Updating a Laser for a bigger cutting table?

[C.P.]

Mission: Build a robust cutting table with only X-axle movement (the part will be moved, not the cutting head), old IBH Modus Control System will be used for steering.

I have a quite special Trumpf 1500W CO2 Laser, it is ex-factory demonstrator (from 1994) and has two tables, one for Laser Welding and one for Laser Cutting. It spend the first years in Trumpf "road-show truck" and then it was installed in Laser Laboratory where it was hardly used at all (for the Laser unit the total hours are under 100).

I'm right now installing the laser to my premises and was thinking about upgrading the system in such way, that I would remove the welding area completely and instead fabricate a large cutting table. The cutting head is moving right now in Y/Z-axle and the table itself in X-axle. I have no purpose for Laser Welding as I'm a Coachbuilder by trade and most of my work has something to do with bodywork for vehicles. Currently I can cut dash panels etc., but would be a great benefit to create parts up to the size of the sheet metal panel (2m x 2.5m).

The Laser Welding unit has a separate steering system, and its easy to remove it from the system. I could keep the 2nd units as spare parts for the cutting station.

This is slightly experimental idea, but I don't see too many difficulties in updating the table to bigger size. The Laser would be a separate part and the beam directed to the cutting table - just like it is at the moment. The steering system is parametric so I can change the default size to any size. Fabricating the table itself is no problem - the only question is about how would such table work that has a moving X-axle? The laser is able in cutting 10mm steel, so the plate could be quite heavy (although I usually work with sheetmetal between 1-3mm). It also means the table would need twice or three times the room for operating, meaning it would be about 4-6 meters wide and 2.5m long. To update the Y-axle (which is the same direction as the Laser beam) is quite easy and this works inside the machine.

As said, this is still an idea - but this update would greatly help me in my work and give more working hours for the Laser. I appreciate all suggestions and ideas how to accomplish the new cutting table, I'm also a Software Developer and done a lot of Automation work - up to certain level I can do things by myself - also have a full workshop where to create parts if needed. I'm basically operating with little investment and being one man business makes sure I have to stay far away from expensive solutions.

In these photos I have uncovered the machine by removing the protective sheetmetal. Hard to get a good overall picture of the machine, on the left is the Laser Unit and first open door is Laser Welding table and second the Cutting table:


This is the Laser Welding table witch is useless for my purposes (also, notice how small it is):


This is the second station, ie. Cutting table which has been updated for automatic Z-control. Notice the table itself is moving in X-axle and the cutting head in Y-axle (same direction as the machine).t:


As the system is uncovered one can see how the Laser beam (from left) comes to the "black box", which divides the beam to the welding and cutting area:


Here both stations can be seen from above (welding on bottom and cutting on top of the photo), the Y-axle mechanics clearly visible:


Over-all photo from above, notice how narrow the machine is:


The user interfaces, the other one would be for spare:


Btw, I tried to get opinions in another forum, but this seems to be bit spezialised question...