Plasma Cutting Machines and Plasma Tables for Metal Cutting
A plasma cutting machine parts electrically conductive metal with a constricted, very hot plasma jet. The jet melts the material and drives it out of the cut kerf. Most workshops here ask for a plasma table or a CNC plasma table, and some say plasma cutter. All name one machine, a CNC gantry above a cutting table. Against sawing the process wins on speed, against laser cutting it wins on cost as plate gets thicker. The full range sits under CNC plasma cutting machines.
Plasma or Oxy-Fuel: Which Process Suits the Job
The usual comparison is a plasma cutting machine against an oxy-fuel cutting machine. The answer depends on plate thickness and alloy:
- Plasma cutting: faster across thin and medium plate, tidy cut edges, at home on mild steel, stainless and aluminium.
- Oxy-fuel cutting: made for heavy unalloyed plate, slower but with plenty of cutting capacity.
An extra oxy-fuel flame head lets one gantry run both processes, with the torch chosen per job. The product cards above show the thickness range of each model.
Materials, Industries and Applications
Any conductive metal is a candidate: mild steel, stainless steel, aluminium, copper and brass. Edge quality on aluminium and stainless steel depends on gas and nozzle. Local demand comes from mining and materials handling, oil and gas fabrication, heavy engineering, structural steelwork, tank building and jobbing shops cutting to drawing. Folding afterwards belongs to sheet metal processing.
How a Plasma Table Is Built
A complete plasma table brings several assemblies together:
- Gantry and drives: move the torch above the plate, stiffness and guideways decide accuracy.
- Plasma source: produces the arc, its rating fixes the maximum plate thickness.
- Cutting head with torch height control: keeps standoff steady and pulls clear of collisions.
- Cutting table: the plasma table itself, carrying the plate and catching slag, dry with extraction or as a water table.
- Fume extraction and filtration: clears smoke and dust from the shop floor, a workplace safety requirement.
Wear items are the nozzle, electrode and shield cap. They govern cut quality more than most buyers expect, so budget for replacement.
CNC Control, Software and Nesting
On a CNC plasma cutting machine the control follows the programmed contour and manages standoff, ignition and cutting parameters. The programme comes out of nesting software, which reads drawings, arranges parts across the plate and fixes cut order and lead-ins. A tight nest holds offcut down and is the biggest saving on costly plate.
Tubes, Profiles and Bevel Cutting
A tube cutting attachment adds tubes and profiles to flat plate, useful for intersections in structural steelwork. Tilt the cutting head and the bevel comes off in the same pass, so weld preparation drops away. Bending and tube end work sit under tubes and profile processing.
What Determines the Price of a Plasma Cutting Machine
We price per configuration, because the gap between a compact plasma table and a large gantry is wide. What moves the price: working area of the table, rating of the plasma source, a second head for oxy-fuel, tube and bevel attachments, extraction and filtration. Running cost sits in consumables, gas and electricity. Tell us the materials, plate thicknesses and plate sizes you cut and we will put a quotation together.
KNUTH as a Supplier of Plasma Cutting Machines
KNUTH is an established machine tool supplier and delivers plasma cutting machines fitted with Kjellberg or Hypertherm sources. Machine, control, accessories and support come from one supplier, with sizing advice before you commit. Each machine is checked against European testing standards, and the test documentation follows on request. In South Africa local service partners look after the machines, among them Germiston near Johannesburg.
Service, Consumables and Spare Parts
Service runs through those local partners, so technical support stays close to the workshop. Commissioning and operator training are available as a separate service item. Spare parts are covered by a ten year supply guarantee. Nozzles, electrodes and shield caps are listed under plasma cutting consumables, other equipment under machine accessories. For a quotation on your configuration, use the contact form.
Further Machine Categories at a Glance
Here is an overview of our machine range. Select a category to learn more about individual machines and their technical data.
