How do you make the perfect cut on metal? With a CNC table of course. Anybody who has ever used a CNC plasma table has to have asked themselves this question. Why are they so important, and what are they for?
Well, the answer to these questions has a lot to do with the industry you work for. CNC Plasma Tables are not all equal.
In this article we will be reviewing the best CNC Plasma Table based on features, size, thickness cut and accuracy. We will pit three CNC tables from the same manufacturer, (STV Motorsports SparX Series) against each other to see which one will be crowned king.
COMPARISON CHART
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STV MOTORSPORTS SPARX510 5X10 CNC PLASMA CUTTING TABLE
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STV MOTORSPORTS SPARX4400
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STV MOTORSPORTS CNC PLASMA TABLE
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STV motorsports is a global brand of premium quality racing products for various applications. In addition to high-performance bearings, compressors and motorsports gear, they also produce CNC cutting tables.
- STV Motorsports SparX510 measures out at 5 foot by 10 foot
- STV Motorsports SparX4800 measures 4 foot by 8 foot
- STV Motorsports SparX4400 measures 4 foot by 4 foot
All sizes listed are industry-standard. This means that when manufactures send out metal sheets, slabs, etc, they will come in one of these three sizes.
The SparX series of cutting tables easily holds a very wide range of materials that can be cut such as aluminum, steel, stainless steel, stainless steel alloy, magnesium and brass. The platform can also be used to cut plastic materials.
The tables are made from pure steel, with replaceable steel slats. Each one of these tables are as tough as a battleship.
All SVT CNC Plasma Tables are proudly made in the USA.
Features
You can use the table for many different purposes such as sheet metal, 2-axis cut, precision cut, lathe, one- and two-axis cut, laser cut and drill and run.
THC Function
We found the Torch Height Control (THC) module to be quite useful. It’s a totally automatic system that helps by cutting thicker materials on your plasma table. It can adjust in height as needed depending on what you want to cut.
Torch height control allows you to adjust the height of the torch on your plasma table. This will allow you to cut thicker materials like wood and metals. The included “My Plasma.
Water Table
All of the SparX tables come with a water table included. A water table is basically a series of pans filled with water and a “quenching solution” that greatly reduces all of the dust and other particles created while cutting your materials.
This feature is something not included as standard equipment on many other CNC Plasma Tables, and is a very nice touch.
Connectivity
The tables all use the included usb cable to connect with a Windows computer. The table also comes with a full software suite called “MyPlasma CNC”, which is really nice.
It comes with all sorts of samples/templates that can also be downloaded. When we looked it up, we could find no reference to the given name above, but we do see that there is software called “MyPlasmCNC” instead, so this may just be a typo from the company.
The software saves a lot of time and effort when setting up your table. The software allows full control of how you want to cut materials. SVT claims that they have over 800 different samples and templates available for use.
All you have to do is download the appropriate sample you need and the table will take care of the rest.
We find it strange that the software is Windows only. In this day and age you’d think that manufacturers would stop being lazy and support Mac equipment but it’s just not meant to be we guess.
Speed
All three sizes of table are super fast, able to maintain a 600 inches per minute cut if needed.
Accuracy
The tables are also extremely accurate, especially with the included software. They are able to retain a 0.002” per 12 inch accuracy.
Warranty
We have to be honest and say that we find the warranty to be a bit on the chintzy side. Offering only a one year warranty on plasma tables of this quality is a bit strange to us. The company does offer more years of warranty if you wish to pay for additional years.
There is lifetime support added that includes software updates, customer support, troubleshooting and much more.
Options
Every option that you can possibly think of is available for the SparX series tables. This includes things such as:
There are a ton of other options and upgrades available.
- A very affordable Windows 10 laptop with installed software for the tables
- A gear reduction kit
- Leveling feet
- Cutting Torches
PROS
- ALL STEEL CONSTRUCTION, MADE IN THE USA
- AUTOMATIC TORCH HEIGHT CONTROL
- INCLUDED SOFTWARE WITH SAMPLES / TEMPLATES
- FITS INDUSTRY STANDARD SHEETS OF METAL. ETC
- OTS OF OPTIONS AVAILABLE
- DUAL VOLTAGE
CONS
- EXTREMELY HEAVY (OVER 400 POUNDS) EQUIPMENT
- NO LAPTOP OR CUTTING TOOL INCLUDED.
- ONLY ONE YEAR WARRANTY
- WINDOWS-BASED SOFTWARE ONLY, NO MAC SUPPORT