2021 Best CNC Plasma Cutters, Affordable CNC Plasma Tables for Sale at Cost Price

Are you looking forward to DIY plasma cutter plans or coming up with an idea to buy affordable CNC plasma table kits for metal fabrication with plasma table sizes of 4x4, 4x8, 5x10, 6x12 in USA, UK, UAE, Canada, Australia, Russia, South Africa, China, India or other countries from Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Africa, and Oceania? Review the 2021 best CNC plasma cutter buying guide within your budget for metal fabricators, metalworkers, CNC machinists, operators and beginners, we'll offer you 2021 cheapest CNC plasma cutting machines with custom plasma cutting service to fit your CNC plasma cutting table plans, projects, and ideas.

What Is A Plasma Cutter?

Plasma cutter is a new type of thermal cutting machine for metal fabrication, which uses working gas and plasma arc with high-speed & high-temperature as the heat source to melt the metal locally, and blow away the molten metal with high-speed airflow at the same time to form a narrow plasma cut seams. This cutter is used to cut various metals, like carbon steel, stainless steel, copper, aluminum, cast iron, and more. It not only has narrow cutting seams, fast cutting speed, small heat-affected zone, flat cut, low workpiece deformation, simple operation, but also has significant advantages and energy saving effect. It is applied in all kinds of machinery, metal structure manufacturing, repair and installation service, sheet metal fabrication, hole drilling, digging and patching, beveling and more metal cutting projects & plans.

What Is A CNC Plasma Cutter?

CNC plasma cutters are computer numerical controlled metal cutting machines that use plasma torch to cut metals into different profiles and shapes with CNC controller, including mild steel, stainless steel, carbon steel, galvanized steel, hot rolled steel, cold rolled steel, iron, brass, copper, alloy, aluminum, bronze, and titanium. A CNC plasma kit is composed of machine frame, plasma CNC controller, plasma power supply, plasma torch, blade or sawtooth plasma table, driver, motor, plasma CNC cutting system, plasma CNC cutting software, guide rail, ball screw, optional parts and consumble parts. CNC plasma cutter is also known as plasma CNC cutter, CNC plasma table, CNC plasma cutting machine, CNC plasma cutting table, CNC plasma cutting system, CNC flame cutting machine, CNC oxy-fuel gas cutting machine, CNC flame plasma cutting machine, CNC oxy fuel cutting machine, CNC plasma & oxy-fuel cutting machine.

What Is A CNC Plasma Table?

CNC plasma table is a type of plasma CNC cutter with custom welding table top, which can be well adapt to cut metal projects with different sizes. CNC machines have a high degree of manufacturing flexibility, high accuracy, stable quality, high productivity, easy to improve working conditions, and are conducive to modernization of production management. CNC plasma table is a combination of plasma cutter and CNC technology, which can give play to the greater advantages of plasma cutting. In order to realize automatic cutting, CNC plasma cutting table must be capable of continuous feeding and automatic feeding, and the cutting torch must be able to move separately or in combination in the horizontal and vertical directions to form the required cutting curve. The various functional parts of the machine must be able to closely cooperate and coordinate to achieve precise continuous cutting. At the same time, various technical parameters can be flexibly adjusted and optimized to meet the cutting requirements of different metals.

How Does A CNC Plasma Cutter Work?

Plasma cutting is a machining method that uses the heat of a high-temperature plasma arc to melt at a metal workpiece, and to eliminate the molten metal by high-speed plasma momentum to create a slit. Plasma cutters send an electric arc by using gas like oxygen, nitrogen or compressed air. This turns the gas to plasma, as well as it promptly blasts through metal to cut it with broadband. A flame cutting torch works by adding a blast of oxygen to the flame which oxidizes the metal and turns it into slag. The plasma torch moves with a tool path directed by a computer. The term "CNC" means "Computer Numerical Control", which implies that a computer is used to control the motion supported G-code in a program. Compared to handheld plasma cutters, plasma CNC cutters realize automatic machining with high efficiency, high speed, and high quality.

What Are Plasma CNC Cutters Used For?

What materials can a plasma cutter cut? Plasma CNC cutters are used for cutting sheet metals, square and round metal tubes, including iron, cold rolled steel, hot rolled steel, stainless steel, galvanized steel, carbon steel, copper, brass, alloy, bronze, aluminum, titanium. Plasma cutting machines are widely used in the industries of machine tool manufacturing, petro-chemical equipment, light-industrial machinery, pressure vessel, shipbuilding, mining machinery, electric power, bridge construction, aerospace, steel structure, etc. Plasma cutters can be applied to hobbyists, home shop, home business, small shop, small business, school education, industrial manufacturing.

How Many Types of Plasma Cutters?

The most common types of plasma cutters include handheld plasma cutter (portable plasma cutter) and CNC plasma cutter (hobby CNC and industrial CNC). The most common plasma power supplies include Huayuan plasma cutter and Hypertherm plasma cutter.

According to the working methods, plasma cutting kits can be divided into dry plasma kits, semi-dry plasma kits and underwater plasma kits.

According to the cutting quality, plasma cutting kits can be divided into ordinary plasma kits, fine plasma kits, laser-like plasma kits, and so on.

According to the appearance types, plasma CNC cutters can be divided into:

Portable CNC Plasma Kits

The machine is portable, easy to setup, compact in structure, small in space and low in manufacturing cost. However, due to the limitation of the cantilever structure, the stress conditions are poor, the transverse deformation is prone to occur, the transverse cutting width is limited, and the rigidity is poor during high-speed cutting.

Gantry CNC Plasma Kits

The gantry-type supporting method is bidirectionally supported, the force is more uniform, the equipment has good rigidity, and can achieve a large lateral span, usually up to 3 to 10m. However, the equipment installation requirements are high, the structure is relatively large, and it takes up more plant area. The driving mode is divided into unilateral driving and bilateral driving. Unilateral drive and bilateral drive each have their own characteristics and applications. The unilateral drive avoids the high-precision synchronous control and complicated structure of the bilateral drive. However, due to the offset of the center of mass and the driving force does not pass through the center of mass, asymmetric inertial force will be generated during operation, which is prone to vibration, deformation and tilt. Therefore, it can only be used in a small span. The double-sided drive structure is relatively complicated and requires high-precision synchronous control on both sides, which can be used for a larger span and more stable movement.

CNC Plasma Table Kits

The cutting part and the machine are integrated, which is convenient to move in place, but the movement range of the cutting torch is relatively small, and the cutting width is subject to certain restrictions.

How Many Types of CNC Plasma Tables?

The most common types of CNC plasma table kits include 4x4 plasma tables, 4x8 plasma tables, 5x10 plasma tables and 6x12 plasma tables in feet, some user may call the CNC plasma cutting table kits as 48" x 48" types, 48" x 96" types, 60" x 120" types in inches, some user may call the table kits as 1212 types, 1325 types, 1530 types, 2040 types in millimeter (mm).

What Are The Advantages of Plasma Cutting?

Plasma cutting is an efficient metal cutting method for sheet metal and metal tubes, which has made it to be widely used in many different industries. You can get benefits from 10 best advantages with fast cuts, ease of use, lower cost, safe to use, multi-tasking, expanded versatility, wide range of material and thickness, eliminated plate warping, raised inside piercing speed, and diminished dross.

Compared with traditional manual & semi-automatic metal cutting method, automatic CNC metal cutting system is an integration of quality improvement and cost-efficiency. CNC metal cutting machines include computerized numerically controlled plasma, flame, water jet and laser cutting machine. It performs automatic, full-time, high-quality, high-utilization and efficient cutting according to the CNC nesting software.

In industrial production, metal thermal cutting generally includes gas cutting, plasma cutting, and laser cutting. Compared with gas cutting, plasma cutting has a wider cutting range and higher efficiency. The fine plasma cutting system is close to the quality of laser cutting in terms of the cutting surface quality of the material, but the cost is much lower than that of laser cutting. It has shown great advantages in saving materials and improving labor productivity. This has promoted the development of plasma cutting system from manual or semi-automatic to numerical control, and has become one of the main directions of the development of numerical control cutting technology.

1. It can cut thicker metals, such as stainless steel, aluminum and its alloys, copper and its alloys, cast iron and other metal materials. You can also use plasma gun to cut insulating materials and non-metallic materials with thickness of more than 150mm.

2. The cutting speed is fast, and the production efficiency is high, especially when cutting thin metals with high power, the production efficiency is improved more significantly.

3. The cutting quality is high, the slit is smooth and flat, the incision is narrow, and the heat-affected zone and deformation are smaller than other cutting methods.

4. Low cost, due to the high speed, the use of cheap gas such as nitrogen requires less raw materials and labor than other methods to cut the same material.

How Much Does A CNC Plasma Cutter Cost?

According to different requirements and configurations for plasma power supply, plasma torch, plasma CNC control system, sawtooth or blade plasma table, motor, driver, plasma CNC cutting software, plasma CNC cutting system, machine frame, guide rail, ball screw, optional parts and consumble parts, CNC plasma cutters have an affordable price range from $4,280.00 to $18,000.00 within your budget. The entry level unit is priced from $4,280.00, the professional high end unit is priced from $5,600.00, and the average cost is $6180.00. If you want to buy cheap CNC plasma table kits overseas, the fee of shipping costs, tax, and customs clearance should be included in the final price.

Pricing Guide

Specifications

Plasma Power Supply & Cutting Thickness

How To Use A CNC Plasma Cutter or CNC Plasma Table?

1. Manual Non-Contact Cutting.

a. Touch the torch roller to the workpiece, and adjust the distance between the nozzle and the plane of the workpiece to 3-5mm. (When the machine cuts, the "Cut Thickness Selection" switch is upscale).

b. Turn on the torch switch to ignite the plasma arc. After cutting through the workpiece, move to the cutting direction at an even speed. The cutting speed is based on the premise of cutting through. Too slow will affect the quality of the incision and even break the arc.

c. After cutting, turn off the cutting torch switch and the plasma arc goes out. At this time, compressed air is sprayed out at a delay to cool the cutting torch. After a few seconds, the ejection stops automatically. Remove the torch to complete the entire cutting process.

2. Manual Contact Cutting.

a. The "Cut Thickness Selection" switch is at the low level, and it is used when cutting thinner sheet metals by a single machine.

b. Place the torch nozzle at the starting point of the workpiece to be cut, turn on the torch switch, ignite the plasma arc, cut through the workpiece, and then move uniformly along the cutting direction.

c. After cutting, open and close the torch switch. At this time, the compressed air is still spraying out. After a few seconds, the spraying will stop automatically. Remove the torch to complete the entire cutting process.

3. Automatic Cutting.

a. Automatic cutting is mainly suitable for cutting thick workpieces. Select the "Cut Thickness Selection" switch position.

b. After removing the torch roller, the torch and the semi-automatic machine tool are firmly connected, and the attachment is provided in the random accessories.

c. Connect the power of the semi-automatic plasma cutting system, and install the radius rod or guide rail according to the shape of the project (if you need to cut arc or circle, a radius rod is required).

d. If the torch switch plug is turned off, replace the remote switch plug (prepared in the accessories).

e. Adjust the appropriate walking speed according to the thickness of the workpiece. And set the "up" and "down" switches on the semi-automatic cutter to the cutting direction.

f. Adjust the distance between the nozzle and the workpiece to 3-8mm, and adjust the center position of the nozzle to the starting strip of the workpiece slit.

g. Turn on the remote control switch. After cutting through the workpiece, turn on the power switch of the semi-automatic machine to cut. In the initial stage of cutting, pay attention to the cutting seam at any time and adjust to a suitable cutting speed. And pay attention to whether the two machines work normally at any time.

h. After cutting, turn off the remote control switch and the power switch of the semi-automatic plasma cutting machine. At this point, the entire cutting process is completed.

4. Manual Cutting Circle.

According to the material and thickness of the workpiece, choose the single or parallel cutting method, and choose the corresponding cutting method. Tighten the cross bar in the random attachment to the screw hole on the torch holder. To the required radius and tighten, then adjust the distance from the tip to the torch nozzle according to the length of the workpiece radius (the width of the slit must be considered). After adjustment, tighten the center fastening screws to prevent loosening, and loosen the cage to tighten the knurled screws. At this point, you can cut the workpiece.

What Is The Voltage of Plasma Cutter?

When the CNC plasma cutter completes the whole set of cutting work, the CNC plasma cutting system completes the control of the mechanical precision, and at the same time completes the control of the cutting and kerf quality with the plasma power supply. It can be said that a good plasma power supply has the ultimate cutting quality and the impact of accuracy is extremely important. In the actual use and operation of the CNC plasma cutting system, due to the brand of the selected machine plasma power supply, the power of the plasma power supply, the cutting gun of the plasma power supply, the cutting nozzle electrode and other consumables, and the thickness of the metal sheet, etc., it also includes various plasma arc cutting process parameters directly affect the stability, cutting quality and effect of the cutting process.

The power supply of manual plasma cutter must have a high enough no-load voltage to easily start the arc and make the plasma arc burn stably. The no-load voltage is generally 120-600V, and the arc column voltage is generally half of the no-load voltage. Increasing the arc column voltage can significantly increase the power of the plasma arc, thereby increasing the cutting speed and cutting higher thickness sheet metals. The arc column voltage usually can not be achieved by increasing the internal contraction of the electrode and adjusting the gas flow rate, but the arc column voltage should be less than 65% of the no-load voltage, if not, it will lead to the instability of the plasma arc.

How Thick Can Plasma Cut?

CNC plasma cutting machine: According to the size of the configured plasma power supply, the cutting thickness is generally within 0.5-100mm, and the high-power plasma power supply can cut to more than 100mm; CNC flame cutting machine: Ordinary cutting torch 6-180mm (maximum 250mm), special cutting torch generally does not exceed 300mm, of course, it can also be customized to be higher.

How To Choose A Dust Collector for CNC Plasma Cutting Table?

A material receiving and dust removal device for a CNC plasma cutting machine includes a workbench composed of a bracket and a grid-like work surface fixed on the top of the bracket. The bracket is provided with a material receiving plate that can move horizontally relative to the workbench and is located in the grid The bottom of the grid-shaped work surface is parallel to the grid-shaped work surface, and the material receiving plate is a steel wire mesh plate, the bottom of the workbench directly below the material receiving plate is provided with a dust removal water tank, and the bottom of the dust removal water tank is provided with wheels. The material receiving and dust removal device enables the workpieces and wastes cut by the plasma cutting machine and dropped below the working table to be easily taken out, and at the same time, it can greatly reduce the metal dust pollution generated when cutting the workpiece.

Troubleshooting

1. The working air pressure is too low.

When the plasma CNC cutter is working, if the working pressure is far lower than the pressure required by the instructions, this means that the ejection speed of the plasma arc is weakened, and the input airflow is less than the required value. At this time, a high-energy, high-speed arc cannot be formed. As a result, the incision is of poor quality, imperviousness, and incision buildup. The reasons for insufficient air pressure are: insufficient air input from the air compressor. The pressure adjustment of the air regulating valve of the plasma CNC cutting machine is too low, there is oil in the solenoid valve, and the air path is not smooth. Therefore, it is necessary to check these aspects one by one, and find the problems and improve them in time.

2. The working air pressure is too high.

If the input air pressure is too high, after the arc is formed, the excessive airflow will blow away the concentrated arc column, disperse the arc column energy, and weaken the cutting strength of the arc. The main reasons are: improper input air adjustment, over-adjustment of the air filter pressure reducing valve, or failure of the air filter pressure reducing valve.

3. Improper installation of wearing parts such as electrode nozzles.

The electrode nozzle is threaded and needs to be tightened in place. Due to improper installation of the nozzle, such as the thread is not tightened, or the vortex ring is installed improperly, the cutting will be unstable and the vulnerable parts will be damaged too quickly.

4. The input AC voltage is too low.

Before commissioning, check whether the power grid connected to the plasma CNC cutting machine has sufficient carrying capacity and whether the power cord specifications meet the requirements. The installation location of the plasma CNC cutter should be far away from large-scale electrical equipment and places with frequent electrical interference.

5. The ground wire is in poor contact with the workpiece.

Grounding is an essential preparation before cutting. If no dedicated grounding tool is used, insulation on the surface of the workpiece, and long-term use of a ground wire with serious aging, etc., will cause poor contact between the ground wire and the workpiece.

6. The cutting speed and verticality of cutting gun clamping.

The cutting speed should be fast or slow according to the different material and thickness of the cutting, and the current size. Too fast or too slow will cause uneven cutting surface and dross on the upper and lower edges. In addition, the cutting torch is not held vertically, and the sprayed arc is also sprayed obliquely, which will also cause the cutting surface to have a slope.

Plasma CNC Controller & Software

The most common controller and software combination is Starfire CNC control system and FastCAM nesting software. Of course, you can choose Mach3 CNC controller and FireControl CNC controller, Sheetcam plasma CAM software and Autodesk Fusion 360 plasma CAM software.

Starfire Plasma CNC Controller

Starfire CNC controller is designed with plasma interference, lightning protection, high reliability, and surge capacity. It has features of automatic breakpoint memory. It is suitable for all types of plasma & flame cutting machines. Optional wireless remote control can be used to realize long-distance operation.

FastCAM Plasma CAM Software

FastCAM is a fully automatic common edge continuous cutting nesting software. The software is mainly aimed at CNC cutting machines, including flame, plasma, laser and waterjet CNC cutting machines, used for drawing, programming, nesting, verification and CNC cutting of arbitrary shape parts. Using FastCAM can increase the rate of steel nesting and effectively save steel; improve the efficiency of programming, nesting and cutting, and effectively improve the efficiency of cutting production. The automatic co-edge nesting function is to realize rectangular parts and non-rectangular parts in the automatic nesting process, that is, the automatic co-edge of any part with different side lengths, without manual editing, and automatically process the co-edge and continuous cutting of different parts, in order to prevent And to avoid thermal cutting deformation, automatically process the cutting direction and the position of the perforation point, and use the cut edge to directly preheat the cutting to avoid perforation.

Plasma Cutter VS Plasma Welder

Plasma cutter comes from plasma welder, which is a unique type of plasma welding system. It uses plasma to fuse two metals together. By increasing plasma arc discharge, plasma welding machine can be transformed into plasma cutting system.

At this stage, most of the thermal cutting and welding businesses are from plasma. Among them, plasma cutting machine has developed portable, cantilever, gantry, desktop, tube cutting machine and other forms of cutting equipment, while plasma welder is divided into manual welding machine and robotic welding machine.

Plasma cutter uses a plasma arc to generate high temperature to melt the material to be cut. At the same time, it uses compressed gas to blow away the material to be cut into slits to complete the final cutting projects. It has the advantages of good cut quality, narrow cut width, high precision, fast cutting, safety, and cleanliness. It is an advanced metal cutter.

Plasma welder is a welding machine that uses plasma arc as a heat source and a certain composition of alloy material (metal wire, alloy powder) as a filler metal. Plasma arc welding is a high-quality welding method. The depth/width ratio of the weld is large, the heat affected zone is narrow, the deformation of the workpiece is small, and there are many types of weldable materials, especially the development of pulse current plasma welding and molten electrode plasma arc welding. The application range of plasma arc welding is expanded, and it has the advantages of high construction efficiency and low cost.