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By the Arclight Dynamics team · Updated November 3, 2026 · 9 min read
Quick Answer: What Can a CNC Plasma Table Cut, and How Thick?
A CNC plasma table cuts any electrically conductive metal: mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum, galvanized sheet, copper and brass. How thick it cuts depends on the plasma cutter, not the table. On mild steel, a 45-amp Hypertherm® Powermax45 pierces ½" and cuts 1"; a Powermax85 SYNC pierces ¾" and cuts 1¼"; a 200-amp MAXPRO200 pierces 1¼" and cuts 2". Arclight’s Arc Max Unlimited is built for plate up to 3" with MAXPRO200 or oxy-fuel, and the Arc Max X with Hypertherm XPR high-definition plasma gives you the best edge on heavy plate. Buy for the thickness you cut every week, not the thickest job you can imagine.
In This Guide
What Metals Can a CNC Plasma Table Cut?
Plasma cutting pushes an electric arc through a stream of compressed gas. The arc has to complete a circuit through the workpiece, so a CNC plasma table cuts anything that conducts electricity and nothing that doesn’t.
| Material | Can a CNC plasma table cut it? | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Mild steel | Yes: the core material | Cleanest results and the highest capacity at every amperage. Most published cut capacities are mild-steel numbers. |
| Stainless steel | Yes | Cuts well on air plasma; edge color and finish depend on the gas and process. |
| Aluminum | Yes | Cuts well; keep the water pan clean (see the aluminum section below). |
| Galvanized steel | Yes | Zinc coating gives off fumes when cut: ventilate the shop. |
| Copper and brass | Yes | Conductive, so they cut; check the cut chart for your system before production work. |
| Wood, plastic, glass, stone | No: not with plasma | Not conductive. On an Arclight table the router attachment handles wood and plastic. |
An Arclight table is a platform, not a single-purpose tool. The same frame can also run a router, plate engraver or rotary pipe and tube cutter, so “what can it cut” grows as you add tooling.
How Thick Can a CNC Plasma Table Cut Steel?
The table carries the torch. The plasma power supply decides how thick it cuts. Hypertherm publishes two numbers for every system, and they mean different things:
- Pierce capacity is the thickest plate the system will start a hole in unassisted. It’s the number that matters for production nesting, because almost every part on a nested sheet starts with a pierce.
- Cut capacity is the thickest plate it will cut when the cut starts from the edge of the plate. Above that sits severance: the most it will part at all, slowly. That’s not a production cut.
| Hypertherm system | Amperage | Pierce capacity (mild steel) | Cut capacity (mild steel) | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powermax45 SYNC | 45 A | ½" | 1" | Single phase |
| Powermax65 SYNC | 65 A | ⅝" | 1" | Single or three phase |
| Powermax85 SYNC | 85 A | ¾" | 1¼" | Single or three phase |
| Powermax105 SYNC | 105 A | ⅞" | 1½" | Three phase only |
| Powermax125 | 125 A | 1" | 1½" | Three phase only |
| MAXPRO200 | 200 A | 1¼" | 2" | Three phase only |
| XPR170 (Arc Max X) | 170 A | 1⅜" air shield / 1⁹⁄₁₆" argon-assist | 2⅜" severance | Three phase |
| XPR300 (Arc Max X) | 300 A | 1¾" O₂ / 2" argon-assist | 3⅛" severance | Three phase |
Hypertherm mild-steel ratings, the same figures as our complete buyer’s guide. Cut speed also rises with amperage, so a bigger system buys throughput as well as thickness.
The practical rule: size the cutter so your everyday thickness sits comfortably inside its pierce capacity. A Powermax45 that can sever 1" isn’t a 1" production cutter. It’s a sheet-to-½" cutter that can handle the occasional thicker part from the edge. Our guide to which plasma cutter to pair with a CNC table goes model by model.
Can a CNC Plasma Table Cut Stainless Steel?
Yes. Stainless cuts cleanly on a CNC plasma table with the same air plasma systems you use for mild steel, and both Arclight control packages ship with preloaded cut settings for stainless alongside mild steel and aluminum.
What changes is the edge. Stainless is more sensitive to heat than mild steel, so expect some discoloration along the cut on air plasma. For most brackets, enclosures and food-equipment parts that get welded, ground or finished afterward, that’s a non-issue. When the edge itself is the finished surface, process gas matters, and that’s where high-definition plasma comes in: the Arc Max X runs a Hypertherm XPR with a gas console for stainless and aluminum.
Stainless capacity differs from the mild-steel ratings above. Check the Hypertherm cut chart for your system and the thickness you plan to run, or ask us to quote it against your parts.
Can a CNC Plasma Table Cut Aluminum?
Yes, and aluminum is one of the most common reasons shops buy a plasma table instead of relying on a saw or shear. It conducts well and cuts fast on air plasma. Expect a slightly rougher edge than on mild steel and a different dross pattern. A good cut chart, the right speed and fresh consumables keep it clean.
One safety point every aluminum shop should know: fine aluminum particles that settle in a water table can react with the water and release hydrogen, which can collect under plate resting on the slats. Keep the water pan clean of aluminum fines, don’t let sludge build up, and keep the water moving or the table ventilated when you cut aluminum regularly. It costs you a few minutes of housekeeping.
As with stainless, aluminum capacity differs from the mild-steel numbers. Use the Hypertherm cut chart for your system, or send us the parts you plan to cut.
How Thin Can a CNC Plasma Table Cut Sheet Metal?
A CNC plasma table cuts thin-gauge sheet as well as plate. Sign shops, HVAC shops and anyone cutting brackets and enclosures run sheet every day. Thin sheet brings its own challenge: it warps from heat, and the torch has to follow that warp to keep the cut clean.
That’s the job of torch height control. Every Arclight table ships with Advanced Digital Torch Height Control as standard. It samples arc voltage in real time and raises or lowers the torch as the sheet moves. Pair it with low-amperage fine-cut consumables and the right cut speed, and thin sheet comes off the table with crisp detail and minimal dross. How thin you can go depends on the cutter and consumables: the Hypertherm cut chart for your system lists the thinnest gauge it’s set up for. The Arc Pro Ultra V3 is built for exactly this work: sheet and light plate.
When Does a Plasma Table Need HD Plasma or Oxy-Fuel for Thick Plate?
The Powermax line covers most shops’ work, from thin sheet up to a 1" pierce on the Powermax125. For heavier plate, or when the edge itself has to be finished quality, your shop has two paths, and Arclight builds a table for each.
Oxy-fuel and MAXPRO200 on the Arc Max Unlimited
The Arc Max Unlimited can be specified with a Hypertherm Powermax, a MAXPRO200 or an oxy-fuel torch, on a reinforced, gusseted frame built for 3" plate. One table takes you from thin-gauge sheet through 3" plate. Oxy-fuel is slower than plasma but excels on very thick mild steel. It won’t cut stainless or aluminum.
High-definition plasma on the Arc Max X
The Arc Max X is Arclight’s HD cutting table: the Arclight platform with Hypertherm XPR170 or XPR300 X-Definition plasma. The XPR300 pierces 1¾" mild steel with oxygen (2" argon-assist) and severs up to 3⅛", with the best edge quality available. That edge is why production shops whose parts go straight to welding or assembly choose HD.
Which Arclight CNC Plasma Table Fits the Thickness You Cut?
Spec the table for the thickness you cut regularly, then match the plasma cutter to it.
| What you cut every week | Arclight table | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sheet up to ¼": signs, brackets, art | Arc Pro Ultra V3 | Fine-detail motion on sheet and light plate, DTHC standard |
| Sheet and light plate, one program end to end | Arc Pro Elite V3 | Arc Pro platform with FlashCut CNC |
| ¼"–½" daily on a heavier platform | Arc Max Ultra | Heavy welded steel frame and precision motion |
| ½" and up, cutting all day | Arc Max Elite | Industrial welded frame, aircraft-grade aluminum gantry, FlashCut CNC |
| Heavy plate up to 3" | Arc Max Unlimited | Engineered for MAXPRO200 or oxy-fuel |
| HD production, best edge on heavy plate | Arc Max X | Hypertherm XPR170 or XPR300 X-Definition plasma |
Table prices for every series are in our CNC plasma table cost guide.
Whatever you cut, Arclight Lifetime Support stays with the table for its life, including the day you first cut a material you haven’t run before. Torch height control, collision detection and a water pan come standard, and every table ships 98% assembled.
What a CNC Plasma Table Can Cut: Frequently Asked Questions
How thick can a CNC plasma table cut?
It depends on the plasma cutter. On mild steel a 45-amp Powermax45 pierces 1/2 inch and cuts 1 inch, a Powermax85 SYNC pierces 3/4 inch and cuts 1-1/4 inches, and a 200-amp MAXPRO200 pierces 1-1/4 inches and cuts 2 inches. Arclight’s Arc Max Unlimited handles plate up to 3 inches with MAXPRO200 or oxy-fuel.
Can a CNC plasma table cut aluminum?
Yes. Aluminum conducts electricity and cuts fast on air plasma. Keep the water pan clean of aluminum fines, because fine aluminum particles in water can release hydrogen that collects under the plate.
Can a CNC plasma table cut stainless steel?
Yes. Stainless cuts cleanly on the same air plasma systems you use for mild steel, with some edge discoloration. For finished stainless edges, high-definition plasma such as the Arc Max X with a Hypertherm XPR and gas console is the step up.
What is the difference between pierce capacity and cut capacity?
Pierce capacity is the thickest plate a plasma system can start a hole in unassisted, which is what nested production parts need. Cut capacity is the thickest plate it can cut when starting from the edge. Severance is the absolute maximum it will part material, and it isn’t a production cut.
Can a CNC plasma table cut wood or plastic?
Not with plasma, because wood and plastic don’t conduct electricity. You can add a router attachment to an Arclight table to cut wood and plastic on the same frame.
Do I need a bigger plasma cutter or a bigger table to cut thicker steel?
Both, in that order of importance. The plasma cutter sets the thickness you can pierce and cut. The table needs the frame mass and motion to carry heavy plate and run all day. Daily 1/2-inch and thicker work is where an Arc Max series table makes sense.
Keep Researching
- Choosing a CNC Plasma Table: The Complete Buyer’s Guide: sizes, thickness, controllers, air and power in one reference
- What Plasma Cutter Do You Need for a CNC Table?: match Hypertherm amperage to the plate you cut
- What Software Does a CNC Plasma Table Need?: CAD, CAM and control, and what ships with each Arclight table
- CNC Plasma Cutting Tips: How to Get the Best Cut Quality: dial in speed, height and consumables on any material
- How Much Does a CNC Plasma Table Cost?: 2026 prices for every series
- Industries we serve: what shops like yours cut on Arclight tables
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