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  1. Hey,

    I'm looking into building a 12ft x 6ft Plasma cutting machine.

    I'm selecting a 12x6 as for I reckon it might be cheaper to buy 10x5 sheets and just in-case I might need the exceptional larger sheet for a job.

    The type of machine I'm going to use is one of the machines in the , http://www.engineering-machinery.ie/manual-plasma ,with the straight gun nozzle instead of the trigger gun, http://www.engineering-machinery.ie/manual-plasma/81-hypertherm-duramax-mechanized-upgrade-torches-for-powermax1000-1250-and-1650

    I'd appreciate anybodies advice, help or thoughts on this type of build.

    What is the best material to use?

    What do I use for the rails?

    What do I make the gantry from?

    I'm gonna be building a 12x6 table anyway as for I'm gonna buy a plasma so why not CNC it altogether.

    As soon as I have some rough plans done up I will put up some images. Any extra help with this would be greatly appreciated.

  2. #2
    Hi

    I would go straight to CandCNC for the electronics, they do some great kits and the stuff is first class, I have there MP3000-DTHCII torch height controller and it works great, great support too.

    I am at the start of a second build now, this time i'm going with HiWin linear rails and ballscrews but my one is only a 1250x1250mm size, any bigger and i would have gone with rack and pinion drive.

  3. The Following User Says Thank You to Davek0974 For This Useful Post:


  4. Hi Dave,

    Thanks, yes I've seen CandCNC pop up alot when I've been looking around.

    Have you any pictures of your own machines?

    Gav,

  5. #4
    This is my first build - it was an educational exercise that got pressed into mini-production It worked really well on my Powermax 30XP but that was a hand system and difficult to use on CNC, I then upgraded to a PM45 and now the table cannot go fast enough !

    I am now building a new, bigger table to match the PM45.

    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

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  7. #5
    Hi,

    I am almost ready with my mixed universal machine which will do plasma also, usually at the back side of the table. That for the moment untill i have time to build me a dedicated plasma machine. So i investigated this and that.

    here are my thoughts on building a dedicated plasma machine, especially one your intended size. I can further elaborate on the "why" if you have any questions

    Preliminary:
    - study commercial designs that size
    - decide on a budget and don't cut any corners cause that machine size is not for hobby

    Machine:

    -make machine and table SEPARATE

    -build left side and right side as beams only , supported by legs, leveled by screws that screw on integrated in floor plates

    -for left right structures, use sth like 120x120x4mm at least, better would be sth like 140x140x4 at least, best would be beam like 200x200x4. The bigger the better, the longer could be the element, the simpler.

    -RP obviously, use proven design with community support , don't go for belt to belt drives following a hype, unless you have made previous working machine, you want top make money, not test ideas . Avoid expensive RP, special shapes, special gear boxes, etc. In other words maybe go for the CNCrouterparts design and i would even buy from them the pieces for a piece of mind

    -spend time on the design and make it truly modular, cause one day even this one could be short for you

    -rails - on such a machine no doubt i would use at least Hiwin20 rail, but best would be the low wide rail / MGW15 size/ which is stainless by the way , so are the carriages and the balls. Other benefit of using the slightly more expensive MGW is that you could make the gantry rail only 1, same with the Z. One rail only.

    -motors- no need to tell you to use servo motors, i hope you have that clear already. you will need the speed for cutting thin stuff without bending. If you have doubts forget them and use servo motors, at least for the closed loop, cause i dont want to think what would happen to a geared , even light, RP gantry flying at tremendous speed cutting thin stuff that suddenly racks due to lost steps. i will tell you- it will be bad.

    - ATHC, one thing that is clear to me is it must be "real" , no semi THC with simple arc controls there. meaning it must control the motor on the Z somehow, a motion control. I bought the Neuron THC. Its a new one, more or less is same or even better compared to the CANDCNC , who by the way is not my favorite guy to deal with. If you dig deeper you will see some ridiculous statements made by him, here and there, even at his web, talking about chinese machines and warranty and so...
    Now i still can not tell you how good the Neuron works, but i can tell you is made in EU, Andrei is very helpful and knowledgeable guy. I received mine without any hassle and Andrey said at the moment the machine is running we will make Skype contact and he will adjust whats necessary remotely for a first run. What more do you want as a support?

    -Plasma is not 100% necessary to be Hyper therm . Now here many will cry, but they are the best. Yeah, but ...if i was buying from USA in $$, maybe. Not with that EU price. First of all consider Thermall Dynamics/Victor or re branded as ESAB and other, here in EU. The magic word is CUTMASTER/ . 20-30% cheaper and original consumables are much readily available everywhere and much cheaply.
    Secondly consider German-Chinese machine from eBay with quality control better than pure Chinese and with 5 year warranty. I have such and confirm that the MIG, ARC and Plasma work like a charm. Now change the Chinese plasma crap torch with universal Thermal Dynamics torch like SL60 or SL100 and you have a winner.Still not tested though but soon will report. Now even cheaper if you find Radnor which is the sam
    Andrey who makes the Neuron told me in some conversation that many people in Russia change the torches with Binzel torches and all works like a charm.


    Hope that helps. I am talking a bout a superiour build, that does not necessary has to be very expensive.

    project 1 , 2, Dust Shoe ...

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  9. wow guys thanks for the replies there great so far.

    silyavski I was thinking of something like the image at the end of your quote build my table first use it if I need to then progress to cnc it asap. I'm new to this whole scene but I willing to try anything as long as I'm learning from it and it has something to do with my industry.

    I'm thinking of a bench approx 12'6 x 6'6 so I can sit a 12x6 sheet onto it with finger or hook room. Might even place it in a room 20x8 ish with a little overhead gantry to keep it all tidy away.

    The table will probably be 75x75x5 square tube and 50x50x5 square tube with a water tray similar to this.

    And the left/right sides will probably be the 140x140x6mm at least. What will I make the gantry out of?
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

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    Gavin,

    F1 Transportation & Engineering Services
    [email protected]
    We Move, Repair & Fabricate.

    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/f1transport
    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/pub/f1-tran...ces/61/783/a06

  10. Quote Originally Posted by Davek0974 View Post
    This is my first build - it was an educational exercise that got pressed into mini-production It worked really well on my Powermax 30XP but that was a hand system and difficult to use on CNC, I then upgraded to a PM45 and now the table cannot go fast enough !

    I am now building a new, bigger table to match the PM45.


    Is that the Machine on the you tube video??

    https://youtu.be/vETkf1sqo3M
    Gavin,

    F1 Transportation & Engineering Services
    [email protected]
    We Move, Repair & Fabricate.

    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/f1transport
    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/pub/f1-tran...ces/61/783/a06

  11. #8
    No, thats not my machine on youtube.

    My one is belt drive not chain as well ;)

  12. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by F1transportationserv View Post
    The table will probably be 75x75x5 square tube and 50x50x5 square tube with a water tray similar to this.

    Hang on a mo', stop drawing and start thinking...
    You have to support the slats that support the work piece and you have to support them through the water bed. I don't see slat support. A water table 5' x 8' is 40 square feet so every inch depth weighs slightly over 200 lbs. You have to support that to, add some triangles perhaps.
    When you weld this thing up it is going to bend. Suggest you do not weld the gantry supports because you will only end up trying to correct the misalignment with a THC. Best if you correct misalignment with screw adjustment or, let the gantry assembly rest on the table so it conforms.
    More if you want it...

  13. Quote Originally Posted by Robin Hewitt View Post
    Hang on a mo', stop drawing and start thinking...
    You have to support the slats that support the work piece and you have to support them through the water bed. I don't see slat support. A water table 5' x 8' is 40 square feet so every inch depth weighs slightly over 200 lbs. You have to support that to, add some triangles perhaps.
    When you weld this thing up it is going to bend. Suggest you do not weld the gantry supports because you will only end up trying to correct the misalignment with a THC. Best if you correct misalignment with screw adjustment or, let the gantry assembly rest on the table so it conforms.
    More if you want it...
    That was an idea i came across for the table, I have this one also as an idea separate table to the gantry with maybe a 4 hole base plate for leveling up (or is this too much)??
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

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    Gavin,

    F1 Transportation & Engineering Services
    [email protected]
    We Move, Repair & Fabricate.

    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/f1transport
    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/pub/f1-tran...ces/61/783/a06

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