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CNC Plasma Cutting Tables
CNC Plasma Tables for Construction & Structural Steel
Your detailer already did the hard part. The Tekla or SDS2 model is approved, the NC and DXF files are sitting on the server — and the plate work still goes out the door to a service center with a one-to-three-week lead time. One revised connection detail and the clock restarts, with an erection crew on the schedule waiting for steel. An Arclight CNC plasma table closes that gap: import the DXF, nest the plates, and cut today what you used to wait weeks for.
Arclight tables run in structural steel fabricators, welding contractors, and the fab-shop side of erectors across the country, cutting the plate diet that feeds every job — base plates, gussets, stiffeners, embeds. Professional tables from $13,495 to $137,500, every price published.
Trusted By
Built to Bet a Schedule On
- Lifetime US-based support that follows the table — even if you buy it used
- Same-day parts shipping when a component goes down mid-job
- 3-year motion warranty and a 30-day guarantee
- Digital torch height control (DTHC) standard on every table
The Plate Work That Feeds Every Steel Job
Every ton of structural steel drags a pile of plate behind it, and that plate is exactly what a CNC plasma table was built to cut. These are the parts structural shops run on Arclight tables every day:
- Column base plates — cut the plate and the anchor-bolt pattern in one program, straight from the detailer’s file.
- Connection plates and shear tabs — the repeat-cut geometry plasma was made for; nest a job’s worth on one sheet and kit them by sequence.
- Gusset plates and stiffeners — stop hand-laying-out angles; cut every gusset on the job in one run.
- Stair stringers and treads — a stringer layout that takes hours by hand comes off the table in minutes, accurate every time.
- Embed plates and weld plates — the concrete-tie work every erector needs, cut to the embed schedule with stud locations marked.
- Splice plates and cap plates — clean, square, and ready for fit-up.
The Right Table for Structural Plate
Structural work skews heavy, so the Arc Max line does the lifting here. Match the machine to the plate on your schedule — all three run DTHC standard and carry the 3-year motion warranty.
From $29,295. Arclight’s top seller, built in Bend, Oregon. The production choice for the daily 1/4-inch-to-3/4-inch plate diet: heavy-duty frame, 5×10 and 6×12 beds for full sheets and long stringers, and the rigidity to hold tolerance all shift.
From $38,995. The heavy-plate answer. Pairs a Hypertherm MAXPRO200 with CNC oxy-fuel capability on the same gantry, so thick base plates and heavy embeds don’t leave the building.
From $127,000. The Arc Max X HD CNC Plasma Table, top-tier industrial cutting with a Hypertherm XPR170 — or XPR300 from $137,500 — for X-Definition edge quality and the amperage to handle the heaviest plate a structural shop sees.
Compare the Three Side by Side
For structural plate the rows that decide it are max plate thickness against your connection material, table size against the plate you buy, and what each price actually includes.
Identical across all three columns: FlashCut CNC industrial control, the Arc Max heavy-duty platform, and 5×10 and 6×12 cutting sizes on every model. Prices shown are starting prices. Get a quote and we’ll spec the right one against your actual work.
Why Structural Shops Choose Arclight
The workflow is the whole point. Your detailing software already exports plasma-ready files — Tekla and SDS2 both push NC and DXF output as a standard step — so the path from approved detail to cut plate is measured in minutes, not mailing labels. When a connection detail gets revised on Thursday, you’re cutting the new plates Thursday, not re-entering a service center’s queue.
The economics follow. Outsourced plate carries markup on every piece and punishes every change order; in-house cutting turns that margin back into yours. And Arclight will tell you straight what a plasma table does and doesn’t do: it cuts square edges, not weld-prep bevels — those stay a grinder or oxy secondary op — and slip-critical bolted holes still get drilled. What it does take over is the layout, hand-torch, and repeat-plate work that eats your fitters’ time every single day.
Worth knowing: tables arrive 98% assembled, most shops are cutting shortly after delivery, and a $500 deposit reserves your build slot.
Working Shops, Real Plate
Arclight tables earn their keep on working shop floors, not in showrooms — cutting base plates, stiffeners, gussets, and connection material for fabricators and steel erectors across the country, week in and week out. We’d rather show you actual cut plate than a stock photo of a skyline. And because an erection schedule doesn’t wait, every table is backed by lifetime US-based support, same-day parts, and a real person on the phone who picks up.
Support That Shows Up Like You Do
A table that feeds erection schedules can’t sit dead waiting on a callback. Every Arclight comes with lifetime US-based support that follows the table — not the original invoice — plus same-day parts shipping, a 3-year motion warranty, and a 30-day guarantee on the whole machine. When you call, you get a technician who knows the table, not a ticket number.
Structural Cutting Questions, Answered Straight
How thick of steel can a CNC plasma table cut?
Air-plasma tables handle the everyday structural diet — roughly 1/4-inch through 3/4-inch plate — with clean, square edges. For heavier work, the Arc Max Unlimited runs a Hypertherm MAXPRO200 with oxy-fuel capability, and the Arc Max X HD runs XPR-class power sources for the thickest plate structural shops see.
Can a CNC plasma table cut 1-inch base plates?
Yes — with the right power source. One-inch plate is beyond most air-plasma units, but the Arc Max Unlimited pairs a Hypertherm MAXPRO200 with oxy-fuel capability for exactly this work, and the Arc Max X HD cuts it with X-Definition edge quality. Tell us your plate schedule and we’ll spec it honestly.
Can I send DXF files from Tekla or SDS2 straight to the table?
Yes. Tekla and SDS2 both export NC and DXF files as a standard detailing step, and Arclight tables import DXF directly. Your detailer’s approved connection and plate drawings become cut programs in minutes — nest a job’s plate list on full sheets and cut without redrawing anything.
Are plasma-cut holes accurate enough for bolted structural connections?
Plasma-cut holes work for many welded and embed applications, and hole quality on modern tables is better than its reputation. But for slip-critical bolted connections, the honest answer is no — those holes should still be drilled. Cut the plate and perimeter on the table, then drill the critical holes.
Can a plasma table cut weld-prep bevels?
Standard Arclight tables cut square edges, not bevels — and we’d rather tell you that than sell you an overclaim. Most structural shops cut the profile on the table and handle weld-prep bevels as a quick grinder or oxy secondary operation, which still beats hand-cutting the whole part.
What size plasma table does a structural steel shop need?
Buy for the sheet, not the part. Structural shops mostly run 5×10 tables to nest full sheets of plate without shearing them down first, and 6×12 beds handle oversize plate and long stair stringers in one setup. Both sizes are available across the Arc Max line.
Is it cheaper to cut connection plates in-house than to outsource them?
For most shops, yes — and the savings compound. Outsourced plate carries markup on every piece, and every revised detail re-enters the vendor’s queue at the vendor’s price. In-house cutting removes the markup, the freight, and the one-to-three-week lead time. Established shops commonly pay the table off inside a year.
Do I need oxy-fuel for heavy structural plate?
Only past plasma’s practical range. Plasma covers the everyday plate diet faster and cleaner; oxy-fuel earns its place on very thick material. The Arc Max Unlimited carries both on one gantry — MAXPRO200 plasma plus CNC oxy-fuel — so one machine covers everything from shear tabs to heavy base plates.
Cut This Week's Plate List In-House
Tell us what your plate schedule looks like — thicknesses, sheet sizes, and how much you’re sending out today. We’ll spec the right table, power source, and options for your shop, with real published pricing and no sales runaround.
Or contact sales direct
Rather talk it through? Send us a note and an Arclight rep will get back to you.
See how other shops use their tables at our Industries hub.