[Razzmeister]

G'day all!!
Thanks for a great site.
I am a fitter welder with experience in product control systems (Conveyors, servo's, censors etc.)
Now this my new project that I need advise and ideas on please. I want to build a cnc Laser / Plasma cutter combination with a stepper driven chuck at one end to allow for doing pipe cutting / engraving etc.

The table will be for size 1.2m (4') x 2.5(8') standard sheets of metal etc.with interchangeable beds roller fed through from one end of the table to suit requirements (Vacuum bed for lightweight materials, Bladed bed for Plasma etc.

One common Gantry to house interchangeable laser/plasma heads. The Gantry will be built for the cutter heads to be around 250mm (12") away from the Gantry structure. This will allow me to drive the gantry to a stepper driven lathe chuck for pipework. Gantry to be able to move on one axis, the cutter head on another axis and the chuck on its own "Revolution axis clockwise or anti-clockwise if it makes sense.

What problems do you guys forsee?

I am not the greates computer literate person on earth so keep it in laymans terms please.

[pippin88]

What material do you want to cut with the laser?

Vacuum bed will not work for plasma or laser and is not required as there is no real cutting force.