CNC PLASMA anyone?

[slm222]

I am looking into buying a cnc plasma so i can start manufacturing fabrication brackets and mass produce shock tabs and the such...I will also be able to bustom cut brackets for people(cutomers).Plans for a mill and lathe are on th e way to...I just opened my shop in south Texas call Full Turn Fabrication and have built some pretty big truck as well as some 4 linked superduty trucks kind of something similar to the rize setup but not nearly as expensive. Im hoping the CNC Plasma will help me speed up fab work. Does any one have any oppinions on a cnc plasma to go with....Im looking into the brand Plasma cam so far it looks like the winner...any oppinions would be appreciated. Thanks

[Whaley Enterprises]

plasma cam is junk...plasma is not to great for production work, but it does work very well for custom parts.


www.dynatorch.com

ask for walt

[Bruce T]

I have a Plasmacam and love it. Never had one problem that wasnt my fault. Plus they give you free software upgrades when they become available. One thing to keep in mind is there are people who have had problems with no matter what they buy. I personally have a friend with a Dynatorch, which was one of my other top choices, and it was a nightmare to get running correctly. The list of problems for him was very long and it took a few months to get worked out. That combined with some misleading information would make me think twice (or 3 times) about doing business with them when I upgrade to a bit larger machine. I wish my Pcam was a little bigger but to be honest I've never really needed it because I just index it and continue on. I also built a 5x8 roller top feed table wich makes it nice and easy to move 1/2 inch sheets with one hand. You will not beat the software with a Pcam and for the price it is very tough to beat. And they dont charge you an extra 3 grand for it either. Like Whaley said, plasma's not really great for production but it is good for prototype and custom work. In your case it would work well for customers but dont plan on any mass production of tabs and such. There are too many places that can stamp them out by the thousands for very cheap. PM me if you want any other info on a plasma cam and my experiences with it.

[cherokee kidd]

I haven't had experience with anything other than the Pcam and once we got the bugs worked out of it(We mad a more accurate torch holder and got the amps and feed speeds right) it works excellent. For the price I don't think you could ask for a better machine.

[BlueTorch]

I have a TorchMate. I would not plan on mass producing parts with it. Anything that needs a hole and fit well needs to be drilled. All of my mass produced parts we laser cut.

Unless you have a ton of work in the shop I would just farm the work out. That is unless you have the extra coin to drop on the equipment. Keep in mind you need to factor in all of the "other" stuff you need to buy to make the machine work. Computer, air compressor, electrical, plasma cutter, design software, a large stock of raw material to cut, and so on.

-Dan

[4x4not]

A CNC Plasma machine is on my wish list of things I *WILL* eventually own, but I'm about 5 years off of that purchase!

[Bruce T]

Keep in mind you need to factor in all of the "other" stuff you need to buy to make the machine work. Computer, air compressor, electrical, plasma cutter, design software, a large stock of raw material to cut, and so on.

-Dan

Also the big one, TIME. I do stuff for a few shops that could really benefit from one but there simply isnt the time to do the cutting AND do the daily things needed to run a business. I provide more than just some cut parts. I provide time so they can concentrate on more important things in their shop.

[300sniper]

what size compressor are people using for a cnc plasma set up? does the computer know when to stop if the air can't keep up? i have been seriously thinking about getting a set up but have very limited knowledge on cnc machines.

[Bruce T]

air volume depends on plasma cutter being used. I used to use a 5hp 30 gallon from sears and it could keep up to almost continuous cutting with a 60amp cutter. Now I use a true 5hp 2 stage 80 gallon and there is no problems keeping up at all. My plasma cutter (hypertherm 1000) will shut down if the air pressure drops below a certain level and my software (plasmacam) will stop the head instantly and you can restart right where it left off when air pressure is returned to normal. Not sure on other brands but thats how mine is.

[300sniper]

good to know.

[Whaley Enterprises]

I have a Plasmacam and love it. Never had one problem that wasnt my fault. Plus they give you free software upgrades when they become available. One thing to keep in mind is there are people who have had problems with no matter what they buy. I personally have a friend with a Dynatorch, which was one of my other top choices, and it was a nightmare to get running correctly. The list of problems for him was very long and it took a few months to get worked out. That combined with some misleading information would make me think twice (or 3 times) about doing business with them when I upgrade to a bit larger machine. I wish my Pcam was a little bigger but to be honest I've never really needed it because I just index it and continue on. I also built a 5x8 roller top feed table wich makes it nice and easy to move 1/2 inch sheets with one hand. You will not beat the software with a Pcam and for the price it is very tough to beat. And they dont charge you an extra 3 grand for it either. Like Whaley said, plasma's not really great for production but it is good for prototype and custom work. In your case it would work well for customers but dont plan on any mass production of tabs and such. There are too many places that can stamp them out by the thousands for very cheap. PM me if you want any other info on a plasma cam and my experiences with it.

Are you sure it was a dynatorch and not a dynacnc?

we had our dynatorch running in less than one day,granted my one employee had alot of experience running a torchmate so maybe that helped out quite a bit. I do know that when he had setup a torchmate table at a previous job that it did take along time to get it up and runnning. Anytime we have an issue we call them and they fix it..When we bought our machine we drove to ky to pickup at dynatorch, where we were trained by Walt the owner. I just couldnt see there being any issue espcially if your friend called them to discuss what the problems were. The dynatorch software just seems so far ahead of many other that are out there. What misleading info? I'm just curious as have been nothing but satisfied by our dynatorch machine and there customer service/tech support. We spent many hours on the phone and researching before we bought our plasma, I just couldn't see going with any other machine when you compare features construction, software and customer support.

[guidolyons]

I've been looking at the 4x4 Torchmate and PracticalCNC (both approx $6,000)...The PracticalCNC machine includes a Z axis and extruded aluminum frame, unlike the do it yourself built your own table torchmate. But like Dan said there more to it than just getting a CNC machine, it's all the "other stuff", and since mine would be hobbie related not a full time job, it would be hard to recoup $8,000 ($6000 CNC+$2000 Plasma cutter). Something I would like to have one day, too but there are a lot of other things I could spend $8K on.
Logjam grant built his own CNC plasma table...

[Bruce T]

Are you sure it was a dynatorch and not a dynacnc?

we had our dynatorch running in less than one day,granted my one employee had alot of experience running a torchmate so maybe that helped out quite a bit. I do know that when he had setup a torchmate table at a previous job that it did take along time to get it up and runnning. Anytime we have an issue we call them and they fix it..When we bought our machine we drove to ky to pickup at dynatorch, where we were trained by Walt the owner. I just couldnt see there being any issue espcially if your friend called them to discuss what the problems were. The dynatorch software just seems so far ahead of many other that are out there. What misleading info? I'm just curious as have been nothing but satisfied by our dynatorch machine and there customer service/tech support. We spent many hours on the phone and researching before we bought our plasma, I just couldn't see going with any other machine when you compare features construction, software and customer support.

Its a dynatorch, he went to Kentucky to get it/look it over. BUT I will say that he had a guys (I think it was Walt) cell number and he called him all week and one weekend and he almost always answered his phone and was completely helpful. Some of the problems were that when it ran it shook and it was clearly seen in the cut. This was narrowed down to the guy installing the motors was overtightning the one side of the shaft collar tweaking it and making it "off" some. But it took a few shipments back and forth for new motors and such. Another problem was in the software but I dont think it theirs and supplied by another company. I know he has two programs to use to make it easier but it still looked WAY to complicated to use for a plasma table, it looked to be more geared to cnc routing and some other stuff (cant remeber which). There were some other smaller issues with not getting shipped the parts he paid for, and it was resolved, but it took a few weeks to get everything straight. The misleading part was some stuff he was told while there to see a demo and get an order together and they failed to mention a few important things. If you want more specifics pm me. I'm going off his side of the story so who knows? Dont get me wrong, i think its a great system and if/when I need a bigger table its at the very top of my list unless Pcam comes out with a 4x8 (although there is a guy who made his 4x8 using factory pcam parts) I just think for the much higher cost it wasnt worth it for me. Bigger the table the more you need for suction table ect. Just like everything (ford/chevy, miller/lincoln, mac/windows, michigan/ohio st) there are people who love AND hate a product. Anything you buy could be a dissappointment or a joy so do a lot of research and buy what you feel will be the least hastle.

[Whaley Enterprises]

Its a dynatorch, he went to Kentucky to get it/look it over. BUT I will say that he had a guys (I think it was Walt) cell number and he called him all week and one weekend and he almost always answered his phone and was completely helpful. Some of the problems were that when it ran it shook and it was clearly seen in the cut. This was narrowed down to the guy installing the motors was overtightning the one side of the shaft collar tweaking it and making it "off" some. But it took a few shipments back and forth for new motors and such. Another problem was in the software but I dont think it theirs and supplied by another company. I know he has two programs to use to make it easier but it still looked WAY to complicated to use for a plasma table, it looked to be more geared to cnc routing and some other stuff (cant remeber which). There were some other smaller issues with not getting shipped the parts he paid for, and it was resolved, but it took a few weeks to get everything straight. The misleading part was some stuff he was told while there to see a demo and get an order together and they failed to mention a few important things. If you want more specifics pm me. I'm going off his side of the story so who knows? Dont get me wrong, i think its a great system and if/when I need a bigger table its at the very top of my list unless Pcam comes out with a 4x8 (although there is a guy who made his 4x8 using factory pcam parts) I just think for the much higher cost it wasnt worth it for me. Bigger the table the more you need for suction table ect. Just like everything (ford/chevy, miller/lincoln, mac/windows, michigan/ohio st) there are people who love AND hate a product. Anything you buy could be a dissappointment or a joy so do a lot of research and buy what you feel will be the least hastle.

well i had a very good experience and love the machine. I only drawback i have is using the 2 different softwares. It just takes time to move the file from cad, then to enroute, then to the dynatorch software. I wish this process was faster. Does plasmacam off nesting, kerf compensation all in one program? It seems that bigger gantry tables do have some movement of the table, i have observed a torchmate running, it seemed to shake quite a bit. When I have a full sheet on my table I have almost zero table movement but if there is little weight on the table it moves a bit. I was thinking about welding the tabe together or adding some more bracing. Im sure the torchmate could be fixed in same manor.

[Bruce T]

Yes, Pcam has kerf comp and sorta nesting. For nesting you just copy and rotate a time or two them copy them and so on. It takes about 30 seconds to get a full sheet's worth of small parts. On the enroute (or whatever one you use) has it where you hit one button I think, but Pcam is nice because you can place them anywhere you like with as much or as little space between the parts you would like. Sometimes I like a bit more space between them for less warpage and stuff. I've seen a lot of cnc software and I really like the pcam because it seems to have every feature you could possibly use without the extra clutter that we cant even use on a cnc plasma. I can scan in almost anything (you too probably), use nearly any file format, draw complex items without using dxf, use all the different types of snaps, ect.
Although most of my customers send me their files in dxf or ai and can have it up and cutting in a few minutes. Dxf files are nice because they import to size and if its wrong its their fault. Most of my customers are sign companies.

The part that was shaking was actually the gantry which made the whole table shake. Mine never shook, but mine is only 4x4 and bolted together nicely, where maybe your bigger size causes some leverage issues maybe?

[slm222]

thanks for all the posts guys really helpful....i already have a big compressor and needed to get a good plasma anyway...you are right i wont be producing tabs since companies already do that by stamping them. but iwill produce 4 link brackets and motorcycle parts(stainless)...so i think all your info really will help aid in my decision.

[Darkflight]

Hey was up Slm222 your in my neck of the woods, where is you shop located.

I am just north of Edinburg.

PM me you location and biz number so i can see some of your work.

I know another shop owner from the McAllen/Mission area.

Thanks for your time.:smokin:

[Darkflight]

Hey was up Slm222 your in my neck of the woods, where is you shop located.

I am just north of Edinburg.

PM me you location and biz number so i can see some of your work.

I know another shop owner from the McAllen/Mission area.

Thanks for your time.:smokin:

[Darkflight]

Hey was up Slm222 your in my neck of the woods, where is you shop located.

I am just north of Edinburg.

PM me you location and biz number so i can see some of your work.

I know another shop owner from the McAllen/Mission area.

Thanks for your time.:smokin:

[SeanP]

I have the plasmacam set up. I think they have the sub-$10K marketshare pretty well wrapped up. They have a yahoo group. Search PIGinfo on yahoo.
The forum structure sucks but there are a lot of good messages and feedback.

I bought the table to make a little money with it. Here's some of the high's and lows:

1) Make sure you have a way to vent the table. When you get the cut speed right, the torch sends off billowing clouds of smoke. This leaves a fine dust on EVERYTHING. Electronic components (your shop PC) don't take kindly to metal dust, neither do your lungs. Cutting stainless is downright poisonous. I built a downdraft bottom to my table and have a 3500 CFM squirrel cage fan that sucks the smoke and blows it out the side door.

2) As was said, this is not a "set it and forget it" machine. If you want to mass produce parts, you will need to babysit the torch as it travels and make sure that parts don't fall partway down and bugger up the torch as it travels. I have had problems keeping the torch firmly seated in it's carrier (would be interested in pics of your fix Cherokee Kidd) and that impacts final pieces.

3) The Plasmacam software does a great job of controlling the torch height, calcuating kerf width into the measurements and controlling all the variables. The software does not have an automatic nesting feature, but like Bruce T mentioned, its easy to copy and past and rotate a whole page of parts if needed.

4) The software sucks for drawing. I still haven't figured out how to draw a rectangle by tying in the exact measurements i want. You have to drag to the size you want and a mouse just isn't the tool for this. I have struggled to teach myself, ACAD, Illustrator and CorelDraw and have gotten good at figuring out which files need to be converted to which format to work with the P-CAM unit. This is a big time sink to be productive.

5) Materials handling is a bitch. a 4x4 sheet of .25" mild is 160#. A roller table would help, but it's still a good two person job to drag it over the cutting grate points. If you do thicker than .25", look at having bar stock to use.

5.5) There are lots of variables to success with a CNC plasma. Keep a spread sheet of everytime you cut with notes. I track: Tip size (40 or 80a), amperage, metal type (mild, al, stainless), metal thickness, pierce height, cut height, travel speed. The goal is to get a good cut with minimal dross to clean up.

6) Plasmacam offers support via telephone for a very limited time. Make sure you ask what their support policy is. They do stand behind their products pretty well in terms of upgrades.

7) Use a big compressor capable of 14+ CFM at 90PSI. Also, use a motorguard filter prior to the P-CAM unit. Contaminated air burns up consumables and impacts cut quality.

8) Overall, I have a great fab tool that I can make a little side work on. It's a luxury to have $12+K wrapped up in this tool, but it sure brings the friends out of the woodwork. I am still working on the "business" aspect of it, but my day job pays me many times what I could make fabbing parts on the table. Someday, when I don't have a CA-sized mortgage and kids education to worry about, I would love to make some cool art work, signs, and custom pieces.

good luck

[ivanirons]

Any thoughts of building your own? If you are a reasonably good fabricator, it is not that difficult.

There are plenty of plans on the internet to build CNC Plasma Cutters and plenty of CNC Resources (http://www.cncinformation.com)around.

Ivan Irons
http://www.cncinformation.com

[frankensammy]

I have a Pcam and have no complaints.
They also sell a 5x10 table under the brand name Sampson http://www.samsoncnc.com/
Or as stated earlier you can later increase the length of the Pcam table using factory parts.

The Yahoo group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PlasmaCAM_TechTalk/ does have some good info. There is also some software on there to store the settings for different materials and tips and then upload them to Pcam. If you are a member of the Yahoo group here is the link http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PlasmaCAM_TechTalk/files/PlasmaCAM%20Configure%20Utility/

[Mechanos]

Any thoughts of building your own? If you are a reasonably good fabricator, it is not that difficult.

There are plenty of plans on the internet to build CNC Plasma Cutters and plenty of CNC Resources (http://www.cncinformation.com)around.

Ivan Irons
http://www.cncinformation.com

Another good source for info on building your own is CNCzone.

[bigtoy302]

Another good source for info on building your own is CNCzone.

X2. I will be building a cnc table starting next month, I plan on doing a build thread here.

[tooltoys]

I have been looking hard at the Chromed out Plasma Table. I saw it in an ad in Oklahoma, but they will ship it to me. (www.cnccuttingmachines.com) I am trying to get my funds in order now. I priced out others and their cheaper, but once you compare what you get it's no wonder why-nothing is included like the CNC Table I'm looking at. It is supposed to come ready to go when it arrives and with a visit from a tech for 2 full days. Has anyone had the tech come out and teach them? Thanks.

[KrebsATM02]

I have been looking hard at the Chromed out Plasma Table. I saw it in an ad in Oklahoma, but they will ship it to me. (www.cnccuttingmachines.com) I am trying to get my funds in order now. I priced out others and their cheaper, but once you compare what you get it's no wonder why-nothing is included like the CNC Table I'm looking at. It is supposed to come ready to go when it arrives and with a visit from a tech for 2 full days. Has anyone had the tech come out and teach them? Thanks.

Half the pictures on their website don't work when you click the thumbnails.

They also claim .0005 precision. I'd really be interested in seeing that.

It does look like a neat, compact package, but it's hard to tell with the small pics.

[Todd W]

Half the pictures on their website don't work when you click the thumbnails.

They also claim .0005 precision. I'd really be interested in seeing that.

It does look like a neat, compact package, but it's hard to tell with the small pics.

The guy who posted that makes his post sound a little spammmy... one post, old thread, link to company selling product. Seems kind of suspicious :confused:

[SPEEDCRAVIN]

I have been looking hard at the Chromed out Plasma Table. I saw it in an ad in Oklahoma, but they will ship it to me. (www.cnccuttingmachines.com) I am trying to get my funds in order now. I priced out others and their cheaper, but once you compare what you get it's no wonder why-nothing is included like the CNC Table I'm looking at. It is supposed to come ready to go when it arrives and with a visit from a tech for 2 full days. Has anyone had the tech come out and teach them? Thanks.

I have seen those guys advertise on craigslist... OKC area I think...

JOSH