Apparatus and method for machining tubing

An apparatus for machining tubing comprising:

• a weighted base;
• an upright frame attached to the weighted base;
• a guide bushing tooling attached to the upright frame;
• a first guide bushing configured to be held by the guide bushing tooling, the first guide bushing corresponding to a first tube diameter;
• a second guide bushing configured to be held by the guide bushing tooling, the second guide bushing corresponding to a second tube diameter different from the first tube diameter;
• a rotary drive bushing assembly aligned with the guide bushing tooling attached to the weight base,
• a laser light source attached to the weighted base;
• an optical assembly for focusing the laser light to a laser cutting spot, the optical assembly is adjacent to the guide bushing tooling;
• a mating plate at the optical assembly and the guide bushing tooling, the mating plate engages the optical assembly and the guide bushing tooling at a location adjacent to the laser cutting spot, wherein the mating plate supports the optical assembly and holds the laser cutting spot static relative to the guide bushing tooling;
• a spacer plate for spacing the laser cutting spot with respect to a tubing material of a first diameter, the spacer plate is configured for engagement between the optical assembly and the guide bushing tooling at the location adjacent to the laser cutting spot, and the spacer plate is configured to support the mating plate on at least two opposing sides of the mating plate with the optical assembly therebetween;
• and
• an alignment and engagement assembly including at least the weighted base and the upright frame, the alignment and engagement assembly aligns the guide bushing with the rotary drive bushing assembly along a static axis and maintains the alignment in at least first and second tubing configurations:
• in the first tubing configuration the alignment and engagement assembly aligns the first guide bushing coupled with the guide bushing tooling with the rotary drive bushing assembly along the static axis for the first tube diameter, and
• in the second tubing configuration the alignment and engagement assembly maintains the alignment of the second guide bushing with the guide bushing tooling with the rotary drive bushing assembly along the static axis for the second tube diameter.