This website is designed and based around my current and third CNC plasma table which is a Westcott Pro Series 5x10 with icnc control center and Design2Cut software. My first table was custom built 4x4 downdraft table, the second was a kit form hobby grade 4x8 table. I have been doing cnc plasma cutting since about 2000. I have seen this industry grow tremendously and the availably of tables is overwhelming compared to when I started.
Like many I started out think this would be a neat hobby and I would make things for myself and little projects here and there. Once I started the possibility window opened up and away I went. I quickly outgrew the 4x4 and moved on to the 4x8. The 4x8 I selected was still a hobby grade table but it was of good enough quality that it took me far beyond its intended design.
When I began my search for my 3rd table I knew I need a true industrial grade table and it
needed to be a 5x10. My business continued to grow and my table needed to exceed
current demand requirements and be ready for the future
growth. I wanted a table that was built for precision,
strength and reliability. It had to work with
the Hypertherm Powermax85. It needed to
be able to grow with my business and I
wanted a water table. And finally the
software had to be easy to learn, solid,
proven and reliable. I began my search on
the web, scoring manufacture pages,
Facebook Forums, blogs, Plasma Spider, ect.
I talked to a lot of people and began narrowing
my list to about 15 tables brands. When I got
to this point I began driving to see the tables in
operation in some ones shop or going to the
manufacture to see the table in use and being built.
There is no shortage of good quality tables but being on my
third table and almost 20 years of playing with CNC plasma I was looking
at some fine and specific details and I was very picky to make sure I got what I wanted. After months of research and many table and manufacture visits I made my decision and went with the Westcott Plasma Pro Series 5x10.
So why with all the choices available did I choose Westcott?
It did not hurt that the table just looked bad ass but seriously the table is solid. Its a fully welded design built in custom welding jigs for precision. This is not a kit or bolt together design, its fully welded precision built and rock solid and square. Its a water table like I wanted but even better its an air bladder system which allows me to drain the table to reduce evaporation, retrieve parts, clean and do maintenance, and I can adjust my water level literally at the pull of a lever or touch of a button.
Next precision linear guides on all axis. No bearings riding on a piece of steel plate you hope is square and flat but true linear guides all around for precision. No slop no play and extreme accuracy. I watched as the gantry moved all over the table and returned home where a dial indicator was setup. Again and again it returned to absolute “0” super impressive.
My last too machines were stepper driver but this one is full servo drive. You can check out the Servo vs Stepper page. On this table the gantry fully clears the work area. Unlike many I looked at where the gantry did not fully clear the work area when in a load position. Less chance of hitting the gantry and having an accident when loading large heavy sheets.
Upgrade ability, this machine with the iCNC system allows me to move into a
high definition system later or add oxy fuel cutting down the road. I ordered
it with the air scribe/engraver system which was not offered on all the tables I
looked at. The machine was designed to work with the Hypertherm Powermax85
just like I wanted. Software, the iCNC system combined with the
Design2Cut software yields a super reliable system that is
easy to learn and get started with. The iCNC system has
some cool features like being able to turn on a laser
indictor and adjust to a plate out of square on the table.
Features your not going to find on lower end tables. As I
said I wanted to have software that was tried and true.
The Design2Cut software is a Custom Proprietary version
of the Flashcut CNC software. The reliability is there and
Its backed by strong support but since it a custom version
there are a ton of cool features that have been added that
are not available anywhere else. Design2Cut is an all in one
solution for CAD, CAM and machine control. You can
get more info on the software on the SOFTWARE page.
Lastly support, its a fact you are going to need support and help at some point. I wanted dedicated support options with after hours options as well. Westcott has all of that, dedicated support, phone, email, Facebook group and even remote log in options to where support can log into your computer and system and help you resolve a problem. Not going to find that many places.
I’m a firm believer in buy quality the first time and you will be ahead of the game. No regrets, no wanting to upgrade a short time later and you get quality results. For me that meant buying a Westcott Pro Series table.
The Pro Series is absolutely not for everyone that is why Westcott Plasma has the Titan Series as well. The Titan series incorporates many of the features of the Pro Series but at a more budget friendly price while delivering a high quality precision table. The Pro Series and Titan series both come in 4x4, 4x8, and 5x10 models.
You can get more info here:
Westcott Plasma Pro Series Tables Titan Series Tables
