that is only used to cut 2x2' pieces of 1/8".What level of accuracy do you expect/need?What happens to the parts afterwards? Machining? Bending? Welding? Powdercoating?Some people expect cut parts at .001 accuracy, others are happy if its within an eighth.Is this for hobby, of pro use? Who will run it? For instance, some machines work fine when the boss runs em- he paid for em, he knows the programming software, he is careful and takes as much time as needed.Other machines need to be bulletproof enough to let trained monkeys run em on 3/8" plate 24/7. Price range?How big is your compressor now?A decent power supply to cut up to around 1/2" is gonna run you $2000 to $3000, easy. Plus $500 for a good machine torch. Add in at least a REAL 7 1/2 to 10 hp compressor, with good water filters. None of those Harbor Freight or Lowes "simulated horsepower" made by a motor company that cant tell the difference between a horse and Pamela Anderson.If your accuracy standards are higher, "High Definition" plasma power supplies start at around 40 grand.Ventilation and dust control is another cost- I use a water table, a smog hog electrostatic fume sucker, and big fans up high. All the machines you linked are small scale, light duty, fussy and cheaply built. They can all deliver decent work if you baby em, but none are even vaguely "industrial strength". They could be great, or totally inappropriate.Tell us more.
Reply:Aluminum is gonna be a tough one- without nitrogen or argon, your edge quality is gonna be crap. Lots of grinding to get it good looking.Of all the erector set style cutters, I think the dyna torch looks like the best built one-http://www.dynatorch.com/Product.htmBut I havent used one, so I cant say for sure.However, when I read quotes like the one on the torchmate site, where they brag about how light duty they build their machines, I have to wonder- in the real world, steel is heavy, and it gets banged into machines all the time in loading and unloading.I would build a water table for the base, rather than the stamped 16 gage sheet metal a lot of these guys use. Like I said earlier, I often have to cut something from a full 4x8 sheet- and even in 1/8", thats a lot of weight.Make sure you get auto torch height on whatever you buy- it is not an optional thing- its needed. Otherwise, the steel warps, bends up, and moves, throwing off the torch to metal distance, or just knocking the torch out of registration. Either way, scrap that piece, and start over. Gets irritating on expensive sheets.
Reply:Thank's Ries,I was actually looking at the DYNATORCH website yesterday. I agree, from what I can see it's a nice overall package(I like the steel frame base as opposed to the alum extrusion type and the open side load feature is nice as well. I would be worried about alum frame getting permanently damaged in a daily fab shop environment)Rob,RHLKUSTOMS  www.RHLKUSTOMS.comMiller MIGmatic 200Lincoln Idealarc Tig 300