thanks for all the input, as for the belt sander, this is a no-go as it generates too much heat and wrecks the structure of the rubber.
For the overall design ie cnc / plc i did think of a mechanical advance but it started getting a bit complicated, I lay awake last night and have actually come up with a totally new design which is much simpler and something I can actually pattent. I will keep you posted as I try and get it drawn up. I still need some good quality linear rails though so il look into the links provided. Cheers