Made in Epping
Every table and bed we send out is built in our Epping shop from cut steel through to final checks. Our work covers the build process, what is included, and what you need to prepare before ordering.
What is included from our Epping shop
We make the steelwork for plasma cutting tables and beds in-house at our Epping base. That covers the table frame, cross members, leg sets, slat supports, replaceable slat packs, water pan sections where specified, downdraft bed structure where specified, and flat-packed DIY kits for customers who prefer to assemble on site. Our scope covers tables, beds, slats, frames, structures and DIY kits.
- Cut steel components prepared to the ordered size and layout
- Welded frames or flat-packed kit parts, depending on the product
- Slat systems with replaceable wear parts
- Shop primer and paint on standard finished steelwork
- Leak testing on water-holding sections before dispatch
- Basic packing for collection, delivery in the Western Cape, or freight dispatch nationally
If a workshop in Bellville, Paarl, Worcester or George needs a bed sized to suit an existing gantry arrangement, we work from the stated cutting area and overall footprint. For customers outside the province, kit sets can be packed for line-haul freight with the major steel parts separated for easier handling.
From plate to finished bed
The build starts with material selection and cutting. We cut the frame members, brackets, slat carriers and pan parts to the required lengths and profiles, then sort them by assembly stage so the weld bench is not hunting for pieces halfway through a job. That sounds ordinary but it matters on repeatable squareness and fit-up.
After cutting, components are tack assembled on jigs and checked for overall dimensions, diagonal measurement and leg alignment. Welds are then completed in sequence to keep heat pull under control. On water table builds, pan seams and drain points are welded with extra attention to corners and outlet details because that is where small leaks usually show first. Once the welding is done we clean the steel, dress the areas that need it and prep for paint.
Paint is applied after fabrication checks, not before. Finished sections cure in the shop before final handling and packing. For water pans, we fill and hold them for leak testing in-house. A bed only moves to dispatch once those checks are signed off, even if the order is a flat-pack kit and not a fully welded frame.
Checks we do before a table leaves
A plasma bed needs straight lines, repeatable fit and parts that land where they should. Our checks are practical. We are looking for frame squareness, slat fit, leg level, pan sealing and whether the bed can be assembled without site improvisation.
- Overall length and width checked against the order
- Diagonal measurement on welded frames
- Slat pack fit and spacing confirmed
- Water pan seams inspected and leak-tested where applicable
- Drain and clean-out positions checked against the drawing
- Flat-pack parts counted and labelled for dispatch
On portable and lite tables we also check that the unit can be moved and placed without twisting the frame. Smaller tables often end up in tight Cape Town workshops where floor space is shared with saws, weld bays and stock racks, so practical footprint matters as much as nominal bed size.
What to prepare before you place the order
The smoother jobs are the ones where the workshop has measured its available floor area properly and knows what will sit above the bed. We need the cutting area you want, the outside footprint you can live with, and whether the table is intended as a water table, a downdraft structure or a bare frame for your own build. If the bed must line up with an existing gantry or rail arrangement, send those dimensions clearly through our contact form.
- Required cutting area in millimetres
- Maximum outside length, width and height
- Water table, downdraft bed, frame only or DIY kit
- Whether the unit must ship flat-packed
- Workshop access limits such as narrow doors or stair-free loading areas
- Delivery town and whether offloading help is available
For coastal sites, especially around Cape Town and George, it helps to think about overspray, humidity and how often the bed will be cleaned. Water pans, slats and painted sections all last better with routine attention and sensible storage before installation. A rushed measurement usually costs more than a careful one, and a small alignment error can affect the whole setup.
How pricing is worked out
Pricing is based mainly on table size, steel consumption, fabrication hours and whether the order is a welded build or a flat-packed kit. A compact portable unit uses less material and less bench time than a large water bed with pan sections, drain details and heavier frame members. Extra slat packs, replacement wear parts and special bracing also affect the total.
Freight and local delivery are priced separately from the steelwork because access, distance and pack size vary widely between Epping, inland Western Cape towns and long-haul destinations. A kit going to Worcester may move very differently from a finished welded frame going to George. If your workshop is fitting our bed under an existing machine structure, accuracy in the sizes you send is the best way to avoid added fabrication or transport cost later.
Aftercare and replacement parts
Most aftercare on a plasma bed is straightforward workshop maintenance. Keep slag build-up under control, replace worn slats before they start affecting support across the sheet, and clean water pans often enough that sediment does not become a job on its own. Painted steelwork should be kept as dry as practical in storage and touched up where heavy handling marks it.
We make replacement slat packs and related steel parts for our table range, so a bed does not have to be retired because one wear item has had a hard run. Where a customer wants to expand from a lighter portable setup to a larger water bed or a different frame arrangement, we can quote on the steelwork needed for that next stage. Send the current bed size, a few clear dimensions and the town for delivery through our contact form.
For workshops that prefer to fabricate some parts themselves, our DIY table kits remain the cleanest route: the hard-cut pieces arrive ready for assembly and the layout stays consistent with the ordered size.
What our Plasma Table customers say
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Questions we get asked
Do you sell complete CNC plasma machines?
Our scope covers the tables, beds, slats, frames, structures and DIY kits only. Controllers, power units and full machine packages fall outside that build scope.
Can you ship a table outside the Western Cape?
Flat-packed kits can be sent to the rest of South Africa. In the Western Cape we also arrange delivery of finished steelwork to towns such as Bellville, Paarl, Worcester and George.
Do water tables get tested before dispatch?
Water-holding sections are leak-tested in our shop before they are packed for delivery or collection.
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Tell us about the job
Send sizes, materials and where you are through our contact form, and we will come back with the practical options.
Open the contact form