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By the Arclight Dynamics team · Updated November 3, 2026 · 9 min read
Quick Answer: What Size CNC Plasma Table Do You Need?
The right CNC plasma table size is the one that matches the sheet you actually buy. Steel comes in 4×8 and 5×10 sheets, so a 4×8 or 5×10 table is the right call for most working shops: the whole sheet goes on the table and you cut it without trimming or flipping. A 4×4 or 5×5 fits metal art, signage, small parts and tight floor plans, and a 6×12 is for production volume and plate work. If you are torn between two sizes, buy the bigger one. The price step is small compared with re-buying the table in two years. Arclight builds every size from 4×4 to 6×12, and the table size you pick also sets the footprint, water pan, and delivery weight you need to plan for.
In This Guide
What Sizes Do CNC Plasma Tables Come In?
The common sizes are named for the sheet they hold: 4×4, 5×5, 4×8, 5×10 and 6×12, in feet. The first number is the width of the sheet (the gantry span), the second is its length (how far the gantry travels). A 4×8 table takes a standard 48 by 96 inch sheet of steel. A 5×10 takes a 60 by 120 inch sheet. The cutting envelope runs a little past the sheet on most sizes, so there is room to square up and run a lead-in without falling off the edge.
Arclight builds all five sizes, plus a 4×2 benchtop base for the ArcDroid CNC Plasma Robot. Not every series comes in every size. The heavier Arc Max frames start at 5×5 and run up to 6×12; the Arc Pro tables run 4×4 through 5×10.
| Size | Standard sheet it holds | Best for | Arclight series |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4x2 | Quarter sheets (48 x 24 in), drops and benchtop work | Learning and very tight spaces | ArcDroid CNC Plasma Robot on the Arc Pro Ultra 4x2 base ($2,750 + $2,750) |
| 4x4 | 48 x 48 in (a half sheet) | Metal art, signage, small parts, school labs | Arc Pro Elite V3, Arc Pro Ultra V3 |
| 5x5 | 60 x 60 in | Small shops that want a wider sheet in a short footprint | Arc Max Elite, Arc Max Ultra, Arc Pro Elite V3, Arc Pro Ultra V3 |
| 4x8 | 48 x 96 in, the most common sheet | General fabrication, job shops, most first tables | Arc Max Unlimited, Arc Max Elite, Arc Max Ultra, Arc Pro Elite V3, Arc Pro Ultra V3 |
| 5x10 | 60 x 120 in | Working and production shops that buy 5x10 plate | Every series, including Arc Max X |
| 6x12 | 72 x 144 in | High-volume production, structural and heavy plate | Arc Max X, Arc Max Unlimited, Arc Max Elite, Arc Max Ultra |
How Do You Choose a CNC Plasma Table Size?
Start with the material, not the floor plan. Look at what you buy from your steel supplier today and what you will buy once the table is paying for itself. Then work through these in order:
- The sheet you buy most. If it is 4×8, a 4×8 table lets you load the whole sheet and cut it without a saw or a shear. If your supplier stocks 5×10 plate, or you cut structural and heavy equipment parts, you want 5×10.
- The biggest single part you make. A 50-inch bracket does not fit on a 4×4 table, no matter how clever the nest. List your largest parts and make sure they fit the cutting envelope with margin.
- Nesting yield. Nesting software packs parts into a sheet. The bigger the sheet, the more parts you get per sheet and the fewer times you load. A 5×10 holds about 56 percent more steel than a 4×8.
- Where the work is going. A shop doing metal art today and trailer parts next year should size for the trailer parts.
- The floor you have. Measure last, not first. If the shop truly cannot take a 4×8, a 5×5 gets you a wider sheet in a shorter footprint, and a 4×4 still cuts half sheets all day.
Is a 4x4 CNC Plasma Table Big Enough?
For metal art, signs, brackets, small production parts and school shops, yes. A 4×4 takes a half sheet, cuts the same thickness as a 4×8 in the same series, and fits where a full-size table will not. The Arc Pro Ultra V3 4×4 sits on a 61 by 61 inch base and weighs about 800 pounds, so it goes into a single bay or a classroom.
Where a 4×4 costs you is material handling. You cut a 4×8 sheet in half before it goes on the table, or you buy half sheets at a higher price per pound. If you expect to buy full sheets, step up to a 4×8. The Arc Pro Ultra V3 4×8 is $3,000 more than the 4×4 and cuts twice the steel per load.
| Arc Pro Ultra V3 | Cutting envelope (in) | Footprint at base (in) | Water pan | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4x4 | 54 × 49.5 × 9 | 61 × 61 | 53 gal | 800 lb | $13,995 |
| 5x5 | 65 × 60 × 9 | 73 × 73 | 78 gal | 900 lb | $15,995 |
| 4x8 | 54 × 109 × 9 | 61 × 121 | 109 gal | 1,100 lb | $16,995 |
| 5x10 | 65 × 132 × 9 | 73 × 145 | 158 gal | 1,300 lb | $19,995 |
Specifications from the Arc Pro Ultra V3 product pages; Arc Pro Elite V3 tables share the same sizes and footprints. Overall dimensions, including the gantry, are in the shop space guide. Prices current as of November 2026.
Should You Buy a 4x8 or a 5x10 CNC Plasma Table?
Buy the 5×10 if your supplier stocks 5×10 plate, if you cut parts longer than a 4×8 table’s envelope (109 inches on an Arc Pro, 97 inches on an Arc Max), or if you want the most parts per load. Buy the 4×8 if everything you cut comes on 4×8 sheets and the extra two feet of length would block an aisle.
On Arc Pro and Arc Max Ultra, Elite and Unlimited tables the price step from 4×8 to 5×10 is $2,000 to $3,000, and the 5×10 table is two feet longer and about a foot wider. Shops that buy a 4×8 and outgrow it do not add two feet to the table later. They buy a second table.
One more consideration: a 5×10 table cuts 4×8 sheets fine. A 4×8 table does not cut 5×10 plate without a saw.
| Arc Max series | Cutting envelope (in) | Footprint at base (in) | Water pan | Weight | Price: Ultra / Elite / Unlimited |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5x5 | 62 × 64 × 6.5 | 70 × 68 | 120 gal | 1,200 lb | $20,295 / $29,995 / n.a. |
| 4x8 | 50 × 97 × 6.5 | 58 × 109 | 250 gal | 2,500 lb (3,000 Unlimited) | $22,995 / $33,995 / $39,995 |
| 5x10 | 62 × 124 × 6.5 | 70 × 133 | 300 gal | 2,350 lb (3,250 Unlimited) | $24,995 / $35,995 / $41,995 |
| 6x12 | 73 × 149 × 6.5 | 82 × 157 | 420 gal | 3,000 lb (3,500 Unlimited) | $27,995 / $39,995 / $44,995 |
Specifications from the Arc Max Elite, Arc Max Ultra and Arc Max Unlimited product pages. The Arc Max X shares the 5x10 and 6x12 envelopes. Prices current as of November 2026.
Who Needs a 6x12 CNC Plasma Table?
Production shops, structural fabricators, heavy equipment repair and anyone who buys 6×12 plate or runs the table most of a shift. A 6×12 holds more than twice the steel of a 4×8 and 44 percent more than a 5×10, so the operator loads less often and the table cuts more of the day. It is also the size that makes sense when parts are long: stair stringers, trailer frames, equipment side plates.
Arclight builds the 6×12 on the Arc Max frame only: Arc Max X, Arc Max Unlimited, Arc Max Elite and Arc Max Ultra. The welded steel frame and HIWIN linear rails are what hold tolerance across a 149-inch cut, and the 420-gallon water pan is what keeps a full plate of 1-inch steel cool and flat.
Why Do Fabricators Size Up a CNC Plasma Table?
Because the table outlasts the plan you bought it for. Shops add work they did not have when they ordered: a new product line, a customer who sends 5×10 drawings, a trailer job that needs 10-foot parts. The table does not grow with them. Going one size up at purchase costs $1,000 to $4,000, usually $2,000 to $3,000. Replacing a table that is too small costs the whole table, plus the downtime.
Two exceptions. If floor space is truly fixed, buy the size that fits and nest smarter. And if your work is small parts and art, a 4×4 or 5×5 is the right tool. Either way, the controller, torch height control and software are the same across sizes in a series, so you are only deciding how much steel goes on the table at once.
Size is only one of eight decisions
Table size comes first because it sets the footprint, the sheet you buy and the price. The next decisions are shop space, material thickness and the plasma power supply. The complete buyer’s guide walks through all eight in order.
CNC Plasma Table Sizes: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common CNC plasma table size?
4×8, because it holds a standard 48 by 96 inch sheet of steel. 5×10 is the next most common and is the right choice for shops that buy 5×10 plate or cut long parts.
Can a 4x8 plasma table cut a 5x10 sheet?
Not in one piece. You would cut the sheet down first or index it, which costs time and material. A 5×10 table cuts both 5×10 plate and 4×8 sheets, which is why many shops size up.
How much floor space does a 4x8 CNC plasma table take?
The Arc Pro Ultra V3 4×8 measures 81 by 162 inches overall and sits on a 61 by 121 inch base. Add room for the control cabinet’s swing, material loading on the operator’s left, and the plasma cutter and compressor nearby.
Is a 5x5 plasma table a good compromise?
For shops that want a wider sheet than a 4×4 allows but cannot fit a 4×8 lengthwise, yes. The 5×5 is available on the Arc Max Elite, Arc Max Ultra, Arc Pro Elite V3 and Arc Pro Ultra V3.
Does table size change how thick I can cut?
No. Cut thickness is set by the plasma power supply and the table’s frame rating, not by its size. A 4×4 and a 5×10 in the same series run the same cutter and cut the same plate.
How much more does a bigger Arclight table cost?
Each step up in size adds roughly $1,000 to $4,000 within a series. The Arc Pro Ultra V3 runs $13,995 for a 4×4 to $19,995 for a 5×10. Arc Max Elite runs $29,995 for a 5×5 to $39,995 for a 6×12.
Keep Researching
- Choosing a CNC Plasma Table: The Complete Buyer’s Guide. All eight decisions, size first.
- How Much Shop Space Does a CNC Plasma Table Need?. Footprint, cabinet swing and load side.
- Arc Pro vs Arc Max: Which Arclight Series Fits Your Work?. Once you know the size, pick the frame.
- What Is the Best CNC Plasma Table for a Small Shop?. The recommendation by shop size.
- How Much Does a CNC Plasma Table Cost?. Prices for every size and series.
- Compare all Arclight CNC plasma tables. Every series and size, side by side.
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