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by Customfabricated
What is a CNC Plasma Cutting System? These are I designed and built this system in my personal shop
computer controlled machines that can cut through utilizing several o -the-shelf components along with
any electrically conductive material (steel / stainless / some custom fabricated assemblies.
aluminum / copper). The machine takes a 2D
computer generated sketch and translates it to a Check out the following steps for a detailed overview
computer numerical control (CNC) system that is of my custom CNC Plasma build!
coupled with a Plasma Cutter. The Plasma Cutter uses
an electrical arc and high pressured air to cut through
the conductive material.
Pla nning
These two questions will drive the rest of your project. For me, I decided to build a table that can accommodate a
4x8ft sheet of material (4x8ft is one of the most common sizes for raw steel plate). Based on what I typically
fabricate, I wanted the ability to cut through 1/4in thick steel at a minimum.
Co m po ne nt s inv o lv e d
Below is a general list of the main components of a CNC plasma cutting system:
Pla s m a cut t e r - I elected to purchase a Hypertherm Powermax 65 plasma cutter for this build. This
machine is capable of cutting 1in thick steel.
Air co m pre s s o r - Plasma cutters require an air supply to operate and cut through materials. I
chose an Ingersoll 80 gallon air compressor which should have no issues keeping up with the air
supply demands from the system.
Co m put e r - a basic computer is required to run your CNC Control Software and hook up to your
motor control box
I began by building the main frame using 2x2x11ga square tubing and 2x3x11ga rectangular tubing. I included
drop down casters that pin in place for easy mobility. I also extended my gantry rails such that the gantry will roll
completely o the 4x8ft area to allow for easy loading of steel sheets. The dimensions of the gantry drove the width
of the table base.
I designed the cutting surface as a removable assembly. This allows me to lift the surface up and insert a water pan
as an option for dust and smoke control. This cutting surface uses 2x1/8in sacri cial slats and was built using the
following materials:
The cutting surface drops into place on the main frame. A set of 3in wide by 3/8in thick cold rolled at bars serve as
the rails for the gantry. Cold rolled materials maintain a higher dimensional tolerance than hot rolled. These rails
Before attaching your motors and wiring, it is prudent At this stage, I also wired up my Hypertherm Plasma
to bench test the system. This will ensure all your cutter so it will auto-start using a signal from the
motors and connections are fully operational and pre- CandCNC control box. The CancCNC instructions
programmed to turn in the correct directions. The walked me through this connection process.
instructions included with my CandCNC motor control
kit helped make this a straightforward process.
After fabricating the table base and cutting surface, speci ed distance even if the material being cut
the next step was to assemble and t check the begins to warp. Without THC, you run the risk of your
gantry. My gantry system from Precision Plasma was torch running into the work piece. A THC system also
built with extruded aluminum. prolongs the life of the plasma cutter consumables
(electrode / tip / nozzle).
This gantry incorporates a Z-axis allowing for torch
height control (THC). Torch height control is a highly I also opted to use belt reduction drive assemblies for
desirable feature on CNC plasma tables. This allows each motor. This helped to smooth out the operation
for active and automatic control of the distance and movement of the gantry.
between the torch tip and the material being cut. A
voltage feedback system automatically maintains a
I fabricated a desk out of 1.5in square tube to house my computer and monitor. Some folks mount their computers
directly to the CNC base. I opted to keep this as a separate assembly. My computer is kept underneath the desk top.
I subsequently added some sheet metal around the desk to protect the computer from dust.
An e cient means to draw out fumes and dust while I opted to incorporate a downdraft onto my table but
running a CNC plasma system is highly necessary. left the option open for a water table through the use
There are two common methods for this: a water table of a removable cutting surface. I started by enclosing
or a down draft. Each has their own set of advantages the table base using aluminum sheet metal. I
and disadvantages plumbed in qty 4 suction points using 10in HVAC duct
work. Each suction point has a slider window that
W a t e r Ta ble - this type involves a reservoir of water allows me to direct maximum amounts of suction to
(often times treated with a corrosion and bacteria certain quadrants of the table. To power my
inhibitor) that sits just under the material being cut. downdraft, I used two commercial grade kitchen
The water traps a large majority of the cutting dust exhaust fans. These fans are typically mounted on a
and helps to keep the material cool. However, water roof or wall and expel air radially in all directions. I
often times splashes around while cutting and will modi ed the fans to expel air in a single direction
require constant maintenance to keep your gantry using some custom built duct work. My fans blow all
system dry and clean dust and fumes to the outside of my shop.
Do w ndra f t - this type uses mechanically driven air I subsequently also added in a nozzle point suction
ow to suck the dust and fumes down into the table system. I used 1.5in sump pump drain hose and
and out to a desired location. With the right fans and routed it from the cutting tip, through my gantry
and enough air ow, this method works very well. cable tracks, and down to a 5 gallon bucket which is
However, it does not provide the material cooling also connected to a shop vac. By partially lling the 5
capabilities that a water pan does. Keeping the gal bucket with water, I create a makeshift water trap
material cool is bene cial to reduce warping especially that helps to capture ne dust and particles.
when cutting thin materials.
After squaring up the system and completing all set-up steps from the CancCNC user manual, I was ready for some
test cuts. I followed the instructions from my control system manual and got to cutting. This system was ready to
work right from the get go. The rst cuts were crisp and clean.
This table has changed the way I fabricate. Projects that would typically take days or weeks were cut down to a
matter of hours. Anytime I tackle something new, I rst consider how I can utilize the CNC table to build it quickly
and e ciently.
Here are a few projects I completed for myself and a few of my friends using this table.
Thanks for checking out my build and please feel free to ask any questions in the comments section!
https://youtu.be/nrYRxeJ61gU