Build Perfect Tube Joints in Minutes - Not Hours
Portable CNC tube notcher for fabricators, race shops and serious builders.
The ARMA Portable CNC Tube Notcher is a compact CNC plasma machine for cutting round steel and aluminum tube and pipe for welded fabrication. It is built for shops and builders that want CNC tube capability without dedicating permanent floor space to a large fixed machine.
It gives you faster fit-up and more repeatable fabrication without the manual effort of hole saws and grinders. You can produce repeatable coped joints, tabs and slots, engraved part marks, and connected pie cuts from software-generated files.
If you build with round tube, this machine is designed for the kind of work where accuracy, repeatability, and fit-up speed matter. It is a strong fit for chassis, roll cages, bumpers, racks, off-road structures, and repeat welded tube production.
You can cut round steel and aluminum tube and pipe from 1 inch to 4 inches outer diameter. Recommended wall limits are less than 0.25 inches for steel and less than 0.3 inches for aluminum, depending on your torch capability, material, and use case.
The ARMA notcher is a 2.5-axis plasma cutting system. The torch stays perpendicular to the tube while the machine moves along the tube length and rotates around the tube surface. That gives you a practical machine for welded fabrication without the size and cost of a more complex articulated cutter. It is not a 4-axis machine and it is not a laser-based system.
The separate support carriage is one of the most useful parts of the system. In practical use, it lets you handle very long tube lengths in a compact setup, so standard long stock such as 20- to 24-foot tube can be handled without committing floor space to a large permanent machine table.
The ARMA Portable CNC Tube Notcher gives you CNC tube notching in a compact, portable machine without giving up the features that matter in real fabrication work. You can store it in a shop or garage corner when it is not in use, while still giving you long-stock handling, tabs and slots, engraving, and connected pie cuts that are difficult or impractical with hole saw methods.
These project examples show the range of work that can be built with the ARMA Portable CNC Tube Notcher. From chassis and roll cages to bumpers, racks, and custom welded structures, the machine is designed to help builders cut round tube parts more accurately, repeatably, and with less manual fitting.
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Generate coped joints for intersecting tubes quickly and repeatably. ADS can create notch profiles automatically for two or more intersecting tubes, and you can still adjust them for special cases when needed. You are not limited to simple centered intersections. Notches can include multiple joints that do not share the same centreline and can vary in diameter and wall thickness. The result is cleaner, more repeatable welded fit-up that is dramatically better than hand-cut methods for this type of work. |
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Tabs and slots can be automatically added to coped tube profiles in our CAD/CAM software. This is a major advantage on complex projects because the parts key together in the correct position during assembly. That improves alignment, reduces guesswork, and cuts down the need for temporary supports or jig scaffolding during welding. |
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Cut tube end caps with integrated slots so they locate more accurately during welding and are easier to fixture consistently. |
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Cut precise holes for weld-in bungs or slots for mating plates. ADS can also generate plate profiles around tubes for tabs and attachments, while still giving you the option to create fully custom cut shapes for specialized designs. |
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Engrave labels, part numbers, orientation marks, bend directions, material notes, and other shop information directly onto the tube so parts are easier to identify and assemble later. |
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Engrave or cut bend location markers so you can position tubes more accurately in a bender. These markers help you keep the correct location along the tube length and the correct rotation around the centre axis, while ADS also compensates for radial growth in the bend workflow. |
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End-segment extensions with connecting tabs give you extra tube length for fixturing in benders while preserving the final coped-end geometry. This is useful when your bender requires minimum straight length near the tube end. After bending, the extension can be trimmed away to expose the final joint. |
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Route tubes around bends of almost any radius using ADS. The machine can automatically cut pie wedges that are folded and welded into custom bends, which is useful for exhaust systems, conduits, and tight-space routing where standard bend radii do not work well. |
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ADS software is part of the workflow. You can design parts directly in ADS or import geometry from other CAD models, then generate machine code for cutting. For most useful cuts beyond simple straight sections, you will be working from software-generated files rather than manual machine setup.
If you do not already use CAD, we can help you get started. We offer project modelling services, onboarding support, training, educational programs, and starter templates so you can move from a build idea to usable cut files with a clearer path.
Learn about CAD/CAM project services for notcher customers.
To run the machine, you will need a compatible plasma torch with remote trigger support, compressed air, proper ventilation, and a safe indoor operating area with flat, even ground for the carriage to move correctly.
We can supply a compatible torch or point you to suitable sources if you prefer to purchase one separately.
When you purchase the machine, you receive the core hardware, the support carriage, the software license, and the basic instructions needed to assemble, set up, and start using the system.
To keep the machine flexible for different shop setups, a few supporting items are not bundled with the sale and must be supplied separately.
This machine is built for welded round-tube fabrication. You can expect strong fit-up for many welded joints, and many test parts fit with no visible light showing through the joint, but results still vary with setup, torch behavior, material, and operation. It should not be treated as laser-level cutting.
Standard pricing is $12,000 USD. Launch pricing is $10,500 USD for the first five units. Shipping is quoted separately based on destination.
U.S. customers may be responsible for import duties, tariffs, brokerage, and related fees. These costs depend on current trade rules, product classification, and whether the shipment qualifies for USMCA/CUSMA treatment. We can help provide the information your customs broker needs, but buyers should confirm final import costs on their side.
Basic remote onboarding and support are included for assembly, setup, calibration, and normal operating questions. If you need on-site service, custom CAD/CAM work, process consulting, or in-person training, those would be handled separately.
If you are considering one for your shop, send your contact details and a short description of your workflow. We can help you confirm fit, discuss torch and air requirements, and provide current pricing and delivery details.
We are taking orders now, and deliveries are expected to begin this summer.
Prefer direct contact? Email jon@armaautomotive.com or call/text 250 686 4070.
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