Plasma cutter

I don't know about your side of the pond, but you might take a look at www.welders-direct.com for ideas.

Miller Welders makes a good one and Lincoln Welding makes a good one too.

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My experience from a small plasma using air (I have a business making prototypes):

• When cutting zinc coated steel the slag is very hard and won't chip like oxy slag and the linisher laughs at it, I don't know about non coated steel.
• When cutting painted steel (we call colourbond) you need a pilot arc to start it.
• The air supply needs to be very dry or it effects the cutting and destroys nozzles.
• Some companies lie about the material thickness it will cut, I've used it on 0.6 to 1.6 steel sheet, but you need a very steady hand and a guide (I must stop drinking!)
• I brought it as a substitute for a guillotine, but is isn't.
• I tend to use either a jig saw of abrasive wheel and would happily sell you mine if I didn't live in Australia.
• I don't consider it an oxy substitute, unless you get a large and expensive machine, it's more suitable for thin materials and there better options for them.

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HYPERTHERM!!

There are many variables to concider before thinking the Plasma will out perform Oxy/Acet.

It depends on the thickness, cleanleness, type of material you are working with. A plasma will work absolutly fine with only 90-100 psi compressed shop tool air (no bottles at all). But you will be spending money on consumables, contact tips, cups, etc., etc.

I would strongly urge you to rent a unit for a month and then you can make your own informed decision...

Thermal Dynamics and Miller have very good machines that would fit your needs if you decide to go that route.

Plasma is definitely a better cutting tool then an acetylene torch.

This is for a productive engineering shop then you don't want to skimp on the cost with a plasma cutter.

You want to go with one of good quality. Plasmas take a lot of abuse and a cheap one will not hold up to the exposure of heavy useage. When using one free hand, it takes a lttle practice getting a nice cut, but after awhile you'll have people that can make a cut as good as a laser cut.

Problems you'll face with a cheap plasma is the nozzle will stop functioning. This will happen often. Especially when people will use the nozzle to knock off cut pieces still being held on by a little slag or some missed sliver of metal. Non of them will hold up very long to that kind of abuse but a cheap one will actually break.

Another factor with a cheap machine is things start to go wrong internally. Things like the contacts giving out at the button and fuses seem to pop too easily which is often frustrating to the operator.

Just remember that you get what you pay for and if you go cheap it won't last very long.

Another thing you might want to look into is getting a plasma cam set up. There you'll have hands off and all your cuts will be nice and straight and even just like a laser cut and for a fraction of the cost of a laser cutter. With a plasma cam you can set up your cuts so that you can get the most out of your materials with less waste. They still program like a laser cutter it's just a less expensive method.

Your one comment about making a cut as good as a laser while free hand should discredit evrything else you've said in this post.

How's that?

I've worked with the equipment. I've farmed parts out to be laser cut.

I've seen laser cutting that was worse then some of our average plasma cuts. I've seen a guy make plasma cuts that were perfect and clean.

Just because you might have trouble using a plasma doesn't mean everyone else does.