Koike Aronson Beetle CNC Plasma Cutting System

$8,000 – $25,000 Updated 2026-03-17

Key Specifications

Table Size

N/A — track-mounted portable system

cutting area

Track/rail configurable — straight cuts to 6,000+ mm; plate size unlimited with repositionable rail

plasma power source

Compatible with Hypertherm Powermax series, Lincoln Electric Tomahawk, Victor Thermal Dynamics (customer supplied)

max cutting thickness

Up to 50 mm carbon steel (plasma, power source dependent)

positioning speed

Up to 3,000 mm/min

cutting speed

Up to 2,500 mm/min (material and power source dependent)

Overview

The Koike Aronson Beetle is a compact, self-contained CNC plasma cutting system designed for portability and flexibility in heavy fabrication environments. Unlike large fixed-table plasma cutting machines, the Beetle is a small-format CNC cutting carriage that rides on a track or rail system attached directly to the workpiece or to a portable rail laid across the plate surface. It is widely used in shipbuilding, structural steel fabrication, bridge construction, and heavy equipment manufacturing where the workpiece is too large to move to a fixed cutting table and the cutting must come to the material.

The Beetle's design philosophy prioritizes portability and ease of setup. The CNC drive unit mounts to a lightweight extruded rail or straight-line guide that clamps to the workpiece surface or is magnetically attached to a steel plate. The operator programs simple cutting geometries — straight lines, circles, bevels, and bolt patterns — directly at the machine's control panel without a PC or offline programming system. This makes it accessible to pipe fitters, structural welders, and fabricators who need accurate cuts without investing in a fixed plasma table infrastructure.

Koike Aronson equips the Beetle with a range of plasma torch compatibility options, supporting air plasma systems from Hypertherm, Lincoln Electric, and Victor Thermal Dynamics. The machine handles both plasma and oxy-fuel cutting by swapping the torch head, making it a dual-process portable cutter suited for shops that use both processes depending on material type and thickness. Speed and feed rates are digitally controlled, and the system maintains consistent cutting speed along straight and curved paths for even kerf width and edge quality.

New Koike Aronson Beetle CNC plasma systems typically price from $8,000 to $25,000 depending on rail length, plasma power source, and configuration. This positions the Beetle as an accessible entry point into CNC plasma cutting for fabricators who cannot justify or floor-space a full gantry plasma table. Competitors include the Messer Portacut, Victor Thermal Dynamics Track Cutter, and various import portable cutting machines. Koike Aronson's long history in welding and cutting automation and its US manufacturing presence make the Beetle a preferred choice for domestic fabricators.

Full Specifications

Parameter	Value
Cutting Area	Track/rail configurable — straight cuts to 6,000+ mm; plate size unlimited with repositionable rail
Plasma Power Source	Compatible with Hypertherm Powermax series, Lincoln Electric Tomahawk, Victor Thermal Dynamics (customer supplied)
Max Cutting Thickness	Up to 50 mm carbon steel (plasma, power source dependent)
Positioning Speed	Up to 3,000 mm/min
Cutting Speed	Up to 2,500 mm/min (material and power source dependent)
Table Size	N/A — track-mounted portable system
Drive System	Single-axis DC servo drive on extruded rail or magnetic track
Torch Compatibility	Plasma and oxy-fuel interchangeable
Control System	Koike Aronson digital CNC panel (on-board programming)
Cutting Geometry	Straight lines, circles, holes, bevels, bolt patterns
Portability	Yes — field deployable, no fixed infrastructure required
Machine Weight	~15 kg (drive unit only, excluding rail)

Specifications sourced from koike.com — verified 2026-03-28

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

Fully portable track-mounted system cuts where the material is — eliminates the need to move large plates, structural members, or ship sections to a fixed cutting table
Dual-process plasma and oxy-fuel capability on the same drive unit covers both thin and thick material cutting needs with a single capital investment
On-board CNC programming panel requires no PC, offline software, or specialized programming skills — setup and cutting are handled directly at the machine by the operator
Very low entry price ($8,000–$25,000) makes CNC plasma cutting accuracy accessible to small fabricators, job shops, and contractors who cannot justify a full gantry system

Limitations

Track-mounted portable systems are limited to simpler cutting geometries — complex nesting, profiling, and contour cutting of intricate part shapes require a full-table CNC plasma system
Cutting accuracy depends heavily on rail straightness and attachment quality; surface irregularities in rail placement translate directly to dimensional errors in the cut part
No integrated water table or fume extraction — field cutting and portable use require separate fume management and fire protection measures not built into the machine system

Best For

Shipyards and marine fabricators cutting large steel panels, hull sections, and structural members in place where a fixed cutting table is impractical given part size and facility layout Bridge and structural steel contractors performing field cutting, modification, or demolition of existing structural members where portability and CNC accuracy are both required Heavy equipment repair facilities and job shops that need a low-cost CNC plasma cutting capability for occasional straight and circle cuts on thick plate without the floor space or capital for a gantry table

Frequently Asked Questions

01 What is the maximum plate thickness the Koike Aronson Beetle can cut?

Maximum cutting thickness is primarily determined by the plasma power source paired with the Beetle rather than the drive unit itself. With a high-amperage plasma source like a Hypertherm Powermax125, the Beetle can guide cuts through carbon steel up to approximately 50 mm (2 inches). With lighter air plasma sources, the practical limit is closer to 19–25 mm (3/4 to 1 inch). Oxy-fuel torch configurations can cut thicker steel when the higher gas cost and slower speed are acceptable.

02 Can the Beetle cut circles and holes as well as straight lines?

Yes. The Beetle CNC panel supports circle cutting using a pivot attachment or trammel bar that anchors the drive unit to a center point and rotates around it to cut a precise circle or hole. This is commonly used for cutting port openings, pipe penetrations, and circular blanks. The on-board control allows the operator to program the circle diameter directly, and the drive unit maintains consistent speed around the circle arc for even edge quality.

03 How does the Koike Aronson Beetle compare to a full gantry plasma table?

The Beetle is a complement to, not a replacement for, a full gantry plasma table. A gantry table provides full 2D contour cutting, automated nesting, torch height control, integrated water table, and much higher throughput for production cutting. The Beetle excels when parts are too large to move, when field cutting is needed, or when capital and floor space prevent a fixed table installation. Many shops operate both — a gantry table for production plate cutting and a Beetle for in-situ field work and oversized parts.