Thermal Metal Cutting Solutions: Plasma vs LASER vs Combination

This comparison chart is designed to help understand the benefits of each cutting technology. This is a basic guide, and we welcome you to reach us to further explore your specific needs.

Piranha C Series plasma tables provide a reliable quality plasma cutting solution at a low investment level.

• Real machine tool construction for a great price
• Solid – Built to last
• Piranha support, parts warranty with good documentation for easy startups
• Available in 3 sizes – 4×4, 4×8, and 5×10
• Welded frame – most competition is bolt together
• Servo control drive motors – NOT stepper motors
• Dual sided drives – better positioning accuracy
• Linear guides and bearings – best accuracy
• Hypertherm Powermax from 45 amp to 125 amp available
• Maximum material thickness from ½” to 7/8″
• FastCam Pro software
• Optional pipe cutting attachment

Piranha’s latest Plasma Table line introduces an even more affordable plasma table. The Piranha B-Series Plasma Table is perfect for your hobby to light industrial cutting needs. This table retains a lot of the high end features found on the C-Series table and only is short some of the things you don’t need when looking at lighter duty cutting cycles.

AVAILABLE SIZES:

• 4’ x 4’
• 4’ x 8’
• 5’ x 10’

AVAILABLE OPTIONS
Hypertherm® Powermax® Plasma System:

• Powermax 45®
• Powermax 65®
• Powermax 85®
• Powermax 105®
• Powermax 125®

• RUGGED CONSTRUCTION: An all-welded steel table top with bolt on legs. The B-Series Plasma table comes standard with a water table (not down-draft) and utilizes stepper motors on the X and Y axis.
• AFFORDABLE: A solid, high quality machine at an affordable price for your Hobby to light industrial cutting needs.
• CNC CONTROL: This fully integrated system is ready to take on any design or part you throw at it. With an extensive shape library, and LCD monitor – we will have you operating like a fabricator should.
• DUAL SIDE DRIVE: With motors on both sides of the Y-axis, we give you maximum stability and the highest part quality.
• BREAKAWAY TORCH MOUNTING: Your torch stays protected from inadvertent part tip-ups.
• HYPERTHERM PRONEST LT 2019: All you’ll need to get the job done with DXF importing, editing, and an NC code generator.
• MICROSTEP® PROGRAMMABLE TORCH HEIGHT CONTROL: Consistent programmable torch height control means you’re getting the perfect part every time.

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Piranha HD Plasma tables provide near LASER cut quality for a significantly lower investment than fiber LASER cutting. That makes Piranha HD plasma tables an excellent value for precision cutting, at a cost lower than competing plasma cutters.

AVAILABLE SIZES:

• 5’ x 10’

AVAILABLE OPTIONS
Hypertherm® Plasma System:

• Hypertherm Powermax 125
• Hypertherm MAXPRO200
• Hypertherm HPR130XD
• Hypertherm XPR170 Core or Optimix* Console
• Hypertherm XPR300 Core or Optimix* Console

• Welded frame – not bolt together
• Hypertherm CNC controls with shape library and easy to use interface
• Panasonic servo motors – high power for good contour definition and 800 IPM rapid speed
• Dual side drives for better positioning accuracy
• Zoned downdraft table with six zones for efficient fume extraction
• Breakaway torch with sensors
• Plasma systems ranging from Hypertherm Powermax 125 to XPR 300

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Piranha LASER L Series L510 Fiber LASER cutting machines are built with reliability and economy in mind. These tough machines use proven technology to ensure precision and reliability throughout their service life. This special combination of durability and cost efficiency provides maximum value for steel processors.

SYSTEM FEATURES

• 61” X 122” cutting area
• 1.0 kW, 1.5 kW, 2.0 kW or 2.5 kW IPG fiber fiber laser power (nLight available on request)
• Manual or auto-focus cutting head
• Helical rack and pinion positioning system
• 3,150 IPM (80 m/min) maximum travel rate per axis
• Windows® based CNC control
• Sheet edge detection with automatic program transition
• Hypertherm ProNest® LT Smart Start offline programming software
• Red diode laser pointer
• Automatic lubrication system with timer
• Automatic cutting gas control and proportional valve
• Shuttle table with two (2) pallets Dust collector
•  

CUTTING TABLE WITH FUME EXTRACTION SYSTEM AND DUST COLLECTOR

• REMOVE Cutting Fumes and Dust

FIBER LASER RESONATOR

• INCREASED Efficiency
• REDUCED Operating Costs
• NO LASER Gas Requirement
• NO Beam Path Optics or Mirrors
• NO Periodic Service Requirement

Piranha LASER M Series M510 Fiber LASER cutting machines are workhorse machines designed to run a wide range of material types and thicknesses. With power ranges from 4 to 6kW, the M Series is a highly productive tool for a variety of applications.

SYSTEM FEATURES

• 61” X 122” cutting area
• 4.0 kW or 6.0 kW IPG fiber laser power
• Auto-focus cutting head
• Helical rack and pinion positioning system
• 3,464 IPM (88 m/min) maximum travel rate per axis
• Power Automation PA 8000 CNC control
• Sheet edge detection with automatic program translation
• Red diode laser pointer
• Automatic lubrication system with timer
• Automatic cutting gas control and proportional valve
• Shuttle table with two (2) pallets
• Dust collector
• ProNest® programming software (optional

CUTTING TABLE WITH FUME EXTRACTION SYSTEM AND DUST COLLECTOR

• REMOVE Cutting Fumes and Dust

FIBER LASER RESONATOR

• INCREASED Efficiency
• REDUCED Operating Costs
• NO LASER Gas Requirement
• NO Beam Path Optics or Mirrors
• NO Periodic Service Requirement

Piranha PlateLASER high power fiber LASERs are the fastest LASERs in the world for high productivity and unmatched capability.

• Optimized – designed to deliver all the capabilities of 6kW and 12kW fiber laser cutting
• Intelligent – material parameter libraries controls everything except geometry
• Reliable – linear drive motors and sealed cutting head
• Available in 5×10 (model 1530) and 10 x 20 (model 3060), longer machines available on request
• 6kW or 12kW fiber laser power
• Polymer concrete precision ground machine base – accurate, thermally stable, and vibration dampening
• Carbon Fiber bridge (model 1530 only) — strong and light weight
• 12 second pallet exchanged (model 1530 only) — keeps the laser cutting more of the time
• Cutting head sensors – protect the head from overheating and inform the operator when a cover glass change is recommended

6kW LASER:

• Cut ¼” steel and thinner using nitrogen assist gas
• Cut up to 1″ steel using oxygen assist gas
• Transmissive cutting head – serviceable on site

12kW LASER:

• Cut ½” steel and thinner using nitrogen assist gas – eliminate edge oxidation; up to 3x faster cutting speeds than 6kW (525 IPM compared to 177 IPM in ¼” steel)
• Cut up to 1″ steel using oxygen assist gas
• Reduced nitrogen consumption at high speeds – nitrogen cost savings up to $325,000 per year over 2 shifts
• Reflective cutting head design – robust and reliable, less sensitive to contamination, serviceable on site

Piranha combination machines generate more parts at lower cost than for higher profitability and reduced secondary operations than any other process.

• High Productivity – punch holes faster than cutting with plasma or laser
• Low Manufacturing Cost – low operating cost and labor cost
• Combine multiple process on one machine – punch, plasma, drill, tap, mill, bevel, mark, form
• Available in 5′, 6′, 8′, and 10′ widths, up to 20′ lengths, special lengths available
• Punching tonnage capacity from 40T to 100T
• Up to 5″ diameter punching size
• Automatic tool changing – from 5 to 42 tools (model dependent)
• Maximum material thickness from ½” to 1″
• Hypertherm plasma systems – MAXPRO200, HPR130XD , HPR260XD, HPR400XD, XPR300
• Available bevel plasma cutting
• 10HP and 30HP drilling/tapping systems
• Ink jet marking
• Countersink, louver, emboss, extrude – form features with punching
• Small parts door – quick part removal into skid or optional conveyor
• Load, unload, large part, and skeleton removal automation available in a variety of configurations