I keep going back and forth on what plasma table to buy between the Crossfire and the Crossfire Pro. What are the pros and cons of each what other programs will I need to buy to start making my own designs? What are your thoughts
@JasonH3352 Welcome to the forum!
The answer to your fist question is pretty individual.
If you have the space and the budget you won’t be disappointed going with the Pro over the crossfire.
I chose the Pro and am glad I did… but lots of folks on here are really happy with their Crossfire table too. If I had the space and budget, I would buy the XR.
You need to choose a design program. If you are planning to do more artsy stuff then I would start with Inkscape, Adobe Illustrator, or Affinity designer.
If you are wanting to do more dimensional parts, then I would find a 3d or 2d cad program you like. Allot of folks on here have good luck with QCAD (2d).
I use Fusion 360. If you have the patience to learn it, it is a great program. I really like the Sheetmetal tools.
Once you choose a design software you will need to choose a CAM program. You have two options here. Fusion 360 or SheetCam. If you choose to use anything other than fusion for your design program, then I think SheetCAm is your best bet.
Read through this… it lays it out well.
https://www.langmuirsystems.com/software
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Hey Jason,
Welcome to the Forum!
@72Pony provides some great insight as to space and budget considerations. It’s also worth noting that there are quite a few Upgrade Kits for the CrossFire that are included parts of the PRO (Z-axis, Water Table, etc). The PRO is the best bang-for-your-buck if you want a complete setup off the bat, while opting for the base CrossFire and installing Upgrade Kits over time allows you to save a bit on the initial purchase and spread the cost of upgrades over time.
Erik also gave great insight into which CAD programs are suited for each use case. I’d also strongly suggest taking a look at our Software Workflow Guide to get a sense of each program’s purpose in the overall workflow.
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72Pony and Reilly with Langmuir both gave you some great information, so all I can really add is my personal experience -
Get the Pro from the get go.
I had a Crossfire with all the options and used it for everything from basic signs to fabricated parts for vehicles and more -
There is however, convenience in not only being able to cut many more small pieces from the same sheet of steel but also much larger pieces that the Crossfire can’t (without indexing) -
So having owned both, I say you should go right to the Pro.
I’ve pretty much outgrown my Pro and will be looking at something bigger in due time.
thanks that has been helpful i am leaning more to the pro i think it would be best for what i am looking at doing. now i just need to figure out programs. I have Auto CAD MEP so I need to look into what programs can be used with the plasma and learn them
Erik (@72Pony) gave you a really good snap shot of programs. The web page linked by @langmuir-reilly really gives a concise run-down of software.
Keep in mind you have three different operations that need to be done with software. There is no one piece of software that does all three. (Fusion 360 is the only one that has a robust ability to do two of the three operations: Design and Manufacturing.)
First: Design. This can be nearly any program that can generate a DXF or SVG file once you are done editing what should be included.
Second: CAM (Manufacturing). Currently you need to pick one of two programs: Fusion 360 or SheetCAM. To keep the topic simple…those are your only options at this time.
Third: Running the table (Cutting with your Langmuir CNC table). This falls to only one choice: FireControl.