Munkul
Jack of some trades, Master of none
- Messages
- 7,371
- Location
- Cumbria
It's a question I keep mulling over.
I have a very old mechanical 6ft x 1/4" guillotine at present. It's a good machine, but the new press brake I got last year is 2.5m wide and I'm getting sick of shearing down 2m or 2.5m sheets to 1800 just to cut lengthways. I sometimes use plasma and a straight edge, but it's a mug's game, it never cuts perfect.
My thoughts were, I could replace the guilly with a budget CNC plasma table, 2.5 x 1.25 size, that would cut all thicknesses. Something like an older essco or swiftcut table.
It could be used for shearing sheets similar to a guillotine, and if cutting properly, the edges would just need a slight tickle with a grinder.
Plus, of course, enter the world of profiling, which would be a gamechanger.
Except now, I'm a bit spoiled... have access to a big laser at work, and I can do the few profiles I need after-hours, or bung the boss some cash. Laser cut edges are sooo nice on sub-10mm, compared to plasma.
A bigger guillotine would let me do everything I do atm, but use full size sheets and be more efficient. It would be 2.5m-3m and 6mm capacity, probably an older Edwards or something. Clean cuts, no mess, fast and handy.
I only have room for one machine.
Cost wise, it looks like a budget of £4k for a guilly vs £10k for a plasma (which won't be this year anyway)
Opinions? Preferably from the few people on here who have owned/worked with BOTH guillys and plasma tables.
I have a very old mechanical 6ft x 1/4" guillotine at present. It's a good machine, but the new press brake I got last year is 2.5m wide and I'm getting sick of shearing down 2m or 2.5m sheets to 1800 just to cut lengthways. I sometimes use plasma and a straight edge, but it's a mug's game, it never cuts perfect.
My thoughts were, I could replace the guilly with a budget CNC plasma table, 2.5 x 1.25 size, that would cut all thicknesses. Something like an older essco or swiftcut table.
It could be used for shearing sheets similar to a guillotine, and if cutting properly, the edges would just need a slight tickle with a grinder.
Plus, of course, enter the world of profiling, which would be a gamechanger.
Except now, I'm a bit spoiled... have access to a big laser at work, and I can do the few profiles I need after-hours, or bung the boss some cash. Laser cut edges are sooo nice on sub-10mm, compared to plasma.
A bigger guillotine would let me do everything I do atm, but use full size sheets and be more efficient. It would be 2.5m-3m and 6mm capacity, probably an older Edwards or something. Clean cuts, no mess, fast and handy.
I only have room for one machine.
Cost wise, it looks like a budget of £4k for a guilly vs £10k for a plasma (which won't be this year anyway)
Opinions? Preferably from the few people on here who have owned/worked with BOTH guillys and plasma tables.