JPH06190581A - Laser beam machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a laser beam machine capable of executing three dimensional machining without having dead angle even though a laser oscillator and machining head is connected through an optical fiber. CONSTITUTION:The machine is constituted of a work table 11, which supports a work to be machined and is arranged free to tilt and rotate by two axes control, and an optical fiber 41 or waveguide, which guides a laser beam light from a laser oscillator 39 to a laser machining head 9 executing laser machining of the work. Also, the machine is constituted such that the work table 11, which supports a work to be machined, is arranged free to tilt and rotate by two axes control, the optical fiber 41 or waveguide, which guides a laser beam light from the laser oscillator 39 to the laser beam machining head 9, is connected to a collimeter part 43 in order to make the laser beam light parallel beam light and the laser beam light made to parallel beam light is guided to the machining head 9.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a laser processing apparatus, and more particularly to a laser processing apparatus configured to guide laser light from a laser oscillator to a laser processing head using an optical fiber or a waveguide.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a YAG laser beam machine is known as a structure using an optical fiber as a means for guiding a laser beam from a laser oscillator to a laser beam processing head. Further, in recent years, an optical fiber for a CO ₂ laser is being researched and developed.

[0003]

In the structure in which the laser light from the laser oscillator is guided to the laser processing head by using the optical fiber, the ease of maintenance and the flexibility are improved as compared with the optical system using a plurality of reflecting mirrors. Is excellent in.

However, in the structure using the optical fiber as described above, there is a limit to the bending of the optical fiber.
For example, when a laser processing head is mounted on an arm of an industrial robot and the laser processing head is multi-axis controlled to process a three-dimensional work, a blind spot may occur in the processing.

Therefore, if the diameter of the optical fiber is made small so as to make the bending radius of the optical fiber small, the processable output that can be transmitted is lowered, and therefore the diameter of the optical fiber cannot be made smaller than necessary.

Further, in the structure for guiding the laser light to the laser processing head by using the optical fiber, it is necessary to convert the refracted light which has passed through the optical fiber into parallel rays. When the collimating portion for making the parallel rays is provided in the laser processing head, there is a problem that the laser processing head becomes large.

[0007]

In view of the conventional problems as described above, the present invention provides a work table for supporting a work to be laser-machined by two-axis control so that the work table can be tilted and rotated. An optical fiber or a waveguide for guiding a laser beam from a laser oscillator is connected to a laser processing head for processing.

Further, a work table for supporting a work to be laser processed is provided so as to be tiltable and rotatable by biaxial control, and an optical fiber or a waveguide for guiding a laser beam from a laser oscillator to a laser processing head is provided. The laser beam is provided so as to be connected to a collimating portion for converting the laser beam into a parallel beam, and the laser beam converted into a parallel beam in the collimating part is guided to the laser processing head.

[0009]

With the above structure, when the laser beam from the laser oscillator is guided to the laser processing head through the optical fiber or the waveguide to process the work on the work table,
Even if the degree of freedom of the laser processing head is limited to some extent due to the limitation of the curvature of the optical fiber, the work table is tilted and rotated, so that the processing portion of the work is changed to the laser processing head. It can be positioned correspondingly and does not create a blind spot for machining.

With the above construction, for example, the laser light as refracted light that has passed through the optical fiber is collimated in the collimating portion and then guided to the laser processing head. Therefore, it is necessary to provide the laser processing head with the collimating portion. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the laser processing head.

Further, when an optical fiber or a waveguide is used, it is not necessary to use a mirror to guide the light inside the processing machine as in the conventional processing machine, and therefore maintenance for cooling the mirror and maintaining the wiring optical path of the mirror holder is performed. Is unnecessary, and the optical path relay point is not required, so that the optical axis adjustment at the relay point can be omitted.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, a laser processing apparatus 1 comprises a base 3 on which a work table device 5 for supporting a work W to be laser processed is mounted. A laser processing head 9 for laser processing the work W is appropriately mounted on the frame 7 on the base 3.

The work table device 5 is provided with a work table 11 for supporting the work W in a freely tiltable and rotatable manner. More specifically, the work table device 5
Includes a machine base 13 mounted on the base 3, and a tilt base 15 is supported on the machine base 13 so as to be tiltable via a shaft 15S. The tilt angle of the tilt base 15 is adjusted by controlling the servomotor M1 mounted on the machine base 13.

A frame 17 is integrally attached to the tilt table 15, and a rotary shaft 19 in a direction orthogonal to the shaft 15S is rotatably supported on the frame 17. And
The work table 11 is integrally attached to the tip of the rotary shaft 19. A worm gear 21 is attached to the rotary shaft 19, and a worm 23 that is controlled and rotated by a servo motor M2 mounted on the frame 17 is meshed with the worm gear 21.

With the above structure, the work table 11 can be arbitrarily tilted by appropriately controlling the servo motor M1, and the work table 11 can be appropriately rotated by appropriately controlling the servo motor motor M2. Also, a desired position can be indexed and positioned at a predetermined position. Therefore, the work W attached to the work table 11 can be appropriately tilted and rotated,
For example, when the work W has an inclined portion, it is possible to change the posture of the work W so that the inclined portion becomes horizontal.

The laser processing head 9 is used for the work W.
Is configured to be movable in the X, Y, and Z axis directions for laser processing. That is, the frame 7 is provided with a plurality of guide members 25 extending in the Y-axis direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 1), and a Y-axis slider 27 is movably supported by the guide members 25. . In order to move the Y-axis slider 27 along the guide member 25,
In this embodiment, a ball screw mechanism 27 driven by the servo motor M3 is provided.

The Y-axis slider 27 extends in the X-axis direction, and an X-axis slider 31 is movably supported by an X-axis guide member 29 attached to the Y-axis slider 27. In order to move the X-axis slider 31 in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis slider 27 has a servo motor M4.
A ball screw mechanism 33 that is driven to rotate by is provided.

Further, the X-axis slider 31 is provided with a guide member 35 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), and the laser processing head 9 is vertically movably guided and supported by the guide member 35. . Then, the X-axis slider 3
1 is provided with a ball screw mechanism 37 driven by a servomotor M5 to move the laser processing head 9 up and down.

Further, the nozzle portion 9N of the laser processing head 9 is configured to be rotatable about the axis in the Z-axis direction (A-axis rotation) by driving a servomotor M6 (not shown), and By driving a servomotor M7 (not shown), it is configured to be rotatable (B-axis rotation) about the axis of the horizontal axis.

As can be understood from the above structure, the laser processing head 9 can be appropriately moved in the X, Y and Z axis directions by appropriately controlling and driving the servo motors M3, M4 and M5, Further, by controlling the A-axis rotation, the nozzle portion 9N can be horizontally controlled, and by controlling the B-axis rotation, the directing directions of the nozzle portion 9N can be changed to the vertical direction, the horizontal direction, the tilt downward direction and the tilt upward direction. Can be controlled.

Therefore, control of the tilt and rotation of the work table 11 in the work table device 5, movement control of the laser processing head 9 in the X, Y, and Z axis directions and A are performed.
By appropriately controlling the rotation control of the shaft and the B-axis, it is possible to perform three-dimensional machining without causing a blind spot even if the work W has a complicated shape.

In this embodiment, a YAG laser is used as the laser oscillator 39, the laser oscillator 39 and the laser processing head 9 are connected via an optical fiber 41, and the laser processing head 9 has the above-mentioned structure. The collimator unit 43 is provided with a collimator for collimating the refracted light that has passed through the optical fiber 41.

As described above, in this embodiment, the laser oscillator 39 and the laser processing head 9 are connected via the optical fiber (which may be a waveguide) 41, and the bending of the optical fiber 41 is not limited. Therefore, the degree of freedom of the laser processing head 9 is constrained to some extent, but as described above, the tilt and rotation of the work table 11 in the work table device 5 and the movement of the laser processing head 9 in the respective axial directions and In cooperation with each rotation of the nozzle portion 9N, it is possible to perform laser processing without producing a blind spot on the work W.

FIG. 2 schematically shows a second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the collimator 43 is mounted on the Y-axis slider 27, and the upper part of the laser processing head 9 and the collimator 43 are connected via a telescopic connector 45 such as a bellows or a telescopic connecting tube. There is. The laser processing head 9 is divided into an upper portion 9U to which the laser processing head 9 is fixed and a lower portion 9L that is vertically movable.

In the above structure, since the collimator 43 is provided outside the laser processing head 9, the structure of the laser processing head 9 can be further simplified and downsized.

Although the laser machining head 9 is moved in the X, Y and Z axis directions in the above embodiment, the work table device 5 is mounted on the XY table and moved up and down. It is also possible. That is, the laser processing head 9 is moved in the XYZ directions,
Whether to move the work table device 5 is relative.

The laser oscillator is not limited to the YAG laser, and any laser oscillator can be used as long as an optical fiber or a waveguide can be used.

3 and 4 are a front view and a right side view showing the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, the work table device 5 is arranged in the concave portion 3C of the base 3 and the frame 7 has a gate shape. Since other configurations are the same as the configurations of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the parts having the same mechanism, and a more detailed description will be omitted.

[0029]

As can be understood from the above description of the embodiments, according to the present invention, even if the laser oscillator and the laser processing head are connected via an optical fiber or a waveguide, The control of movement of the laser processing head and the control of inclination and rotation of the work table work together to enable three-dimensional processing of a work having a complicated shape without causing a blind spot.

Further, by using the three-dimensional 5-axis simultaneous control excluding the load axis, more effective blind spot machining is realized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a laser processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a second embodiment showing a modified example of a part of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a front view of an apparatus showing a third embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a right side view of the above.

[Explanation of symbols]

 5 Work table device 9 Laser processing head 11 Work table 39 Laser oscillator 41 Optical fiber

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An optical fiber for guiding a laser beam from a laser oscillator to a laser processing head for performing laser processing on the work, wherein a work table for supporting the work to be laser processed is provided so as to be tiltable and rotatable by biaxial control. Alternatively, a laser processing apparatus is characterized in that a waveguide is connected. 2. An optical fiber or a waveguide for guiding a laser beam from a laser oscillator to a laser processing head, wherein a work table supporting a work to be laser processed is provided so as to be tiltable and rotatable by biaxial control. A laser processing apparatus, wherein the laser processing device is provided so as to be connected to a collimating section for converting the laser beam into a parallel beam, and guides the laser beam converted into a parallel beam in the collimating section to the laser processing head.