Our in-depth video demonstration of the machine and software shows all the steps required to design and make several example projects. This part is crucial to see if you are serious about buying a machine, because the usability of the system is the key to how well it will work for you.
The video includes footage of many other projects made with the machine and includes stories from customers who use them, so you can see different ways it can be used, the types of material it cuts, and the accuracy, reliability and production capability. You’ll be inspired to do new things when you see the possibilities, and the time you spend watching the video before making a big decision will really pay off later.
We’d love to mail you a free DVD along with a detailed color brochure, specifications, plasma cutter and computer requirements, and current pricing (or you can access this info online).
Virtually any metal can be plasma cut including steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, copper, etc. Any thickness from 30 gauge through 1½ inch can be cut, depending on the plasma cutter used. You can even cut irregular material like diamond plate and corrugated, perforated, or expanded metal. Plastics and wood are not electrically conductive and cannot be plasma cut, although they can be cut with our optional router attachment.
The PlasmaCAM machine holds up to 1-inch-thick steel plate without problems. We stress tested the frame, and it actually held more than 15 times this weight without collapsing! Customers rarely report damaging the frame. When they do, they usually mention a high-speed forklift crash or heavy material falling from a loose crane. In these cases, the damaged parts were much easier to replace than if the whole frame had been welded together.
PlasmaCAM machines use high-performance servo motors with 0.0005 inch resolution that can cut 1000 inches per minute with up to 1G of acceleration. Our unique zero-backlash design delivers maximum accuracy. These advantages allow detailed cutting that is not possible from slower machines with stepper motors and backlash. We also offer the highest performance plasma cutters and provide all the torch parts you need for the best possible cuts. PlasmaCAM machines are often used to cut parts to +/-0.005 inch or tighter tolerances, with features (like slots or hairs) as narrow as 0.03 inch.
We use high-tech servo motors rather than lower-cost stepper motors so that your machine will cut better parts. Experienced machine tool users know that servo motors are better than stepper motors, because newer, high-performance machines (like CNC mills) use servo motors, whereas older, more troublesome machines used stepper motors. Our motors (and many other carefully engineered details) make PlasmaCAM machines cut more accurate and intricate shapes than other machines.
Servo motors use optically-encoded feedback for closed-loop control. The controller always knows the true position of the torch, which is why you can see it move in our software if you move the torch by hand. Stepper motors use open-loop control, meaning the controller must always “trust” that the motor has moved exactly as requested each time a step is sent. Without feedback, it can’t detect when the motor gets out of sync with its intended position. So even if you avoid bumping the machine, it can still loose position while running due to its own jolts, vibrations, friction, hang-ups, etc. When any of the millions of steps required to cut shapes are corrupted, they accumulate and lead to a potentially undetected chain reaction of ruined parts and material.
Servo motors also increase performance because they efficiently drive loads at higher speeds with inline forces. Stepper motor torque drops off with speed, limiting how fast they can actually push loads. Also most of their power is used inefficiently, with forces that hold position at right angles or push loads at oblique angles (like someone pulling a car up a slope from the side instead of from the front). This is why stepper motors get so much hotter than servo motors, even when they run a slower machine.
Stepper motors must be oversized for their inefficiency and so they will lose position less often. This adds more inertia and inductance, further hindering performance and limiting a plasma cutting machine’s ability to cut intricate shapes accurately. For these reasons, stepper motors are used mainly in low-cost, low-power, low-speed, and non-critical applications.
No. Because every machine is so different, there’s no standard that we could offer a solution for. You could buy a whole machine from us and transfer components over, but you won’t get the same PlasmaCAM performance due to mechanical design limitations of your machine. So whether you bought a machine from a company that went out of business, won’t help you, or just isn’t giving you the results you need, your best option is to scrap or resell what you have and start over with a standardized PlasmaCAM machine that’s reliable and supported for a long time.
Yes. Our DesignEdge software is so powerful, fast and easy to use that hundreds of customers buy it to design for and even program laser, water jet, and other plasma cutting machines. However it can’t directly run these machines the way you’ve seen PlasmaCAM machines run. You’ll still have to use your machine’s software that executes G-Code programs, and you won’t be able to change things on the fly. This, plus the fact that other plasma cutting machines can’t cut as fine of detail with the same speed and accuracy, makes customers often prefer the economics of reselling them—so they can get the full performance and streamlined operation of a PlasmaCAM system.
The width of material you can cut depends on the size of the machine, but the length is unlimited through indexing. So if you want to cut parts from 4ft by 8ft sheets (including occasional long pieces), you can use the standard 4ft by 4ft machine. Customers often use roller stands to support the material and help move it through the machine, or they buy 4×8 material sheared in half for easier handling when shop space is tight.
If you have more shop space and want to use the machine for more frequent production or larger pieces and material, you can use the 5ft by 10ft machine. We don’t sell a 4ft by 8ft machine for the simple reason that if the 4ft by 4ft machine doesn’t provide the production capability you need, you are much better off with a 5ft by 10ft machine that can also cut both 5ft wide material and 4ft by 10ft sheets.
The PlasmaCAM cutting system includes the complete machine plus our fully integrated DesignEdge software. The machine consists of a precise, rugged frame with an integral cutting grate and a high-performance, 3-axis control system with servo motors and a control panel. The DesignEdge software creates designs and directly controls the machine. Every part of the system has been specially designed to work together, giving you the most expedient, versatile, and high-quality plasma cutting.
You only need to provide a plasma cutter with a handheld torch (requires a compressed air supply) and a Windows-based personal computer (with parallel port and cable). We can provide these if you don’t have them, and we can arrange for you to finance the whole system if needed. Optional attachments are available for pipe cutting, engraving and routing. Optional software is available including Art Discs, HVAC software, Digital Height Control, automatic shape nesting, and more. Any of these options can be purchased later, so you can get started with a basic system and only add what you need when you need it.
You don’t have to fabricate anything to have a functioning PlasmaCAM machine. Unpacking and assembly time is minimal because everything has been preassembled and tested, except for major frame pieces that are best assembled after transport. Precision fabrication and quality control ensure that everything aligns correctly. The software also includes side panels you can cut with the machine for dust control.
Size the plasma cutter according to the material thickness you want to cut. Our standard torch interface allows you to use virtually any handheld plasma cutter in the machine, although results vary greatly across different brands. For the best possible cut quality, we can include a high-performance plasma cutter with all the extra parts you’ll need for mechanized cutting of various materials at different power levels.
You can use virtually any Windows-based desktop computer with a standard parallel port to run the machine. Laptops are not recommended due to their lack of parallel port options. We can include a parallel port and cable for your computer or even the whole computer if you need one. Refer to the requirements and recommendations given in the demo video packet before you buy a plasma cutter or computer.
No. Even complex projects are easy to make by scanning your own hand-drawn artwork or using artwork from another source, such as clip art. However, PlasmaCAM Art Discs make a great investment for individuals, businesses and schools who want to make all kinds of ornamental iron projects with minimal artistic skill or design time. PlasmaCAM artists have already done the work for you of both creating the art and optimizing it for plasma cutting in a ready-to-cut format. These unique designs are protected by rigorously defended copyrights, but our customers can make any modifications and unlimited numbers of products from them. The DesignEdge software comes with a free sample image from each Art Disc for you to try.
The PlasmaCAM system is very easy to learn and use. There’s no need for in-person training seminars or long startup times. Our video manual provides fast and effective training. Live-action illustrations and tutorials guide you through setup and operation of the machine. Several example projects also help you learn the software.
If you have basic computer skills, you can be up and running in a few hours. We provide free, high-quality telephone technical support if you need help. As a machine owner, you also gain access to our widely used online owner’s community forum.
The PlasmaCAM system is so well designed that maintenance and repair requirements are much lower than you might expect. The machine is covered by a 3-year limited warranty. We provide excellent support for the machine in case you need help, and replacement parts are readily available. Please see the purchase info in your demo video packet for more details on support and service.
Plasma cutting is often confused with oxy-acetylene cutting, laser cutting, and waterjet cutting. Each of these technologies cut metal in different ways that have pros and cons:
Oxy-acetylene is the conventional metal cutting torch that is portable and inexpensive (it has no electrical power supply). It blows two flammable gasses out of a nozzle in a parallel pattern, where the gasses burn and reach high temperatures. This hot stream of burning gas melts the metal in its path and blows it out of the way. The process cuts slowly, heats and warps metal the most, leaves the widest and roughest kerf, and gives the lowest accuracy. Starting a cut in the middle of a plate is also tricky. For these reasons, oxy-acetylene is not normally used for CNC cutting—except for when the metal is several inches thick.
Laser cutters focus intense light on metal to melt it, and compressed gas blows the molten metal away. This achieves the most intricate cuts, by focusing the laser beam on a small point and cutting a narrow kerf. The beam also helps achieve a straight cut as it reaches down through the material thickness. But as the material gets thicker, cut speed is limited by the power of the laser. The quality of the cut edge deteriorates, making thicker materials impossible or impractical to cut. Laser cutters are also very expensive and challenging to maintain and use. For these reasons, they are mainly used in high-volume manufacturing plants—often for cutting thinner pieces that require high accuracy.
Waterjet cutters shoot a high-pressure stream of water mixed with an abrasive that does the actual cutting. They cut a wider kerf than lasers, but they can cut much thicker materials. Waterjet doesn’t heat or warp the material, and it can also cut the largest variety of materials. The main drawback of waterjet is how slowly it cuts material versus how much the equipment costs to purchase, operate and maintain. The cost and consumption of the abrasive alone is substantial. For these reasons, waterjet is normally only used to cut what can’t otherwise be cut, like exotic materials or extremely thick parts that require high accuracy.
Plasma cutters use a simple electrical arc to superheat compressed air into plasma that is blown through the metal being cut. (Our sun is made of plasma – the fourth state of matter after solid, liquid and gas – not to be confused with blood.) Plasma cutters use sparks or moving parts to start the arc between an electrode and nozzle, and they quickly transfer the arc to the material. During cutting, electrons flow from the electrode to the material through compressed air that also flows out the nozzle while it is superheated. The power supply constantly varies voltage in order to maintain the desired current through the arc, which the operator can adjust for different material thicknesses or cut speeds.
Plasma cutters cut much faster and more precisely than oxy-acetylene. They produce a narrower kerf and less heat buildup, so the material warps less. They can easily pierce holes in material and start and stop cutting under CNC control. Plasma cutters are far simpler, safer, and less expensive than lasers or waterjets. The plasma torch is much easier to move around than a laser, which requires precisely aligned mirrors, or a waterjet, which requires high-pressure piping. Plasma cutting is unique because it is so practical that it has become the preferred method of hand cutting, while at the same time it is so powerful that when coupled with a high-performance PlasmaCAM cutting table, it can usually out-produce oxy-acetylene, laser and waterjet.
No. Water tables give poor results compared to downdraft systems. They can reduce installation costs and heat buildup problems of slower machines, but they add ongoing maintenance and corrosion problems and compromise cut quality. Our software includes panels you can cut to enclose the machine, so you can use a large fan to pull the smoke outside. Customers using machines where this is not possible use an air filtration system, or they make their own water tray positioned under the cutting grate or in place if it.
We designed the machine to hold hand torches because “machine torches” are less common, more expensive, and don’t cut any differently than hand torches (both use the exact same parts for cutting). Our design increases the options of cutters you can use and also allows you to use the cutter for hand cutting. If you want to use a machine torch, you can do so with an optional bracket, although you will get better results with a lighter, lower profile hand torch.
The parallel port provides a real-time, interactive connection between the computer and machine through a solid, industrial cable. All other machines using less robust interfaces have to be programmed in advance and run through a one-way process. The advantage of PlasmaCAM’s innovative functionality is hard to explain on a website, although it is shown in our demo video and understood by those who have actually used different types of machines. This advantage is well-worth using a computer with a parallel port, and we can provide a parallel port for your computer if you don’t have one.
We only sell directly in North America, without the added markup of dealers. The machine is so easy to use and maintain that our staff supports it by phone, without anyone having to visit your shop. Dealers who build long-term relationships with customers often recommend our machines and even resell them at cost, simply because they know how well they work and want their customers to be successful and continue buying other products from them.
Our demo video shows a much more comprehensive demonstration of the machine than a live demo could. But if you still want to see it in person before you buy, you can visit to our Colorado facility. You can even order a sample part cut to your specifications. Out of privacy and respect for our customers, we can’t send you to any in your area (such as your competitors). However our website includes many customer reviews and survey results, and we can even share phone numbers of customers in other random areas who are willing to take your call. Please contact us to discuss any special accommodations that you feel you need after you’ve watched the demo video.
We often sell through dealers outside of North America because of greater language, time zone, shipping, and marketing obstacles. In such places, local dealers are uniquely positioned to overcome these challenges and provide better sales, support and product availability. Please contact us for help if you are interested in buying a machine or becoming a dealer overseas.
Many of the sample projects shown throughout this website were made by our customers in their ornamental iron, sign, or landscaping businesses. You can make products like railings, gates, sculptures, benches, tables, furniture, truck racks, weather vanes, wind chimes, security doors, fireplace screens, company signs, ranch entries, address & welcome signs, key & coat racks, hardware, garden ornaments, candle holders, lamps, picture frames, mirrors, clocks, business card & napkin holders, decorative kitchen items, and so on. Some of our customers do high-end custom work while others do low-cost, large-volume manufacturing.
You can make impressive ornamental iron projects by welding together plasma cut pieces with formed metalwork like scrolls, bent or rolled bars and tubing, and twisted pickets and baskets. Shop Outfitters makes equipment for bending these shapes and offers a new book full of great project ideas, plans, and design techniques. Call them directly at 719-676-5555 or visit their website (shopoutfitters.com) for more information or to order their book.