If you have been dealing with an old plasma table that is causing a lot of problems or if you are looking to add a new piece of equipment to your shop, choosing the best CNC plasma table out there is going to be an important step.
There are a lot of different options, brands, styles and types of these tables on the market today. There are those designed for the do-it-yourselfer and those that are designed for actual commercial applications. For a machine shop, fabrication facility, metal supply center or any type of production facility avoiding the do-it-yourselfer option and going with the quality product will be well worth the additional price.
Size and Capacity
The considerations of size and capacity are two different issues but also related. If you have an existing shop, you will need to choose a CNC plasma table that is going to work within your current facility and space. The actual physical size of the plasma table will be a factor in most shops.
Along with the size will be the ability to handle different types of materials. This is the capacity of the table. The larger the table, the wider and longer the material that can be processed on the plasma table.
This is not just a factor of going “bigger is better.” In fact, looking carefully at the typical requests you have for this type of work will be instrumental in finding the right size and capacity.
Price and Features
While it is easy just to look at the bottom line price on any CNC plasma table, it becomes more complicated when you start looking at the features. There are several considerations that come into play in this category.
Typically, the systems that are built to move freely and to keep the equipment in top shape even with repeated or ongoing use are going to be value-added components. Look at things like the construction design, the materials used in the table and even the ability to handle the wider metal sheets is going to come into play.
Software
There is no point in choosing a plasma table that has incredibly complicated software. Instead, look for a simple system that is designed for ease of use with minimal training requirements.
You will be surprised at the options you will find when comparing different plasma tables and CNC systems. Spend time online to get a good idea of what different companies offer.
