Thick plate. Fast cutting. Cost effective.

Thin material (< 8 mm): laser is faster, cleaner, more precise. Medium material (8–20 mm): laser and plasma compete, laser usually wins on quality. Thick material (> 20 mm): plasma is faster, much cheaper. Very thick (> 25 mm steel): plasma is the right answer — laser can't practically cut this thick. For sheet metal enclosure fabrication: laser. For structural steel: plasma.

Both cut thick material. Plasma: faster, cheaper, heat-affected zone. Waterjet: slower, more expensive, no heat, can cut any material. For thick steel where HAZ doesn't matter: plasma wins. For thick material where HAZ is problematic (aerospace aluminum, heat-sensitive alloys): waterjet is the safer choice.

Plasma leaves some dross (melted metal beads) on the exit side of cut. High-definition plasma minimizes dross. For welded applications, minimal cleanup needed — welding fills the HAZ. For painted or coated applications, light grinding removes dross. For exposed finished edges, post-grinding or oxide removal typically required.

Yes — plasma is tolerant of surface conditions. Can cut rusty steel, painted steel, galvanized steel (though galvanize creates zinc fumes requiring ventilation). This tolerance is a practical advantage for field repair and recycled material work. Laser requires clean surfaces; plasma doesn't.

Standard plasma table: 2000 × 6000 mm. Large-format: up to 3000 × 12000 mm. This makes plasma ideal for shipbuilding and structural work where material size is large. Laser tables typically smaller (2000 × 4000 mm max), limiting laser's reach on structural work.

Plasma cutting: 3–7 business days typical. For cut-only orders (no additional processing): 2–3 days. Welded assemblies starting from plasma-cut plates: 7–14 days. Powder coating or painting adds 3–5 days. For structural and industrial work, plasma is a fast process — plate material and welding typically drive lead time, not the cutting step.