Newbie Questions - Assembly Laser Cutting Machine

[watxup]

Hi everyone,

I have been reading the threads for a week now and till now, no one has written or have any site that could show how to make a laser cutting machine. I want to make a simple 4ft by 4ft working laser cutting machine for self usage.

I have been doing some research lately but I have a lot of questions what need some answers. I hope that someone out there can help me in these questions.

1. Making flying optics gantry - should get a linear stage or belt system? what is the required best specfication for servo motor using a 4ft by 4ft work table? Can the table be made from Aluminium Profiles?

2. Anyone have open source codes for laser cutting machine? linking from PC to motion control to laser cutting? This seems to be the most problematic area.

3. 100W laser, beam delivery system, mirrors and lens used for laser cutting which is the best?

I apologize if my above questions have been asked many times over again.

I hope someone here will have some advise.

Thanks!!!
Max

[lamicron]

Hi MAx, In this forum you will find people with laser machines not builders, check for the plasma forum, there are plans to build tables, step motors, servos , softwares, etc. For laser you can use belts and step motors, . I'm building a cnc plasma table , i learn to do it in that forum,
You can make it in aluminium profiles ( expensive!!!) that is a really nice machine.
You can use Mach3 Software for cutting, the laser tubes can be chinese ( cheap) or US , expensive but really fine.
Luis

[MacGyver]

You'll find some useful info in this thread that I started a few weeks back.
Starting a new laser gantry project

I've had other projects to deal with lately, so no recent updates, but I'll get back to it eventually.