CAMCUTCNC FAQ's
 

We Have Been in business since 1993,  We moved into CNC manufacturing in 1999 and our Camcutcnc line of products went into production in 2001. We have setup to be in the CNC business for the long run by manufacturing as much as possible in house and passing the savings along to you the customer.

Do we just sell kits?

We sell several different size machines, most people having fabrication skills opt for the kit form to save money. We also offer any kit in finished form.

What else do I need to purchase to get up and running?

All of our products come as a complete package. IE. We include all of the hardware and software necessary to design/draw a part then convert the drawing to G-code which controls the machine. You will need to supply the steel to build the table, a plasma power supply and a computer to operate the table. We offer options for advanced users as not everyone will need the advanced options.


Why are your kits so inexpensive compared to others?

In house manufacturing. We CNC machine the parts for our kits and build the CNC controls in house, rather than purchasing these items as most of our competitors do. This also allows us to provide better service should that be necessary. You will never be directed to a third party vendor for support. We want every Camcutcnc installation to be successful. 

Do your systems use stepper motors or servo motors?

We use stepper motors on our kits as standard equipment for their accuracy, fewer components and ease of setup by the customer.    


Can I use my hand held plasma torch? 

Yes you can, with our included hand torch adapter. Our hand torch adapter overcomes the drawbacks inherant in most hand torch holder designs. Most designs obscure the plasma tip and are very difficult to get the torch aligned perpindicular to the work. Most of those designs require you to re-align the torch every time you change consumables. Our design allows you to see the torch tip and the torch holder quickly pivots 90 degrees for ease of changing consumables. It also allows the torch to be used manualy and then be easily reinstalled on the machine without realighnig the torch.
Machine torches don't provide any difference in cut quality, so It really comes down to personal preference as to which type of torch you select. For multiple torch units machine torches are prefered.

What is the waranty period on electronics?

The electronics have a 1 year manufacturer's warranty.  The rest of the mechanical parts are designed for greater loads than are encountered in this application and are not prone to failure.  Almost all of the machine's mechanical components are available from an industrial supply house.

Do I need automatic torch height control?

There are a number of factors that contribute to the decision as to wether it's necessary. For smaller machines 2' x 3' and 4' x 4' it is usually not necessary. On larger machines a torch height control of some kind is desireable, depending on the material thickness and the number of pieces being cut from a sheet. If you usually cut 1/8" or thicker material, the motorized Z axis will probably due the job for you. If you are looking at a multiple torch system or primarily cut 1/8" and thinner material or a large number of parts from a sheet of material then the ARC VOLTAGE THC is the better solution.
Our automatic torch height controller constantly monitors the arc voltage at the torch tip. This voltage changes as the distance between the torch tip and the work changes. The torch height controller has it's own built in computer that monitors a reference voltage. This reference voltage is set by the operator. During the cut process the built in computer adjusts the torch up or down to maintain the reference voltage and corresponding tip to work distance set by the operator.

Can I use a router on my plasma cutting machine?

Yes with the optional router adapter.

What kind of computer do I need?

It is best to use two computers, one in your home or office to develop your shapes, and another computer in your shop that is dedicated to your machine.  The computers should be at least a 1Ghz PC style with 256Mb of RAM minimum.   Used Computers can usually be purchased for less than $100. Your plasma cutter should have a pilot arc as a touch start is not supported. If you do not already have a plasma cutter we recommend NEWER Hypertherm / Thermal Dynamics products as they do not create a high frequency interference problem. We advise against using ESAB plasma cutters that have a capicitor discharge start .


Can I use your CNC system with oxy-fuel?

Yes you can. An Oxy/Fuel oxygen kit will be required to activate the cutting oxygen. Plasma is great for cutting thin material at high speed. Oxy/Fuel will usually do a better job on material 3/4" and thicker plate. At that thickness the speed of the Plasma cut process is nearly the same as the Oxy/Fuel process, but the Oxy/Fuel won't leave a beveled edge that may happen with the Plasma process. Our DXF to Gcode converter has built in support for Oxy/Fuel.