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Laser-cut metal signs are now mostly used equipment for a company, shops, or your house. Because we know we don’t want to wait too long for an artistic sign for our company. Using a CNC cutter machine, we can make our laser-cut metal signs. And thus, we bring you this ultimate guide of laser-cut metal signs. We will also demonstrate the best Fiber laser cut machine for any sheet metal cutting. At last, we will give you a list of the best laser-cut metal signs store in the USA. 

Metal signs can be various in types. If we gather all of them, we can see that they usually stay in two different places, Indoor and Outdoor. In this case, Indoor metal signs are generally small in size, and the outdoor metal signs are usually gigantic. Before you go choosing the metal signs, you must know three things.

• Size: Whether you need the metal sign for indoor or outdoor purposes. You must know for which purpose you need your metal signs.
• Thickness: You also should know how hard your metal should be. An ordinary fiber laser cutting machine can cut the metal with a thickness of 0.2 – 1.0 inches.
• Materials: There is some suitable metal for laser-cut metal signs such as Mild Steel, Stainless Steel, aluminum, brass, copper, etc. You must know which material you need for your business place.

Personalized metal signs making business market analysis

Metal signs manufacturing is a perfect business nowadays. People are not willing to make longterm sign making project. Due to technological advancement, you can finish your monthly project in one day. The fiber laser cutting machine is perfect for sheet metal cutting. To grow this business first, you should know the following three essential terms in business studies.

Current market size and growth rate

In the USA, according to google, you will find one laser cut metal sign store in approximate every 0.25 million square kilometers. Therefore, we can see that the market size is not that as huge as the other business. Due to technological advancement, the growth rate for people’s demand is enormous.  Therefore, you can consider your local place and identify the growth rate of the market.

Market capacity

As we have already mentioned that, In the USA, the laser-cut metal sign market is not that vast as the other business. Therefore, we can see that it’s high time to start this business. We always want our house or our shop labeled with our dream names. People will need metal signs. Therefore if you are a native, you can think about it. Comparing the USA, all the developed countries have the same opportunities for this business. On the other hand, If we Consider Developing countries, it will be an excellent opportunity to start this business.

• The number of competitors: In Developed countries, you will need to deal with some renowned competitors. But on the other hand, In developing countries, The number of competitors is not as that of a developed country.
• The intensity of Competition: Similarly, in the USA or the other developed countries, the competition intensity is lower than the other business. On the other hand, In the developing countries, the Competition intensity is very low comparing to the developed countries.

Market segments

Company target market planning is an essential task to do here. First, you should research in your local place if there is any existing related business or not. After that, you should take action for your business.

Skill requirement for metal signs making

After we researched enough the market analysis, you should check your business requirements. This analysis is also significant before you start. The following three terms are the obligatory requirements for laser-cut metal sign business.

• Technological skill requirement: You should know how to operate a laser metal cutting machine. A fiber laser cutting is suitable for laser-cut metal signs.
• Production and operational skill requirement: The production line, functional section are two manufacturing places where you should keep an experienced operator to conduct errorless manufacturing.
• Capital Requirement: Capital is an essential thing to consider here. A fiber laser cutting machine generally starts from 60,000$ to 150,000$. Therefore, you should keep in mind the capital requirement for better revenue.

Top 10 metal laser cutting machine for custom metal signs business

There are many manufacturing companies for Fiber laser-cut machines. The leading countries are the USA, China, Japan, some other countries in Europe, etc. We only considered choosing the manufacturer from the USA. All of the following Fiber laser cut machines are from the USA manufacturer. Therefore, this article will be best for the readers from the USA.

Before we gent into details, let’s have a glance at the summary table of each of the machines we are going to discuss today. WE hope it will make it easier to understand clearly each of the device’s specifications.

Rank	Brand	Working Area	Laser wattage (KW)	Cutting  depth	Position Accuracy (inch/ft)
8	BOSS FC Accu-CUT BT240S	51.2″ x 51″ x 3″	0.5, 0.7, 1	3/8 “	± 0.001
2	fablight Sheet Metal Laser Cutter	25” x 50”	3, 4.5	0.08″ – 1″	± 0.001
3	Kern Fibercell Laser Cutter	52″ x 50″	0.5, 1, 1.5	0.04″ – 0.5″	± 0.002
4	BESCUTTER ACCU Series 5’x10’Laser  Cutting machine	59″ x 118 “	0.75, 1, 1.5, 2	3/8 “	± 0.001
5	FiberCAB FC44	40″ x 40″	1 to 6	0.2 – 1	± 0.001
6	Ermak Fibermak G-Force Fiber  Laser Cutting Machine	118″ x 59″	2	3/16″ – 5/8″	± 0.001
7	Piranha-Whitney fiber LASER metal cutting machines L Series	60” X 120”	4, 6, 12	0.8″	±0.0003
8	VENTO FIBER LASER Vento 315	60″ х 120″	2, 3, 4, 5, 6	0.1″ – 1.0″	0.002″
9	Muratec LS3015GC	120.8″ – 61″	2.5, 4, 6	1.0″	± 0.001
10	Amanda VENTIS 3015 AJ	120.866” x 61.023” x 3.93”	4.5	1″	±0.0003

BOSS FC Accu-CUT BT240S

The FC Accu-CUT laser cutter offers high-quality metal sheet cutting accuracy.  This USA made metal fiber laser cutting machine (metal sign maker) provides greater precision, energy, and speed than all its competitors. Moreover, It could cuts stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminum, brass, titanium, and some other metals alloys. Finally, it is safe when you operate this machine.

The cutting area is X=51.2”, Y=51”, Z=3” with the laser power of integrated IPG CW 500W, 700W, or 1000W. It requires a single-phase 220V power supply. The Tawain ball screw provides w/in .01 µ precision tolerances on three moving axes. Additionally, this metal laser cutting machine can take a net weight of 3,900 lbs. The overall dimension of this fiber laser machine is 86 “W x 85 “L x 64 “H.

Fablight Sheet Metal Laser Cutter (1500/3000/4500)

The next one is from Oakland, CA  94601, California, USA. This excellent machine is affordable with outstanding product features. The unique side of this machine has the four axes facility to get a unique design. It also cuts steel, stainless steel, spring steel, copper, aluminum, titanium, brass, and some other metals and alloys.

This precision device can cut in the area of 25” x 50” that fits ¼ standard metric sheet. This Fiber laser cutting machine can cut up to 0.08 inches using only dry compressed air. If the laser wattage increases to 3000/4500W, the machine cuts thicker metals. Finally, the accuracy of this device is ±0.0001”/foot.

Kern Fibercell Laser Cutter

KERN industry presenting the FiberCELL laser cutting system is a safe ang high precision cutting machine. It is capable of cutting a variety of materials such as mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, and brass. It maintains class one safety enclosure that allows the device to place in a busy traffic area.

KERN FiberCELL can engrave materials in a cutting area of 52” x 50”. It uses Ytterbium Fiber Laser with the laser wattage of 0.5Kw, 1Kw, or 1.5kW. Moreover, It has the positioning accuracy of +/- .002”/ft and a repeatability of +/- .0005”/ft. The total net weight it can take is 3700 lbs.

BESCUTTER ACCU Series 5’x10’Laser Cutting machine

Our next choice is the laser cutting machine from BESCUTTER. This machine is an affordable and high precision cutting machine. It has no class 1 safety enclosure that not ensures placing in a busy traffic area. Fibre cable contains the laser beam, so no need for beam alignment.

The cutting area is comparatively more significant, measuring 59” x 118” x 4.7” (1500 mm x 3000 mm x 218 mm). The laser beam is continuous, with 1.07 um having the wattage of 0.75kW, 1kW, 1.5kW, or 2kW. The total power consumption for this device is between 15 – 20 kW, and the net weight of the machine can take up to 5500 lbs.

FiberCAB FC44

Another USA made Fiber laser machine is from the Vytek industry. This model FC44 is a safe and accurate precision cutting machine. Additionally, The device combines the latest technology in laser development with the next generation air- and water-cooled laser. FC44 has a high-performance motion system and fiber sources.

The FC44 takes up to 52 square feet of floor space and has a working area of 40” x 40’. The Vytek FiberCAB lineup has a wide range of laser power from 1000W to 6000W. FiberCAM can cut, WELD and Engrave. It is easy to use and cuts all types of metals. The cutting depth is between the 0.03” to 0.2”.

Ermak Fibermak G-Force Fiber Laser Cutting Machine

This pretty orangy well-finished machine is from Ermaksan Fibermak G Force, USA. This updated version decreases the production time and increases the productivity of up to 15% per hour. The unique side of this model is the software and automation. Ermaksan’s engineers solely developed the Gen-3 FIBERMAK MOMENTUM. Finally, it has high-quality laser sources and cutting heads.

The maximum worksheet area is 118” x 59” with the four-axis motion system.  It can cut up to 4/8” and take up to 3307 lbs. The machine communication system is through the ethernet. The overall machine dimension is 362 “x146” x87 “H, with a total weight of 25000 lbs.

Piranha-Whitney fiber LASER, metal cutting machines P Series

Our next choice is the P series Fiber laser cutting machine from Piranha-Whitney. This model has a polymer granite base, linear drives, carbon fiber bridge, and a CNC controlling platform. Additionally, the best mechanical components ensure high precision cutting. This powerful machine can cut all types of metals such as stainless steel, copper, brass, carbon steel up to a thickness of one inch.

P series Fiber laser cutting machine has a cutting area of 60” X 120” with a shuttle table with two pallets. The fiber laser power varies, starting from 4kW, 6 kW, or 12 kW. Piranha-Whitney incorporates technology to reduce nitrogen assist gas flow while cutting 12kW laser power. As a result, this can result in nitrogen consumption rates that are comparatively less than the other processes.

VENTO FIBER LASER Vento 315

Another pretty orangy laser cutting machine we chose is from NUKON. The model is VENTO Fiber laser 315. NUKON Fiber laser targeting to meet the expectations of the fast pace changing the production sphere. It is easy to use and operator-friendly, cutting head control. It is also environmentally-friendly with its low energy consumption.

The cutting sheet dimension is  5′ х 10′ / 60″ х 120″with a table height of 35.5 inches. The type of the machine is Flying Optic head with an auto-focus head and manual focus head. The laser wattage can be between 2kW-6kW. The Cutting depth depends on the laser wattage. Usually, for 2kW laser wattage, this machine can cut between 0.118” – 0.625”. The maximum net weight it can take is up to 2200 lbs.

Muratec LS3015GC

The next choice is LS3015GC from Muratec. The LS3015GC is the latest innovation in fiber technology from Muratec. This machine can cut both ferrous and non-ferrous materials such as steel, aluminum, brass, copper using the integrated flying optic system. This synonymous machine speed, accuracy, and quality feature a smaller footprint and upgraded drive system.

LS3015GC has the maximum cutting capacity area between 120.8 inches x 61.0 inches, with the weight of the maximum material up to 1322.8 lbs. The positioning and Repeating accuracy are +/- 0.001 inches. The laser wattage is 2.5 kW, 4 kW or 6 kW can cut a maximum 1 inch of the thickness of the material.

Amanda VENTIS 3015 AJ

Our last pick is VENTIS 3015 AJ from AMADA America, INC. Similar to other fiber laser cutting machine, this one also achieves virtually dross-free cutting features. It can cut a variety of materials and thicknesses of the metals. VENTIS series fiber laser cutting jas high-quality processing finish ensures the high productivity.

VENTIS 3015 AJ has a cutting area of 120.866” x 61.023”x 3.93.” It can take maximum material mass up to 2000lbs. The overall machine size is 395” x 112” x 88” weighs 20,075 lbs. It can cut a full 1-inch thickness of the material.

Things we considered laser metal cutting machine

Thee above ten fiber laser cutter machine we chose as the best for the custom metal signs. There are a vast number of Fiber laser cutting machine. First, we considered choosing the manufacturer from the USA. Second, we thought of a few things to select the appropriate Fiber machine.

• Working Area: All of the fiber laser cutting machines above are for more prominent metal signs sizes. Thus, all of the devices have the working area between  (25” – 61”) x (40” – 121”). 
• Cutting Depth: As we are looking for the prominent laser-cut signs, so we must have a powerful machine to cut up to 1” thickness of the material.   
• Laser Wattage: To cut big and thick materials, We must choose the laser wattages pf the fiber machine at least 1 – 1.5KW. We decided most of the laser-cut devices above have the laser wattages between 0.5 to 6 KW.
• Max Weight: The materials we are going to cut inside that laser-cut machine are a vital topic to do research. Usually, steel is more massive than aluminum. What if your device has the lower max material weight. IN an easy word, what if your fiber laser machine is for soft materials like aluminum, copper, brass? It would help if you thought about your materials before you go to choose your appropriate laser-cut device. Most of the Fiber laser-cut machine here has the max material weight between 2000 lbs to 5500 lbs. 
• Size and Weight: You may not look for the giant metal cutting machine; you may look for a specific device that can cut 40-60 inches metal sheet. Therefore, we thought this section in our consideration is choosing the appropriate fiber laser cutting machine.
• Price: we looked for the best specification’s fiber machine with the best price range.

The best Laser-cut metal signs stores in the USA

You may not look for the perfect laser-cut machine. Maybe you are looking for a custom metal signs store where you can get the best laser cut signs. In this ultimate guide of the laser sign, we brought you this section for you guys who are looking for the best place to get the best laser cut metal sign designs.

Laser Cutting, Inc

This Laser cutting and engraving service provider has the highest rank on google. Laser Cutting, Inc is at 1549 South 38^th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53215-1717. The services this inc provides are laser cutting (metal laser-cut signs), Laser cut signs engraving, Plastic Fabricating, UV flatbed printing, CNC routing, and milling, Mounting, and laminating. If you visit their website, you will get a bunch of beautiful samples on that you will definitely like. They ensure one day to 3-day ground shipping in Chicago and NewYork.

ShieldCo

This professional service provider is running on the business track since 2013. They promise to turn your logo into custom metal art. This service provider specializes in making custom laser cut signage and décor. However, this company is at 1209 N East Street, Suite D, Fredrick, MD 21701. They provide products like custom metal laser cut signs, commercial signs, small business signs, Commissioned art pieces, Custom lighting, external lighting, etc. Aluminum is their favorite material because aluminum is durable, light, and cost-effective.

Impact Corporate Signs

Another excellent service provider is Impact signs. They work at 26 E. Burlington Ave. LaGrange, IL 60525. The services they provided are Office lobby signs, Metal plaques, Dimensional sign letters, Exterior lighted signs, Vinyl signs, laser cut wood signs, laser-cut acrylic signs, etc. Since 1989, impact laser signs are crafting the highest quality corporate signs, plaques, and architectural letters in the industry. They usually work with most of the metal farm signs like stainless steel signs, wrought-iron signs, and others, plastics, acrylic, glass, fabricated steel, paint colors, etc.

Laser-CutZ

This company is at 2556 East 17th St, 2nd Fl Brooklyn, NY 11235. The production factories manufacture in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Arizona, and Shenzhen. This company is very famous for its laser-cut signs. The services they provide are Sneeze Guards, metal sign design and Engraving, Laser Machine Service & Repair Service, Industrial and Mechanical Drawings Prototyping, Face Masks Orders – N95, KN95 FDA, and Regular Respirators

Laser Cut Co

This company is at 1420 Telephone Rd. Building A, Houston, TX 77023. This company is suitable for smaller indoor metal signs. Except for metal signs, this company also provides other services too. Their office is open from Monday to Friday at a specific time (9 AM – 11 AM, 4 PM – 6 PM).

Alabama Metal Art

This company has ten years of helping customers with their laser cut signage needs. Alabama’s mission is to help companies communicate their brand through innovative designs. Alabama creates personalized metal name signs, metal signs for the home, and exterior business signage. Alabama manufactures at 409 Gerrard Dr, Florence, AL 35630, United States.

Metal Logos & More-Kansas

This company is an expert in creating metal custom business logos, custom metal address signs, personalized metal wall art, personalized metal signs, personalized metal yard signs, and any other signage product.  They specialize in interior and exterior metal signs. If you visit their website, you will find the categories of metal signs. There are a bunch of items that are present on the list.

Sign Fabricators

This company is at 43984 North Groesbeck Highway, Clinton Township, Michigan 48036, United States. They specialize in Pole Design, Monument Design, Electronic message centers, Channel letter signs, Awnings, Graphics, etc. This company is serving southeast Michigan for over 20 years, and they have an excellent reputation.

Logo Sign Shop

This company is at 2474 Manana Dr. Suite 101 Dallas, TX 75220. This company provides signs of essential business, Custom signs, interior and exterior signs, Illuminated signs, Non-illuminated signs, Dimensional letters, Digitally Printed graphics, glass and window graphics, Sign displays, Temporary signs, Vehicle graphics, murals, and wayfinding signs.

Laser Alliance LLC

This company is at Laser Alliance LLC 1646, Watson Court, Milpitas, California 95035. Since 1994, this company offers laser cutting, laser engraving, and laser marking for personalized metal signs for home, business, and company. They use advanced laser systems and serve domestic and international clients across several industries.

Summery

From the above long discussion, we have demonstrated three essential sides of the laser-cut metal sign business.

1. How perfect it is now to build your laser-cut metal signs manufacturing business.
2. We demonstrated the ten best laser-cut machines for metal sheet.
3. Finally, we also demonstrated the ten best laser-cut metal sign stores in the USA.

We made this ranking depending on the popularity of the company on google. We listed many locations in the store and pointed out the best metal cut signs store in several places in the USA. On the other hand, we looked through several laser-cut machines manufactured from the USA or outside the USA. But in this article, we only took the manufacturer from the USA mainland. To know how to cut metal, please read the CNC laser cutter here in woocnc.com.

It took quality time to demonstrate all these essential guides for a starting business. We hope it will make it easier to start your career from here. WOOCNC will provide the best machinery guidelines for you. Therefore, always stay with us and never miss any content published in WOOCNC. We wish you the best for your incredible journey.

Amazon is undoubtedly a vast online market. It’s tough to find the exact product. Hence, we are here to help to get you the best product list on amazon. In the previous section, we brought you the best CNC mini router machine in amazon. Consequently, Our today’s chosen product is the best mini milling machine (top 6 in amazon).

A milling machine is a handy tool for carvings, external routing for hard materials. We may get confused about the differences between the milling and routing. Well, a milling machine is suitable for hard materials engraving, such as steel, iron, etc. On the other hand, a router machine is ideal for soft materials engraving such as wood, plastic, soft metal like aluminum, copper, etc.  

Things we must consider choosing the best mini milling machine

As we have already mentioned above, Amazon is undoubtedly a vast online market. There are lots of products in it people are buying every day. Sometimes, it becomes so tiring to find the best product among the products in amazon. In this case, we tried to help those people choosing the best product for them. Hence, we brought six excellent mini milling machine from amazon. During selecting these products, we considered the following few things.

Availability

There is a bunch of mini milling machine in amazon. But all of them can not promise availability in the stock. Hence, we considered availability on the first sight of our review. In 2021, these six mini milling machines are available in amazon stock.

Specifications

This section is one of the most important things to consider choosing the best mini milling machine. Since the number of products for mini milling machine is not that much, therefore, the products with similar specifications are also very few. They all are mini milling machines with different specifications. However, inside the specification section, a few things we must consider. They are:

• Milling area: We are now looking for the mini milling machine. So, choosing a mini milling, we have to look for the device with a shorter table size. Most of the products here have a milling area between 45mm to 200mm.
• Variable speed: We all know that high-speed milling is suitable for soft materials cutting. On the other hand, slow speed milling cutting is ideal for hard material cutting. Therefore, you must know which material you are going to mill. And then, choose your desired machine.
• Power: High powered machine can engrave deeper than the lower power devices. Moreover, High powered device is strongly suitable for hard material milling.
• Measurement system: Some of the customers are comfortable with the metric measurement system, and some are with the inch measurement system. Therefore, the measurement system has one of the vital roles of choosing a small milling machine.
• Controlling:  All of the six small milling machines here are all manually operated machines. If you are looking for a mini CNC mill, you have to go for the bigger one.

Customer Review

The second most crucial factor to consider here is the expert reviews from the customers who already bought the machine. From the customer review section, you will understand the real quality of the product from the consumers.

Price

Some of the customers are looking for a mini milling machine for an only specific purpose, and some are looking for a multifunctional desktop milling machine. Undoubtedly, the budgeted option has fewer features than the best one. Depending on your demands, you can choose which one will meet your requirements. You may not need to spend a lot of money for only one specific purpose.

Best mini milling machine (top 6 in amazon)

Well, enough intro. Let’s get ourselves into the main section of this content. The following are the best mini milling machine in amazon. Considering the above essential things, we have categorized them in the serial ranking. The very first one is our best pick. Before we go into the vast knowledge, let’s take a look at the summary table.

Rank	Brand	Milling Range	Rotational  speed	Measurement System	Power
1	Proxxon 37110 MICRO Mill MF 70	200 mm x 70 mm	0 – 20,000 RPM	Metric	100W 110 – 120V 60 Hz
2	WEN 33013 4.5A Variable Speed Single Phase Compact Benchtop Milling Machine with R8 Taper	18 1/8 “ 4 1/4 “	0-2500 RPM	Inch	0.5 HP 4.5 A
3	SUNWIN Metal Mini Milling Machine Micro DIY Woodworking Power Tool for Student Hobby	45 mm 35 mm	0 – 20,000 RPM	Metric	12 VDC 2A 24W
4	High Power Metal Mini Lathe DIY Micro Milling Machine Mill 12000rpm 60W with Adapter by top-tool	145 mm 32 mm	0 – 20, 000 RPM	Metric	144W
5	Proxxon 34108 Micro Mill FF 230	10-5/8 ” (270 mm) 3-5/32″ (80 mm)	0-2200 RPM	Metric	100W 110 – 120V 60 Hz
6	SHOP FOX M1036 Micro Milling Machine	8″ 3-1/2 ”	0-3600 RPM	Inch	0.2 HP 2A 110V

Proxxon 37110 MF 70

Our best pick is from Proxxon, a German Company. The model no is Proxxon 37110 MF 70. This mini milling machine fills all the requirements to be the best among all. It has the highest number of sales in amazon. This mini-mill is also perfect for workshop manufacturing. Let’s see why this small milling machine is the best.

This model has a table size of 200 mm x 70 mm that is perfect for any mini creation. It has an adjustable ruler scale that helps the positioning of the workpiece. All of the rotating handles have zero flexible systems where one complete rotation refers to 1 mm. It has a three-axis moving mechanism.

The spindle motor requires 1/8 HP (100W) energy. The motos have a variable speed range from 5000 – 20, 000 RPM. Moreover, this desktop mill has a footprint of 130 mm x 225 mm and a height of 340 mm. The measurement system is usually easy for the metric system.

Proxxon will deliver this product gently with all the necessary mini milling machine kit. In this model, the overall delivery package is 16.93 x 11.02 x 8.45 inches, weighing 18.2 pounds. The material used for this mini mill is stainless steel.  

This mini milling machine is quiet, precise, and vibration-free. One of the most attractive sides of this model is its design. It is lightweight and got a slim design. It works without ever compromising performance. However, if you are looking for the best mini milling machine for any workshop use, we highly recommend this model.

WEN 33013 4.5 A

Our next best pick is from WEN, located at Elgin, Illinois, USA. This benchtop milling machine is comparatively more massive and more significant than other models here in the ranking. In this case, this desktop milling machine is best for rigid materials engraving. We took it to our second choice because it has a remarkable customer suggestion.

This model has a table size of 18-1/8 x 4-3/4 inches. The milling tool travels 11-13/16 inches and 5-1/8 along the X and Y axis, respectively. The bevel head and the column has a 45-degree cutting feature. This mode is suitable to cut any rigid materials such as metal, wood, plastic, and more.

WEN 33013 4.5A has a mighty motor that requires about 0.5 HP. It has the variable speed feature, usually between 0 – 2500 RPM. The low setting of the variable speed setting goes anywhere from 100 to 1100 RPM, and the high goes from 100 to 2500 RPM. Thus, this model is perfect for any milling and drilling operation.

The WEN 33013 comes with a packaging size of 23.25 x 22 x 29.5 inches that weighs 130 pounds. The company usually sends this machine with the required installation mini mill kit. This model is heavy and expensive. But if you are looking for a stable milling machine, we prefer this one. Comparing to the size and feature, this model can be your right decision. After all, if you are looking for thin and soft materials milling, then we will suggest you choose the Proxxon 37110 MF 70.

SUNWIN

The third best pick is the SUNWIN metal mini milling machine. It is the lightest mini mill among the rest five mills. The primary reason we picked in our third position is its production. This small mini-mill is not suitable for thick and rigid materials. On the other hand, This model can be your excellent choice for learning. And thus, the product name comes like SUNWIN Metal Mini Milling Machine Micro DIY Woodworking Power Tool for Student Hobby.

The table size is only 55 mm x 35 mm, followed by the vice capacity of 25 mm x 35 mm. The support power requires for this mini mill is 12 VDC/ 2A/ 24W. The motor has a variable speed feature of up to 20,000 RPM. The headstock speed is 2,00 RPM.   

SUNWIN mini milling machine comes with a packaging size of 9.8 x 9.8 x 5.9 inches and weighs 6.2 pounds. It is suitable for cutting and milling. There’s a front blade at the front side, so the operator must be careful while operating this mini mill. If you are looking for simple, lightweight, and with the best budget, we recommend you choose this one.

TopTool

Another budgeted option we got from amazon is this Top-tool Production, from china. The reason we didn’t put it in the best-budgeted option is its expert reviews. This model couldn’t achieve the expert suggestion as SUNWIN got. But yet it has excellent features and specs. This model is our fourth choice from the best mini milling machine.

The table size is 145 x 32 mm, followed by a Z-axis movement of 32 mm. The collets are 1-6 mm in length, and the maximum size of the materials you can work with is of up to 50 mm. The functional materials can be lignin plastic, acrylic, glass, plastic, soft metals such as gold, silver, copper, aluminum, etc. The input voltage required for this machine is 12 VDC/ 5A/ 60W. The variable speed is adjustable of up to 20, 000 RPM. You should note that the power for the motor can reach up to 144W, but you have to purchase the 144W Adapter by yourselves.

This top-tool benchtop milling machine comes with the necessary installation kit. This machine is suitable for DIY uses, teaching uses. In this case, it is not ideal for commercial production. It is technically for model manufacturing. The device promises accurate cutting and easy to use.

Proxxon 34108 FF 230

We got another excellent mini milling machine from the German company Proxxon. This model is a 34108 FF 230 version. Since it is slightly bigger than the Proxxon 37110 MF 70 and expensive comparing the similar specifications to others; we took it in our fifth place in the ranking. This model can do both milling and drilling operations.

The table size is about 270 mm and 80mm, followed by the column size of 35 x 400 mm. The overall height of the machine is 500 mm. The voltage required for this mini mill is 110V – 120V with 60 Hz frequency. The motor has a variable speed of up to 2200 RPM. This variable speed is adjustable and using a regulator, and we can control its speed.

Similar to the Proxxon 37110 MF 70, it has two moving wheels with zero adjustments. One complete rotation of these wheels refers to 1 mm. This product comes with a packaging size of 20.29 x 11.34 x 15.04 inches and weighs 39.4 inches. This model is suitable for any materials. This benchtop milling machine is quiet, precise, and vibration-free. Comparing to the top-tool mini milling machine, this one is comparatively expensive.

Shop Fox M13036

Our last pick is M1306 from Shop Fox, a manufacturing company from the United States of America. This model got an excellent feature, both with the price and specifications. But due to its poor customer suggestion, we put it in our last choice.

This desktop milling machine got a table size of 8” x 3.5”. This model can do both milling and drilling of metals, plastics, and woods. In this case, It has the drilling capacity of up to ¼ inches. On the other hand, the spindle can travel 1.5 inches. The motor is a 0.2 HP powerful motor with 2 A of current flow and 110-volt single-phase asynchronous motor. It has a variable speed feature. The lower speed range can cover up to 0-3600 RPM and the high-speed range of up to 0-500 RPM.

This benchtop mini milling machine comes with a packaging size of 22 x 18.5 x 15 inches and weighs 30 pounds. It is both suitable for milling and drilling facilities. If you are looking for the best budget with the milling and drilling feature, we would strongly suggest this item. After all, it is cheap and came up with better specifications.

Frequently Asked Question (FAQ)

This section includes the ten most common questions asked in amazon. We brought all those questions in one part so that you can quickly get what you need. You do not need to scroll amazon for a long time. Besides, you can get the summary information that we already explained above. A few of the information you may not get up there.

Where are these manufacturing companies situated?

Among these six best mini milling machines, we got five different companies from different countries in the world. Among the companies, Proxxon is a German company, WEN is an American company, SUNWIN situated in Hongkong, Top-tool at China, and finally, ShopFox is located in the United States of America.

Can I also use them as a drilling machine?

Proxxon 37110 MF 70 is not suitable for drilling. On the other hand, Except Proxxon 37110 MF 70, all of the mini milling machines discussed here are ideal for drilling Process. Except for Proxxon 34108 FF 230, the rest of the mini milling machine requires extra drilling bits to purchase. You can buy the drilling bits from any shop nearby.

Are these mini-mills capable of milling small steel bits?

Yes, all of the mini milling machines here are capable of milling small steel bits. It would help if you were careful while playing it. Moreover, you should be mindful of your tooling and feeds. Make sure that you chose the appropriate tool for cutting. In this case, HSS is the best for soft materials cutting, such as Alum, brass, low carbon steel. On the other hand, for more rigid materials such as high carbon steel and titanium, you should choose carbide or cemented carbide tooling.

Are these mini-mills a variable speed machine? Is so what is the RPM range?

Yes, all of the mini milling machines here have a variable speed feature. Proxxon 37110 MF 70, SUNWIN, and Top-tool mini milling machine have a variable speed between 0 – 20,000 RPM. On the other hand, WEN 33013 4.5A has in between 0 – 2500 RPM, Proxxon 34108 FF 230 has in between 0 – 2200 RPM, and finally, ShopFox has in between 0 – 3600 RPM. Typically, the slower range of small mill is suitable for hard materials cutting, and the faster range mini mill is ideal for soft materials milling.

What power is the motor? What power is the Adapter?

Except for WEN 33013 4.5A, all of the small mills require 100W – 144W. SUNWIN is usually a 24W mini mill, but if you want to get 144W output, then you have to purchase one adaptor for yourself. WEN 33013 4.5A is a comparatively bigger mini mill than the others. Hence, it requires higher power, e.g., 0.5 HP.

How much is the total weight of these mini-mills?

Proxxon 37110 MF 70 is 18.2 pounds, WEN 33013 4.5A is 130.1 pounds, SUNWIN mini mill is 6.2 pounds, Top-tool mini mill is 21 pounds, Proxxon 34108 FF230 is 39.4 pounds, and finally ShopFox mini mill is 30 pounds. SUNWIN is the lightest, and WEN 33013 4.5A is the heaviest among all.

Are these small mills suitable for lightweight plastics and metals?

Generally, SUNWIN is suitable for jewelry manufacturing. Bigger than SUNWIN mini mill, there are Proxxon 37110 MF 70 is ideal for lightweight metals, woods, and plastics. Consequently, Top-tool and shop fox mini-mills are suitable for most of the materials (not too hard, not too soft). Finally, Proxxon 34108 and WEN 33013 4.5A has the slower RPM ideal for hard and dense materials milling. 

What is the difference between Proxxon 37110 MF 70 and 34108 FF 230?

There are two main differences between the two models from Proxxon. Proxxon 37110 MF 70 has a faster RPM motor and smaller size. It is perfect for lightweight materials engraving. On the other hand, Proxxon 34108 FF 230 has a slower RPM motor and more significant in size. It is ideal for hard materials engraving.

Are these small desktop mill computers controlled?

No. All of these mini-mills are manually operated devices. Some multiple hands and screws can be used to control the motor RPM and the position of the workpiece.

What is the max size of the horizontal and vertical move?

Proxxon 37110 MF 70 has the horizontal 200mm move, and vertical 70 mm move. Similarly, WEN 33013 4.5 A has 18 1/8 ” x 4 1/4 “, SUNWIN Metal Mini Milling Machine 45 mm x 35 mm, Top-tool has 145 mm x 32 mm, Proxxon 34108 FF 230 has 10-5/8 ” (270 mm) x 3-5/32″ (80 mm) and finally ShopFox has 8″ x 3-1/2 “.

Summery

We hope it’s a complete guide to pick the best mini milling machine from amazon. These mini-mills are manually operated. Therefore, don’t get confused on the CNC milling machine. However, if you want a quick knowledge of each of the six mills, then we suggest you go through the table. If you further need the explanation, follow the instruction mentioned as the product name. Based on the above discussion, we took our best pick and best-budgeted option among all those six products.

• Best pick: Proxxon 37110 MF 70 mini mill
• Best Budgeted Option: SUNWIN mini milling machine.

After all, we tried to bring all of the vital information possible in one article. We spent a lot of time to compare their specifications, features, and reality reviews. We hope this article will make your research easier. Stay with us, and we promise you the best guide for machinery technology.

The automatic control system is nowadays one of the most desired demands. And that’s why industries are making the automated machine more than the manuals. Computer Numerical Control machines or CNC machines are one of the top class computerized machines in the business market. CNC machines can be various in types. Among those types, CNC routers have a wide range of applications. And thus, we brought you this great guideline to choose the best mini CNC router in the market. In this article, we will start with the definition, and then we will make a list of the Top Best mini CNC router in 2021 in the Amazon market.

Things that we considered choosing the best mini CNC router

You may want to know how did we consider picking the best mini CNC router in 2021. If I am right, then read this section carefully. After our complete research on many of the cnc routers, we came to an end considering the following things.

Specifications: We took the top 10 best mini CNC router with the same specs—all of the routers here 3018 PRO versions of the respective companies. Please continue reading the article, and we have explained the specifications right after this section.

Feature: This is one of the most vital points we considered here, ranking the product. Some of the companies give more features than others; if the features get higher, price increases.

Customer Review: This is the most critical factor to consider here. All the companies will advertise their product in their way, but in reality, few are different. In the customer review section, you will get a real idea about the quality of the product. We considered this section strongly.

Price: Sometimes, we look for the best budget option. Because sometimes, you may not need the best product. So, we also listed the best-budgeted option for you. Just continue reading, you will get everything whatever you need.

Mini CNC 3018 PRO router machine

We already mentioned above that the CNC router has a different category based on their sizes and uses. And also, we are going to demonstrate the Top best Desktop mini CNC routers in Amazon. This small CNC router can also be called a CNC 3018 PRO router. This 3018 means the working area of the cutting tool is 30 cm long and 18 cm wide. All of the mini CNC router or 3018 PRO series has this active working area.

Specification

Here in today’s ranking, we are going to pick the top best mini CNC router In today’s ranking, we are going to pick the top best mini CNC router in 2021. We took nine best CNC machine producing companies from Amazon. These 3018 desktop mini CNC routers have similar specifications. So, we are going to elaborate on the specs first. After that, we will demonstrate the top best mini CNC router in 2021.

Active Engraving Area

The 3018 small CNC machine has an active area of 300 mm long, 180 mm wide, and 45 mm high. In inches, the active engraving area is about 11.8 x 7.1 x 1.8 inches. Therefore, it means that between this area you can design anything you wish to do.

Frame Size

The overall frame size of this 3018 mini CNC router is approximately 400 x 330 x 240 mm or 15.7 x 13.0 x 9.4 inches. This frame size may vary in the products we are going to rank today. This size is the overall machine dimension, and the active engraving area is the area in between the cutting tool can engrave.

Frame Material

Frame material also varies brand to brand here. In this case, some of the routers have the steel frame. Some of the routers also have aluminum. And some of them have a mixture of Phenol Formaldehyde resin and aluminum.

Z-Axis Component Material

The axis in which the spindle motor moves is the Z-axis. The other two axis moves on the mechanism of a ball screw and stepper motor. But in this case, the axis component material is Nylon, and it looks like a rail.  

Spindle

The spindle of the mini CNC router uses 775 motors. This motor has a standard size of 66.7 mm of height and 42.0 mm of the outer diameter. And, the 775 stands for the standard size of the spindle motor. However, It requires 24 V of the power supply. Its rotating speed is approximate 10,000 RPM.

Rated power

The overall mini CNC router requires 60W of the power supply. The Maximum power it needs is 120W.  

Step Motor

There are three stepper motors on the mini CNC router. All of the motors require 1.3 A of the current supply, 12 V of the power supply. It’s net torque is 0.25 Nm /  2.2 in-lb.  

Drill Bits

The routing tool required to cut the materials is the drill bits. Usually, the companies provide a bunch of drill sets for different uses and purposes. Typically, the drill bits have a tip of 0.1 mm, 20 degrees of the angle, and 3.175 mm of the diameter.

Software

The software required for the machine controlling is GRBL control(Candle). Remember to install the driver first. The installation and tutorials are available in every company. 

Supported OS

The software GRBL control supports in the Operating system Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, MAC OS.  

Power Supply

The overall power supply required for the machine is 24V and 5A of the current flow.

Offline Control

All of the 3018 mini CNC routers come with an offline controller. There is manual control of setting the X, Y, Z-Axis. It doesn’t require a computer to set the axis.

Top Best mini CNC router in 2021

We have already seen the specs of the 3018 mini CNC router machine because all of the routers here got the same specs. Before we get into the detail of our ranking, let’s have a glance at the summary table of the small CNC milling/ laser routers. Staring from Genmitsu to Beauty star, we listed the fundamental differences between them. These all are the best CNC router for a small shop. The first one is our best pick. We will explain their position after this summary table.

Best Pick: Genmitsu CNC Router 3018-PRO

Our best small shop CNC router is from Genmitsu. This excellent machine got the highest support from the Amazon buyers. Every day people are buying this one. Besides, the customers strongly suggested this mini router machine as the best among all. Comparing the features, specifications, and price, this model has a remarkable position in the market.

However, Genmitsu 3018-Pro is a three-axis engraving machine. I can engrave acrylic, wood, plastics, etc. It is also suitable for metals such as aluminum. It has the milling feature only. The actual engraving depth is 1.8 inches. Therefore, it can be used in cutting, engraving, and routing.

Moreover, it doesn’t require any batteries. It comes with a sturdy packaged box. And thus, As long as you open the box, your device is safe. Genmitsu 3018- PRO mini CNC router comes with a packaging size of 17.4 x 9.7 x 7 inches. The company will provide you with the necessary manuals and procedures to install the software.

mcwdoit Upgrade Version CNC 3018 Pro

The next best pick goes to the small CNC router machine from mcwdoit. This model got excellent customer support from Amazon buyers. Though it is cheaper than Genmitsu, yet it couldn’t reach that much recommendation as Genmitsu got. After all, considering all other specifications and features, mcwdoit deserves to be in the next place of Genmitsu.

This mini CNC router is the upgraded version. It can cut soft metals like copper and aluminum, wood, acrylic, PCB, CCL, and other materials. It is suitable for hard metal carving. The company will provide 20 pieces of 3.175 mm CNC router bits, four sets of CNC plates and 12 parts of ER11 collet set. 

Moreover, This mini CNC router comes package includes all mechanical Moreover, This small CNC router comes package includes all mini CNC router kit and install instruments. The package also consists of the CD DVD software, stepper motos, frame, power supply, and so on. The package size is 17.4 x 9.5 x 6.8 inches. It is easy to assemble, cheap, accurate, and easy to use.

MYSWEETY Upgrade Version CNC 3018 Pro

Another remarkable mini CNC router engraver came in the market is from MYSWEETY. It got no less feature than mcwdoit. Mcwdoit and Mysweety, both of them, have similar popularity. But if we look through the Product features, we will find the differences.

This mini CNC router comes with ten drill bits,  four clamps, one-piece full set engraving machine, one pc offline controller, one-piece extension rod with ER11. Moreover, The profile dimension is about 330 x 400 x 240 mm. The offline controller can have a 1G capacity. The upgrade version consists of an update board, offline controller, 775 spindle motors, and aluminum frame.

The manufacturing company will provide you with the necessary installation parts with the delivery. In this case, the package size is 17.4 x 9.5 x 6.8 inches. This company offers you laser routing features if you are interested. The overall package would not include the laser routing tool if you didn’t choose it. After all, it is accurate, easy to assemble, and cheap.

Cenoz Upgrade CNC 3018 Pro

Our next best pick is this mini desktop CNC router. Based on the specifications and price, Cenoz small CNC routers have a remarkable place in the market too. Depending on the customer recommendation, we put this router in the fourth place of our ranking. Besides, they have differences in their features and complexity.

Cenoz CNC 3018 PRO mini router can cut any materials except a few hard materials. It has the upgraded control board, most latest GRBL three-axis control, provided with more power. The company will also offer integrated driver chip, fixed heat sink, external fan, etc. They also offer necessary bits and clamps.

However, The packaging size comes with a dimension of 17.64 x 9.45 x 6.69 inches. Comparing to other mini CNC router, this model is not easy to use. But it is sturdy, accurate, and easy to assemble. The manufacturing companies assure that it will take 20 minutes to finish the assembly process. But if we consider routing for beginners, then this CNC routing won’t be the best choice.

SainSmart Genmitsu CNC Router Machine 3018-PROVer

Sainsmart is a part of the Genmitsu group. Here, our next best pick goes to this sain smart miniature CNC router or 3018-PRO CNC router. This model is more professional and unique than other models. It is heavy and stable. Because your machine the more heavy is, the more it remains fixed. In some cases, while routing the surface materials, the device vibrates. This vibration is the cause of the accuracy problem.

SainSmart mini CNC router is the latest version of the 3018 Desktop CNC DIY kit series. Like the Cenoz company, this company also assures the easy assemble feature. On the other hand, This desktop CNC router has the fingertip controlling feature. There is 1.8 inches display and provide manual controls.

It comes with a packaging size of 18.2 x 16.2 x 11 inches. Additionally, It is an aluminum built structure that ensures higher stress. It is accurate and suitable for beginners. All the features that come with this model are excellent except the price. Comparing to the other models, this one is quite expensive.

MYSWEETY DIY CNC 3018-PRO

Another model from Mysweety is this our next pick. This model has two tools for the routing process, milling, and laser tool. And then, this model can perform both cuttings and carvings. But the laser is only for the engraving. Because this laser is not that powerful to cut objects, for cutting purposes, we can use the drill bits.

The laser tool has 450 nm of wavelength laser light. It needs 5.5W of the power supply and 3A of current flow. Also, the working temperature is 10 degrees to 40 degrees. On the other hand, This company will provide ten pieces of drills bits with 0.1 mm of the tip, 20 degrees, and 3.175mm of the diameter. Four pieces of clamps come with the package that holds the thickness up to 0-30mm.

The overall package size is 17.5 x 9.5 x 7 inches. This small CNC machine is easy to use and assemble. If you are looking for both laser and milling router, then this model will be the best decision of yours. 

Yofully Upgraded CNC 3018 Pro

The next pick is from Yofully. This mini CNC router has similar specs to the first four mini CNC routers. But in a few of their features have differences. As Usual, this model can cut any materials such as soft metals like copper and aluminum, wood, acrylic,  Plastics, etc. The Yofully new version comes with an upgraded version of 3018. The updated version consists of a new control board, heat sink and external fan, sturdy shell, etc.

The company promises a straightforward installation feature. It may take 20 minutes to assemble the whole machine. However, the overall frame size is 400 x 330 x 240 mm / 15.7 x 13.0 x 9.4 inches.

The packaging size is 17.72 x 9.84 x 7.09 inches. This mini CNC router will come with the necessary installation pieces of equipment and also with the extra bits and clamps.

Titoe 2 in 1 5500mW Engraver CNC 3018 Pro Engraving Machine

Another combo pack we picked from TItoe. This model is similar to the MYSWEETY DIY CNC 3018-PRO. Hence, the company will provide the combo pack both for small CNC milling machines and small CNC laser routing. This model is the upgraded version of Titoe 3018. The updated version comes with the integrated driver chip, external fan, fixed heat sink, sturdy casing, etc.

The 5.5 W laser can engrave 0.1 mm, is suitable for any marking or simple drawings.  The packaging size that comes with this model is 17.64 x 9.76 x 7.4 inches. This model is also easy to use and assemble, promises high-quality cutting. But comparing to the price, this one is a little expensive than the others.

Best Budgeted option: VEVOR CNC 3018-PRO

This mini CNC router from Vevor got an excellent feature similar to other milling routers. If we consider customer reviews and suggestions, this desktop mini router falls behind the top models. Additionally, this model is also a premium quality than Vevor 3018, and the price is surprisingly meager.

The packaging size of this mini router is 17.7 x 10.2 x 7.1 inches. Comparing to the above mini routers, this one weighs lower than the above routers. The company will provide the necessary installation tools for this mini CNC router. If you consider money, this mini router will be the best decision.

Beauty Star Upgrade Version CNC 3018 Pro

Our last pick is from Beauty Star. It is also an upgraded version of Beauty Star 3018. In this case, this model updated the manual control feature. This company also promises a smooth assembly process. The specifications didn’t come with any change, but there is a little difference in the functionality.   

However, this model comes with a package size of 17.56 x 9.29 x 6.61 inches. The company will provide the mini CNC router kit such as one-piece full set engraving machine, one-piece offline installer, four pieces clamp, one-piece extension rod with ER11 collet, thirteen pieces ER11 collet set, one-piece googles, twenty pieces of engraving bits.

Precaution

Precautions are a few steps to perform to reduce any risk of injury. We must follow the precautions steps both for the machine and the operators. Let’s check each of the precautions below.

1. Read and thoroughly understand the user manual. Primarily focus on the warning posted in the manual section. Do not attempt to operate before you didn’t read the manual.
2. The experienced operator should be present while operating the routing machine. If you are willing to learn it, we suggest going through the instructions.
3. If it is a laser operation in the mini CNC router, you should wear safety glasses.
4. Wear the dust mask because the dust may cause cancer in your lung.
5. Keep your visitors to a safe distance from the machine.
6. Check the marking area before you go routing te surface.
7. Do not keep any object on the routing device while it has power.
8. Check out each of the wirings, inputs, and outputs before the operation.
9. Make sure you correctly tightened the object in the working area.

Maintenance

To make our routing machine long-lasting, we must follow the maintenance rule. Usually, the manual book has maintenance rules. If you didn’t have, then let’s check out the rules below.

1. Ensure your mini CNC router is clean and uptight.
2. If you have used you for a long time, try changing the filters.
3. The air supply is an essential part of the cooling system. Make sure it’s clean.
4. Do not perform maintenance while the machine is on.
5. Check the lubricants if it requires change. Follow the instruction from the company and use the proper oil for the machine.

Summary

We are finally at the end of our ranking. From this article, we got the top best small shop CNC router in 2021.  Though the specifications are the same but yet they have few differences in the features and customer reviews. To get this ranking, we focused on;

1. The Specification
2. The customer review
3. Features and Price
4. Accessibility
5. Stability and durability.

After the ranking of the best small CNC router in 2021, we got the best model with the features and customer review that is Genmitsu CNC Router 3018-PRO. And if we are looking for less budget, then we strongly recommend choosing VEVOR CNC 3018-PRO.

Best Pick: Genmitsu CNC Router 3018-PRO

Best Budgeted option: VEVOR CNC 3018-PRO

We hope we could make your research for Best mini CNC router in 2021 easier now. Just follow our instructions and get your top best mini CNC router in 2021. Stay connected to woocnc.com, and we will always be here with the best suggestion and guides.

CNC plasma cutting machine is also known as CNC Plasma cutter. Just as the CNC wood router and CNC laser cutting machine, the CNC Plasma cutter are also widely used for industrial cutting process. Before that, we must know what exactly does this plasma means. So, let’s dig in.

What is Plasma?

Plasma is the fourth state of the matter besides solid-state, liquid-state, and the gas-state. By heating water, we can change its state to gas. If we further burn gas, it will turn into the ionized form. Finally, we call it a plasma.

What is a CNC Plasma cutting machine?

CNC plasma cutter is an automated cutting machine.  CNC means computer Numeric Control. Any name along with CNC is an example of the automation technology. However, after the 19^th century, we got the advancement of the various CNC machines.

Consequently, A CNC Plasma cutter is an automated plasma cutter machine which has a plasma cutting tool can cut the electrically conductive metals. So, we can find that the main difference between the CNC cutting machines is in their cutting tool.

The structure of Plasma cutting machine

The basic structure of the plasma cutter has three main components. They are,

1. Power supply: A plasma power supply converts the AC power supply to the smooth DC power supply. Usually, the range of the DC power supply is between 200 VDC to 400 VDC. This DC power supply maintains the whole process from the plasma arc throughout the cut. Based on the material types and thickness, it also regulates the current output required.
2. Arc Starting Console: The ASC or Arc Starting console has the critical task to do here. This ASC produces the Alternating current 5000 VAC. It provides the spark inside the plasma torch. And then, it creates the plasma arc.
3. Plasma torch: This part is the foundation of the overall cutting process. It maintains the alignment of the cutting process. It also provides the cooling system. The main components required for the arc generation is the electrode, swirl ring, and the nozzle. We can add a new cap to get a better cutting quality.

Plasma Cutting Principle

First, we need a gas particle to start the process. The gas can be many types such as oxygen, nitrogen, argon, or even shop air. But often, most of the plasma torch in the workshop uses the shop air. There’s a pressurizing device that forces this gas to get inside the plasma torch.

And then, this high pressured gas flow meets an electrical arc generated. It turns into the 40,000˚ F. We can call it as a plasma jet. Subsequently, we will find the negative cathode that makes the plasma jet into the negative plasma.

At this time, we know the object we are dealing with is the electrically conductive material. Therefore, this negative plasma jet can quickly melt down positive metal. Finally, we have performed a cutting.

We should note that a plasma cutting can only perform for the electrically conductive materials. We will describe more about it in the elements for the plasma cutting section.  

CNC Plasma cutting principle

Similar to the other CNC machine, CNC plasma machine also performs the same working principles. First,  the operator must save the design of the cutting on his/her computer. Using CAD software, we can keep the configuration in CAD format. And then, We can use the required CNC software to convert our design into the machine processing language.

However, through the particular cable, the instructions passed to the machine. Now, its time to work on the object. The working table has three primary moving rail system. On the three of the climbing rail, there are three stepper motors.

The design we gave in the machine has converted the CAD design into the pulse function of the stepper motor. The pulse function is the time of the motor rotation. Therefore, depending on the number of the pulse, the stepper motors push the cutting tool on the desired cutting line.

Finally, the plasma torch throws the negative plasma jet on the electrically conductive materials. It quickly melts down. 

Targeted materials for plasma cutting process

As we have mentioned above, a plasma torch can cut only the electrically conductive materials. The materials are such as steel, stainless steel, aluminium, copper, brass, and some other conductive materials. We should note that we can not cut plastic, wood, or other non-metallic electrically non-conductive materials using the plasma torch. 

Applications of CNC Plasma Cutting machine

CNC laser cutting Vs. CNC plasma cutting. Which one is better? Both of them cut metals, then why the application of them is different?  These are the common question we get from our customers. Well, there’s a difference between them.

1. CNC laser cutter can cut the operation, which needs a lower tolerance range. On the other hand, the CNC plasma cutter cuts the bevel cutting.
2. The more complex design needs a CNC laser cutter. But the CNC plasma cutter performs the simple cutting operation.

These two are the fundamental difference between their working principles. Let’s have a glance at the application of the CNC plasma cutter.

• In the robot welding work station, the CNC plasma cutter performs different operations. 
• In Marine welding and cutting, the uses of CNC plasma machine is more than the other fields.
• CNC plasma machine also works at the auxiliary welding machine
•  In the steel structure pipeline manufacturing, CNC plasma cutter has a remarkable position. 

Types of CNC Plasma Cutter

There is some renowned brand for plasma cutting in the recent market. For example, Hypertherm plasma cutter, Lincoln plasma cutter, Thermal dynamics plasma cutter, Esab plasma cutter.  Based on the position of the anode and the cathode, the CNC plasma cutter has two classes in common. They are,

• Traditional Plasma cutter: This type of plasma cutter throws a negative plasma. It has the cathode electrode in the middle of the torch and the surrounding as the negative.   
• Inverter Plasma cutter: This type of plasma cutter is just opposite of the traditional plasma cutter. It has a positive electrode in the middle of the plasma torch. The surrounding body works as a negative electrode.  

Based on the plasma jet

Based on the number of gases used in the plasma jet, we can further classify them into five types.

• Conventional Plasma Cutter: This type of plasma cutting usually uses a single gas generally air or nitrogen. A traditional plasma of CNC cutter is suitable for 5/8″ thick of the materials. So, The cutting is usually ideal for handheld operation. Most of the plasma torch has a rated current of 100 Amps.  
• Dual Gas Plasma Cutter: This type of Plasma cutter generally uses two gases. One of the gas is for the plasma jet and the other one for the shield. The shield gas is necessary to cover the cutting area. It provides the best possible cutting.
• Water Shield Plasma Cutter: This process is quite similar to the dual gas plasma cutting. But instead of the second gas, this type uses the water to shield the cutting area. It produces improved nozzle workpiece cooling. It also provides better cutting.
• Water Injection Plasma Cutter:  This type of plasma cutter uses a single gas for the plasma jet. It utilizes water directly injected into the arc. The amps required for this process is usually from 260 amps to 750 amps. This process is for high-quality cutting of several materials. The cutting thickness can be more than conventional CNC plasma cutting.
• Precision Plasma Cutter: This type of  Plasma cutter performs superior cutting quality on thinner sheet metals. The size less than 1/2″ of thick. This process usually is slower than the other methods.

plasma cutting machine types Based on the dimensional cutting

Based on the dimensional cutting, the plasma cutter further has two types. They are,

• Two axis CNC plasma cutters can cut in two directions. Though there are three stepper motors for moving in 3D. But while cutting, the plasma torch can cut only X and Y-axis. And this is a two-dimensional plasma cutter.
• Three axis CNC plasma cutters can make 3D sculpture. Technically, the plasma torch can rotate and move based on the requirements. And thus, this type is a 3D CNC plasma cutter. For example, 3D Automatic CNC Pipe Tube Plasma Flame Cutter Beveler is from Shandong Kasrey Intelligent Equipment, etc.

The Basic Structure of the CNC Plasma Cutter

The following are the essential parts that we must discuss.

1. CNC operator: There is a leading operating machine that commands the primary mechanical mechanism is the CNC operator. We can input the program manually on this device. Or we can convert our CAD design into the CNC language and transfer that to this device.
2. Plasma Table: The working table on which the plasma torch performs its activities is a plasma table.
3. Guide rail: There are 3 x 2 guide rails on the plasma table. The different axes move on this guide rail.  The position of the tracks depends on the structure of the CNC plasma cutter.
4. Motors: There are three stepper motors are available. Based on the size of the working table, motor power depends. The heavier the weight is, the more powerful the stepper motor is.
5. Working stage:  We know that the plasma is super hot ionized. So after cutting, it must cool down. So, to shield this thing, the CNC plasma cutter uses water or other gases to cool it down. Therefore, there is an evacuating system on the working stage. Several screws help to tighten the object.
6. Sensors: There are multiple sensors situated on the working bench. It helps to locate the plasma torch.  

How to choose a CNC Plasma Cutter?

As we have said above, that the CNC laser cutting and CNC plasma cutting has a similar cutting principle. But there are only two differences between them. So, Before we go for choosing a CNC plasma cutter, we must know on which purpose we need a cutting machine.

While you decided that you must need a CNC plasma cutter, then we recommend considering the following essential points.

• Duty Cycle is the period that calculates the number of cutting the plasma cutter can perform in every ten minutes before it needs to cool down.
• Output power is the ability to cut the object. For example, a 12 amps output power of 120V machine can penetrate 1/8″. On the other hand, 60 amps output power of 230 V can penetrate 7/8″ of the sheet metal.
• We must have to choose conductive materials to cut. Plasma cutting is not suitable for non-metals.  
• The speed of plasma cutting is vital to consider. The general rates of the plasma cutting are inch per minute (IPM).
• Plasma torch: We have seen there are five kinds of the plasma torch. Therefore, depending on our demands, we must choose the right plasma torch for cutting.

Advantages

1. It cuts with wide cutting areas almost all conductive sheet metals.
2. It has a fast cutting speed and higher efficiency.
3. Cutting accuracy is higher than flame cutting. The cutting underwater is not deformed.

Disadvantages

1. It can not cut non-metals.
2. The cutting thickness is shallow, the higher the depth is, the higher power it needs.
3. Plasma cutting is bevel shaped. 

Precaution

1. We should allow any unauthorized personnel inside the lab.
2. There should be a distance between the observation and the cutting area.
3. We must ensure the fire extinguisher before the operation.
4. While handling the gases and fumes, we must be careful.
5. We must ensure our safety.

Maintenance

1. After working, we must clean up everything.
2. We must ensure that our machine is powered off.
3. After cleaning up, we should put back every tools and equipment we took before the operation.

Summary

After all, we hope we have covered all of the possible pieces of knowledge that we must learn. In this short article, we have tried to demonstrate the introduction to a CNC plasma cutter. However, if you are a beginner in this field, we strongly recommend mastering the precaution and safety manual first.

However, we hope we could make an easy learning way for you. If you are interested in other CNC machine technology, we have demonstrated a summary of them in the link attached to the CNC machine technology. 

After the 19^th century, technological advancement has begun. Laser beam technology is one of them. “ CNC Laser cutter ” is our main focus in this article. We will discuss each of the working principles. In the later part of the article, we will explain the parts and mechanism of the laser cutting.

We all are familiar with the Laser. It is a device that emits light. It amplifies the view through the simulation of electromagnetic radiation. We can create the Laser from electrical discharges or lamps within a closed container. We can also use crystals to generate laser beams because their intensity is higher than the lasers from the electrical discharge. Hence, different types of laser cutters come. Moreover, a laser beam cutting is a technology that cuts metals into a various slice.

What is a CNC Laser Cutter?

Computer numeric control or CNC is a process of machining by Computer. Usually, we can perform many machine operations using computerized technology—for example, lathe cutting, milling, drilling, 3D cutting, shaping, etc.

How does a laser cutter work?

We can define a CNC laser cutter as it is a process of laser cutting service using computerized technology. Just like the other CNC cutting machine. CNC laser engraver also cuts metals, woods, acrylic, paper, and so on. But the only difference is in their cutting tool.

We all know that a laser is a device where a laser beam creates through electromagnetic radiation. Let’s see a summary of the working principle of a laser. First, the radiated beam directly falls on the amplification tool.  We can use a mirror to reflect our beam if our laser device situated in some other locations.

And then there is a container into the beam will pass through. In that container, we will use some laser gasses. Finally, the laser beam, along with the gas, falls on the metal surface. The place quickly melts down after getting a laser beam onto it. Other than CO₂ gas, we can use other gasses like nitrogen, helium, xenon, and hydrogen, etc.

Working Principle of a CNC Laser cutter  

CNC laser cutter has no difference with the other CNC cutting machine. Their working principle is almost the same as each other.

CNC laser cutting machine has a laser cutting tool. On the other CNC machine have a different cutting tool like plasma cutter or the router or others. But, all of them have a computer to operate the machining system. It is known as CNC or Computer Numeric Control. Let’s focus on the CNC laser engraver machine.

First, the Computer saves the command of the places we need to cut. After that, it converts the commands into the CNC machine language. The device now knows where to cut. It commands the motors to run precisely at the fixed frequency. The ball screw helps to transfer the rotational motion into the linear motion. 

And then, the laser cutting tool comes to the exact position, and it starts cutting. Following the command from the Computer, it cuts accordingly on the correct places we need to cut.

CNC Laser engraving materials

About 90% of the factories in the world use this laser cutting machine. How? Most of the products have a date, and the company code printed on the product. Most of the plastic and metal industries use a laser engraver to print the date and codes. Besides, the laser cutter also cuts the thick sheets to make packaging. So, we have seen that the laser cutter can cut metals, plastics, glasses, acrylics, woods, etc.

Application of CNC Laser Cutter

Laser cutting is one of the most widely used manufacturing processes in the world. We will find laser cutting in industries such as the aeroscope, automotive, electronics, semiconductor, and medical sectors. There is a list of applications we will find for Laser cutting processes. For example,

1. CNC laser cutting of metal.
2. Laser surgery
3. Laser cutting for marking and engraving
4. Using laser cutting for packaging
5. Ceramics CNC laser cutting.
6. Cut off other non-metals.

Types of CNC Laser Cutter

The laser cutting box of the CNC laser cutter can be different in types based on the different working principles. Consequently, depending on the various structure of the laser cutting tool, we can classify it into three main types. They are,

• CNC Gas / CO₂ Laser Cutter: We have already mentioned above that the laser beam amplifies into the lens and then mix with the gasses. After that, it falls on the object surface and quickly melts that down. Therefore, the gas we will use in the container can be various in types such as nitrogen, helium, xenon, and hydrogen, etc. But the CO₂ gas is the most commonly used gas among all the gases. Besides, the CNC CO₂ laser cutter is also the most commonly used machine. 

• CNC crystal Laser Cutter: We know that the Laser comes from the electrical discharge or lamps within a closed container. What if we use crystal here? Yes, we can. The crystals can give us high powered cutting. Crystal laser cutting is a process that uses lasers made from the crystals. The crystals are YAG (neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet) and YVO (neodymium-doped yttrium ortho-vanadate).

• CNC Fiber Laser Cutter: In this type of the CNC laser cutter, we can use optical fibre cable to transfer the laser beam. The most critical benefit of this kind is, it can cut multiple cutting at the same time.

Based on the cutting materials

We already mentioned above at the application section that a CNC laser engraver can cut various materials. But their cutting machine is not similar. So, Depending on the cutting materials, we can classify them into the following categories. 

• CNC metal laser cutter: This type of CNC laser cutter can cut metals like aluminium, copper, stainless steel, iron plate, carbon, sheet metal, etc. Metal has high-stress force, so cutting metals needs high intensity of the laser beams. For example, Laser cutter from Shandong Qintang Laser automation equipment,  Laser Cutting Machine 1500w Price/CNC Fiber Laser Cutter Sheet Metal from Shandong Ruijie CNC technology group Co. Ltd., etc.
• Glass engraving CNC Laser Cutter:  Glass engraving machine can generally cut the not-metallic object such as glass, wood, and others. We know that the glass is highly fragile. So, while engraving a CNC glass engraving machine, rely on the high engraving speed, high efficiency, and good engraving quality. For example Glass engraver from Jinan Jindiao technology, Co. Ltd.,
• CNC laser woodcutter: This type of machine generally woodcutting. It also processes wood, Acrylic, PBS, ceramic, leather, textile, paper products, plastic, metal, bamboo, glass, and other non-metallic materials. For example, Building Material Shops Laser Cutter, CNC Wood 1390 Laser Cutting Machine LP Laser Hot Co2 Laser Cutter Cnc Wood Acrylic 1390 Laser Cutting Machine from Shandong Leapion Machinery Co., Ltd.

Based on the Dimensional cutting

Can we make a sculpture using all the laser cutter? No, right? We need some extra features to get that. SO, depending on the dimensional cutting, we can further divide the laser cutter into the main two types. They are,

• 2D laser cutter CNC: This type of CNC machine can move all three axes. They can cut two-dimensional cutting. All of the examples we mentioned are the example of two-dimensional cutting.
• 3D laser cutter CNC: Other than three-axis, this type of CNC laser cutter can rotate. Therefore, it can make three-dimensional cutting. For example, 1390 Cnc Nonmetal Co2 3d Laser Cutter Engraver for Bottle Glass Paper Plywood Acrylic is from Jinan Yaoneng Machinery Technology Co., Ltd.

The basic structure of the CNC Laser Cutter

A CNC laser cutter consists of different parts and mechanism. First, we can define the parts and mechanism into two primary division. One is the digital mechanism, and the other one is the mechanical mechanism.

• The digital mechanism consists of the Computer and the CNC machine operator. We generally give our design to the Computer, and then Computer passes the design to the CNC machine. And this the CNC machine get its design in its language. Now its time to give the commands to the mechanical parts.
• Mechanical parts consist of many different kinds of mechanism. For example, the main working table and its parts, the laser cutting tool, wiring systems, etc. are the essential parts. Based on the several parts of them, we can further divide the mechanical parts into two primary division. One is the main working table, and one is the laser cutting tool.

The main working mechanism

The working table can be both portable and fixed. Portable CNC laser cutter can change place when it is necessary. On the other side, the fixed working table can not change place. If can then it needs lots of joints to assemble. If the changing place matters, we suggest choosing the portable CNC laser engraver.

However, The working table has three axes guideline. There are three motors attached to the ball screws. We give the pulse signal number to the motor, and motor place the position of the cutting tool to the desired position.

Laser Cutting Tool

Let’s see the laser cutting picture again. WE can see the Laser is coming from a source. That source can be an electrical discharge or lamp radiated Laser, or it can be a Laser from crystal radiated Laser. After that, the Laser travels a distance to reach the lens. The travelling way can be an optical fibre or others depending on the types of the CNC laser cutter.

After the lens, we will find a laser container box. The container contains the gas particles—for example, CO₂, nitrogen, etc. Subsequently, the laser beam contacts with the gas-particle and directly hits the surface of the object. It quickly melts down the object materials at that specific place. Finally, we get the object in our desired shape. 

How to choose a CNC Laser cutter

• Laser beam intensity: Metal needs high intensity, then wood, the plastic, and then so on. So, the laser beam intensity is essential to look at before we choose.
• Cutting Accuracy: We all know that the beauty lies on the accuracy. The more the accurate is, the more the best design is. We must focus on the laser accuracy too.
• Safety qualities: The beam is a kind of light particle. So, it will reflect on the place surface. Consequently, safety is a priority.

Advantages

1. Laser cutting does not require the changing of the tool. Therefore, it is flexible than the other cutting tool.
2. The primary advantage of laser cutting is accuracy. It gives the most accurate cutting than the other CNC cutting operation.
3. Laser cutting is faster than the other traditional cutting.
4. CNC laser cutter is an automated cutting process.
5. It gives us a better quality product.
6. The operator does not require to change anything. Therefore, it’s a contactless operation
7. The different machines are versatile to different materials.

Disadvantages

1. The operator must be experienced enough to operate this laser cutter.
2. The cutting intensity depends on the thickness of the metal. So, we must define before we go for the cutting.
3. CNC laser cutter is more expensive than the other automated cutting machine.

Precaution

1.     The instructor must be present while operating the machine.
2.     Never leave the machine unattended. 
3.     The instructor must select the object.
4.     Wear safety glasses.
5.     Clean up the debris.
6.     Identify the fire extinguisher before the machining.

Maintenance

1. After the operation, we must clean up the machine.
2. We should put the tool where it was.
3. We must not leave the machine unattended.

Summary

After all, we have understood the basic working principle of the CNC laser cutter. Furthermore, we also discussed the basic structure of the machine. Besides, we have also discussed the laser cutting working principle and its structure. Lastly, we have illustrated the advantages and disadvantages of laser cutting. And at last, we must double-check the precaution and the maintenance part.

Therefore, we hope we could make your research easier. Suppose you are interested in the other CNC machining. Please visit the lick attested with the CNC machining. Keep reading our guidelines, and we will always be by your side with the best explanations of the machines. So, keep it updated and best of luck on your projects.