Hello! I need your opinion.

Hello! I need your opinion. I’ve got a cnc controller kit which was originally designed for CNC router(because the software included was tailored for cnc routers). Now, i decided to use it for my DIY plasma cutter. Would it be possible to do that?

Quick answer is yes. The controller kit shouldn’t care what is on the end of the line. It’s going to take code and move steppers accordingly. Not sure what software you refer to, that may have trouble… Also, I am not sure if the controller tells the plasma to engage the cut etc.

@MoserLabs I will be using the CNC USB Controller from Probotix

Also you may need to protect your controller from electromagnetic pulses produced by plasma cutter.

@Mehmet_Riza_SARAC Will a dedicated voltage regulator for my controller helps that?

The cut resolution is about the same on both operations and the load per axis is (maybe) similar so it should work fine.

resolution is probably the same, but plasma would most likely have less load. My CNC is spindle based and the steppers have to muscle the bit thru material. Plasma usually doesn’t make contact so it’s less load

I agree with you @MoserLabs ​. Now the thing that i’m uncertain is whether the steppers that will move the gantry. Will it be able to handle the momentum of the gantry movement? And let say if I’ll install 2 stepper motors for the gantry longitudinal move, are they 100% synchronize all the time?

With the large and prevalent magnetic and electrical pulses generated by the cutting unit (also true if you use your CNC equipment in a shop with welding equipment), shield everything. Other than that, there should be few differences in driving a plasma cutter vs a table router. Shield and ground everything and you should be fine.

Well I am running the Probotix monster CNC setup. the green ones (420 oz in?) on my X and Y axis. Y and A axis are two steppers slaved together. They move my gantry (5’ wide and holds a 2.2KW spindle - probably 75 lbs?) and moves 100 symmetrically. I have no issues with them at all! (I run it parallel port to Mach3 though)