CNC plasma cutting equipment on the market today

In today's economy, many buyers are faced with the choice of buying a new or used piece of equipment to keep up with the steadily increasing demands for their plasma cutting requirements. The attraction of getting "more machine for the money" with a used piece of equipment often overshadows the hidden costs of older machines. Price alone should never be the determining factor when making an investment in long-term capital equipment. Here are some important points to take into consideration if you are looking at a used CNC plasma cutting system:

Check The CNC Control

With a glut of used CNC plasma cutting equipment on the market today, buyers need to educate themselves about the technology on these machines. The first thing a buyer needs to look at is the age of the machine and the CNC control unit on the system. These two factors are important to look at individually because many older machines on the market may have been retrofitted with updated controls. If the system and/or the CNC control is more than 5 years old, there may be problems getting parts and/or service for the control if it fails. The technology in the CNC controls of plasma cutting systems has advanced tremendously in the last three years. If you buy an older system and have to update or replace the control, it is also likely that you will have to upgrade the motors and drives as well. A control upgrade for most intermediate size machines typically will cost between $30,000-$35,000.

If an older machine has been retrofitted with a newer CNC control system, it is important to check the quality of the work. Most manufacturers will be happy to provide you with information such as which control was originally on the machine and whether or not the machine was upgraded by factory authorized technicians. Take the time to make a phone call and avoid a costly situation.

Check The Plasma

You can't save money by buying an old plasma power source! Advances in plasma power sources over the last three years have been significant. An old plasma might be cheaper to buy, but it will cost you significantly more to operate than a new system.

The two most expensive factors in operating a plasma cutting system are the cost of consumables and the cost of the electricity the system uses. Advances in plasma power sources and torch design allows today's plasma systems to cut material faster, with less amperage and current than comparably rated units from the previous generation of plasmas. That translates into significant monthly savings on your electric bill.

The current generation of plasma systems has also eclipsed their predecessors in consumables life. Manufacturers rate their current plasma systems consumable life 5x-10x higher than their previous generation plasmas. Some models are rated at more than 2,000 production pierces, compared to several hundred a few years ago. Manufacturers claim that between the electrical efficiency and extended consumables life, their newest generation of plasmas cost 50% less to operate than older models.

Check The Mechanical Components

It is important to make sure that any used machine has been properly maintained. The most important things to check are the condition of typical wear items such as the rail system, gear rack, drive pinions, and bearings. These are the main components of the drive system that assure the machine moves freely in a linear manner and that the machine can maintain cut quality and accuracy. When neglected, these items can also cause premature motor/drive failure. Plasma cutting systems live in a very harsh environment and proper preventive maintenance is essential. Ask the seller if service logs are available for the machine. Replacing essential drive components can cost upto $10,000 or more.

You will also want to check the condition of the cables, hoses, cable management system, torch lifters, drive motors, and any other moving parts on the machine. These are all items that require periodic maintenance and/or replacement and the costs can add up quickly.

Invest in a Proper Installation

If you check all of these items and determine that the used machine is still a good value, it is highly recommended that you contact the original manufacturer to install the system. The original manufacturer will be most familiar with the system, have access to parts should anything need to be repaired or replaced, and perform an installation that assures your machine will perform to the best of its abilities. The original manufacturer should also be able to provide training for your operators so that they can become proficient with the system and get the most out of it as quickly as possible.

Before You Make Your Final Decision

Don't end up investing more in a used piece of equipment when you can purchase a new machine with the latest technology and a warranty. Manufacturers such as C&G Systems in Libertyville, IL (http://www.cgsystems.com) offer a full line of CNC plasma cutting machines with the latest Hypertherm and Burny CNC controls, and Hypertherm, Kaliburn, and Thermadyne plasma power sources. Their staff of highly experienced engineers, sales, and service technicians will be happy to consult with you regarding your requirements and provide you with a no-cost, no-obligation quotation for a new machine comparable to any used equipment you may be looking at. They can also advise you on the age and availability of parts for older CNC controls and plasma power sources. Avoid a potentially expensive pitfall by calling C&G Systems today at (847) 816-9700 to discuss your particular situation with a helpful member of their staff.

Full product line manufacturers of CNC plasma shape cutting systems, such as C&G Systems in Libertyville, IL (www.cgsystems.com), offer a full line of machines from entry level units all the way up to precision and large format machines. Their full in-house staff of sales/application, electrical, mechanical, and manufacturing engineers, will take the time to understand and custom build a solution around your requirements and with products from the leaders in the industry. A large installation base of machines and a nationwide staff and network of service technicians assure that customers receive the training, support, and service they need to get the most out of their plasma cutting investment. Call C&G Systems today at (847) 816-9700, to consult with one of their highly qualified sales representatives.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Oliver_Osterhues

A good quality CNC cutting machine

A good quality CNC cutting machine has a cutting table that covers the area bounded by a length of four feet and a width of eight feet. A quality table can handle satisfactorily a standard 4 x 8 plate of metal, wood, plastic, glass, or stone. A table that lacks a sufficient length or width will make it necessary for the operator to repeatedly reposition the plate. Operators of the CNC cutting machine refer to such repositioning as indexing.

A good basic CNC cutting machine does both plasma and oxyfuel cutting. Refinements on a basic cutting machine might provide it with the ability to perform other functions, functions such as:

-spotting holes for drilling

-drilling aluminum

-cutting a shape in the sides or end of tubing

-routing wooden shapes

Other modifications on a CNC cutting machine might be directed at installation of the equipment for laser or water jet cutting.

The selection of a CNC cutting machine will be primarily determined by the nature of cutting that will be performed by the machine operator. For some operations, it will be necessary to do only straight cutting. For other operations, the cutting machine must perform bevel cutting. Bevel cutting allows the operator to trim, reduce, shave, and pare the material in the plate.

Both types of cutting will subject the CNC cutting machine to a fair amount of wear and tear. The manufacturer therefore needs to purchase a machine with adequate customer support. Such support should include the availability of spare parts. An absence of spare parts could require that the electronics of the CNC cutting machine undergo a retrofitting.

A need for retrofitting would deprive the operator of important production time. The need for retrofitting would diminish the quantity of goods that could be sold to the consumer. The need for retrofitting leads to a decrease in the amount of time that the operator will be spending at the CNC cutting machine. That is why the availability of spare parts for a malfunctioning CNC cutting machine remains one of the two chief concerns of the manufacturer. A second prime concern is the size of the cutting table.

The operator of a CNC cutting machine that needs to spend a large percent of time indexing will not have much time to spend on the actual cutting. Hence, the manufacturer will have much less product. Fewer products from the manufacturing facility translate into fewer products on the shelf. Consequently, the need for operators to spend time indexing can prove a detriment to the company's bottom line. A good sales volume reflects the well-planned purchase of a CNC cutting machine.

Peter Vermeeren is the owner and webmaster of: Machines and Tools and Airsoft GOT | Tactical Gear | Military Supplies

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Vermeeren

Invest in a Centroid CNC Retrofit

					The benefit of retrofitting depends on the size and type of the machine being retrofitted. On average, retrofitting a good machine is less than 50% of the cost of a new machine of the same size and type. One important thing to consider when looking at retrofitting costs is that Centroid & CNC Services offer a complete retrofit solution from installation to training. One source, one price for a retrofitted running machine. A big difference when compared to some of our competitors. Usually as the size and complexity of a machine increase so do the costs. But typically the percentage of the retrofit cost compared to a new machine cost is low. For instance to retrofit a 30 hp Horizontal Boring mill may cost $75K and buying one new would run $200K to $250K! One of our customers purchased a used Pratt and Whitney Viking Horizontal Boring mill (shown) for $25K and then put another $80K into the retrofit and saved himself $100,000 dollars.
					Not all retrofits are created equal. There are several companies offering low priced CNC systems. These types of retrofits are usually plagued with various problems. For one, most of the components in a particular system are manufactured from several different companies or they will try to reuse old electronics from the original system. When something goes wrong you'll have a hard time getting repairs or spare parts. Since so many companies are involved, often the company who built the amplifier will blame the problem on the the CPU manufacturer and vice-versa. Another common problem is that most of these other systems are not optically isolated. They may work just fine on the computer bench but really don't like a machine shop environment especially if a EDM machine or a Tig welder is being used anywhere near by. Centroid CNC controls are optically isolated and have superior RF (radio frequency) noise resistance.
					When calculating the cost of a retrofit, don't forget to factor in the money that you will make since the machine will be able to make more parts per hour. In one case we have reduced the time it takes to make a particular part from 24 hours to 5! Another benefit is gained by the machine producing better quality parts therefore reducing scrap out-of-tolerence parts - more savings. Operator labor costs are also reduced because of the significant reduction of setup and programming time with the new control. These items really add up in the long run, so don't underestimate the dollars that you will gain with a Centroid CNC retrofit.
					Another savings to consider is that most retrofits can take place on-site therefore saving you any machine moving ,rigging and shipping costs which can become considerable especially with the larger machines. Even having a lot of tooling for a particular machine can influence the decision to retrofit. Some customers retrofit machines just because they have machining experience with a particular machine and know what it is capable of. They are familiar with the weight it can carry and the type of cuts it can take.
					All of our CNC controls are fully tested at the factory and are shipped ready to install, saving you time and money. One price for install, training and warranty. Beware of another hidden cost of those other CNC systems. They will supply you with a box of parts, whereas we provide a turnkey system. You have to ask yourself, "Do I want to work on a retrofit? Or do I want to machine some parts?" So, when it comes to shopping for retrofits, be sure to compare apples to apples. CENTROID gives you one source responsibility. Centroid designs and manufactures its own CNC operating system, programming software, CPUs, Amplifiers, PLCs and keyboards, so everything works together. We supply a complete CNC retrofit solution.