new to plasma spider

[crisscross]

Good morning from northern Michigan.
Hello all, this is crisscross brand new to the whole cnc plasma realm. I am very familiar with metalworking, but have not had much exposure to cnc plasma. I am considering a machitech 5' x 5' with a hypertherm 85. Just wondering if anyone has input about this brand and if there are any pitfalls that I should know about. Anything will help. Just let me add the fact that I am considered stat blind.
Thank you in advance for any guidance.

[acourtjester]

Welcome aboard, having a table will expand your metalworking projects. You can use the search function in the upper right to see some projects that members have done. The field is open as to what you may find interesting. CNC will be another aid to expand your abilities, let the fun begin.

[plasmanewbie]

Welcome! Have never worked with a Machitech but have heard good things about the brand. I don't see that they offer a 5'x5' table. Which model are you looking at?

[adbuch]

Good morning from northern Michigan.
Hello all, this is crisscross brand new to the whole cnc plasma realm. I am very familiar with metalworking, but have not had much exposure to cnc plasma. I am considering a machitech 5' x 5' with a hypertherm 85. Just wondering if anyone has input about this brand and if there are any pitfalls that I should know about. Anything will help. Just let me add the fact that I am considered stat blind.
Thank you in advance for any guidance.

Welcome aboard Chris! That machitech is a brand I have never heard of before. I looked it up, but did not find a 5x5. I did find the MaverickCNC MV 5×5 CNC Plasma Table, but that is an entirely different company. Perhaps the one you are looking at is a new offering not shown at the machitech website. The Hypertherm Powermax 85 is a great machine, which I happen to have and use on my Plasmacam DHC2 4x4 table. Will this be a strictly "hobby" machine, or is this something you are adding to an existing metal fabrication business to expand your capabilities?
David

[adbuch]

What sort of budget do you have for purchasing a new cnc plasma table? And are you looking for an "all-in-one" CAD/CAM/Controller package, or are you leaning more towards using individual programs for you CAD, CAM, and table control? For the machitech table you have mentioned, I would be interested to see what sort of software is included - both for table control and the CAD/CAM portion.
David

[crisscross]

Thank you for the response, I am brand new to the whole cnc plasma thing. I am working with elite metal tools on this machine. please, if you have any input feel free to do so. Any help would be welcomed. I have a $ 25.000 budget.

[adbuch]

Thank you for the response, I am brand new to the whole cnc plasma thing. I am working with elite metal tools on this machine. please, if you have any input feel free to do so. Any help would be welcomed. I have a $ 25.000 budget.

I just checked out the Elite Metal Tools site, did a search for cnc plasma cutters and sorted by price (lowest first). I did not find the Machitech 5x5. I did see a 5x10 for $35000.

Will this be a strictly "hobby" machine, or is this something you are adding to an existing metal fabrication business to expand your capabilities? I ask, because for some folks $25K might be a little pricey for a hobby machine.

David

https://www.elitemetaltools.com/tool-sh ... sma-tables

[crisscross]

Thank you for your input, the cnc plasma is going to be used in addition to our current operation. We do custom metal work, such as decorative metal products. The plasma unit is going to be for entry level pricing in our operation. It sounds like you have a good bit of knowledge in this field. If I can ask, what brand of unit are you running, and is it being used for business or personal use. and if you were to buying now, what would look at purchasing and why? As I have stated I am brand new in this endeavor. I would like to avoid some of the pitfalls that I hear about.

Thank You
David Cross
President
Bear Creek Metal Art

[adbuch]

I was not able to find your website. You say you do custom metal work such as decorative metal products. Please show some examples of your current work so I we can get an idea what your current capabilities are. When you say "The plasma unit is going to be for entry level pricing in our operation" - please elaborate. Does this mean prototyping, or?

I own and use several of the Plasmacam 4x4 tables, and additionally a Plasmacam rotary pipe/tube cutter. I use this equipment for both business and personal projects. If I were buying now, I would be purchasing either the Plasmacam DHC2 4x4 or Plasmacam Sampson 5x10. These are basically the same tables except for size, and both use the "State of the Art" Design Edge CAD/CAM program which also runs the controller/table. A new DHC2 with software upgrades runs about $12k. I haven't priced the Sampson 5x10 lately, but I would guess around $16k with the same software upgrades. These prices do not include the plasma cutter. I would definitely buy the Hypertyerm brand, and depending on your thickness cutting requirements, anything from the Hypertherm 45xp to the Hypertherm Powermax 125. These machines use the Duramax torch system, which allows for the use of the Hypertherm FineCut consumables. The FineCuts are used on 10 ga. and thinner material and the benefits are narrower kerf width, less heat/warpage, and better for more detailed/intricate cuts.

Robert Johnson of Learn Plasmacam offers training seminars around the country, and he also offer individual one-on-one on-site training and setup at your facility. This alone is a huge PLUS as far a cnc plasma table selection goes. Let me know if you have further questions or need more information about the Plasmacam tables and Design Edge software.

David

https://learnplasmacam.ticketbud.com/

https://www.facebook.com/learnplasmacam/

https://www.youtube.com/c/learnplasmacam