advise options needed on laser upgrade/add on

[Robin Hewitt]

Here are some basic answers to get you started. You do not want to move the tube. CO₂ laser tubes are large, fragile glass things and require inconvenient things like 25kV and water chiller pumps. Even the small 50W tubes are about 70cm long so this is kind of bulky. Engraving involves scanning the head in the fastest moving axis whicht wants to be really zippy. You bounce the beam around off gold plated mirrors then focus it at the last moment. Focussing is usually one lens because columnating a thin beam would be a bit harsh on the last one, this means your beam comes to a focus somewhere inside the thing you want to cut and diverges either side so there is a kerf if you go thick. All sorts of sublimates pour off the target and you really don't want them condensing on your optics or soaking up light that should be doing the cutting, so some kind of down draught is a very good idea.