faqs

What can I do with this machine? What kind of business can I start?

Many of the samples shown throughout this web site were made by our customers in their businesses and schools:

PlasmaCAM machines are often used as a main part of an ornamental iron, sign, or landscaping business. You can make products like railings, gates, sculptures, benches, tables, furniture, truck racks, weather vanes, wind chimes, security doors, fireplace screens, company signs, ranch entries, address & welcome signs, key & coat racks, hardware, garden ornaments, candle holders, lamps, picture frames, mirrors, clocks, business card & napkin holders, decorative kitchen items, and so on. Our customers do both high-end custom work and low-cost, large-volume manufacturing.
PlasmaCAM machines are also used to fabricate geometric, mechanical parts for manufactured products. Your shop or plant may be currently making flat parts that could be made much more quickly and economically with PlasmaCAM. Not only can plasma cutting replace many shearing, drilling, and sawing operations while reducing scrap, but plasma cutting generally outperforms laser and water jet in terms of cutting speed. Some of our customers run as many as 4 machines at once, on a nearly continuous production schedule!
A related use of PlasmaCAM machines is low-cost, rapid prototype building for research & development. The ease with which a new product can be drawn in CAD and then cut on the machine is revolutionizing the design process in some companies.
Another related use is by repair shops, which use PlasmaCAM machines to make various parts that are needed to repair a large piece of equipment, for example. You can quickly measure a part that needs to be replaced, draw it in our software, and cut a brand new replacement.
Several PlasmaCAM machines are used in heating & air conditioning businesses to make custom HVAC fittings. Often these same machines are used to build other types of projects on the side (like metal art).
A large number of high schools, colleges, and tech schools use PlasmaCAM machines in their shop classes. Because PlasmaCAM is considerably easier to teach than conventional CNC, instructors are better able to equip their students with cutting-edge skills they can use in the real world. A significant portion of current PlasmaCAM owners originally used the machine in school or business.

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