WO2022224387A1

WO2022224387A1 - Laser oscillator and laser processing device

Info

Publication number: WO2022224387A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/016225
Authority: WO
Inventors: 雅仁榎本
Original assignee: ファナック株式会社
Priority date: 2021-04-21
Filing date: 2021-04-21
Publication date: 2022-10-27
Also published as: JPWO2022224387A1

Abstract

A laser processing device according to the present invention includes: laser oscillators that individually oscillate a processing laser beam and a guide laser beam; a workpiece holding mechanism that holds a workpiece; a transmission mechanism that emits the processing laser beam and the guide laser beam onto the workpiece; a conveying mechanism that causes the transmission mechanism to move relative to the workpiece holding mechanism; an accommodating cover that accommodates therein at least the workpiece holding mechanism and the conveying mechanism; and a main control device. The laser oscillator further includes a processing laser oscillation source and a processing power source that oscillate the processing laser beam, a guide laser oscillation source and a guide power source that oscillate the guide laser beam, and an oscillation control device that outputs control signals to the processing power source and the guide power source. The oscillation control device is configured to output a stop command as a control signal only to the processing power source when a safety device provided to the laser processing device is actuated.

Description

Laser oscillator and laser processing equipment

The present invention relates to a laser oscillator and a laser processing apparatus using the same, and more particularly to a laser oscillator that separately oscillates a processing laser beam and a guide laser beam and a laser processing apparatus that uses this to perform a predetermined processing on a work.

A laser processing device such as a laser cutting machine, a laser welding machine, or a laser marking device transmits a laser beam output from a laser oscillator to irradiate a work, and by relatively moving the laser beam and the work, a predetermined Can be processed. In particular, there is known a laser processing apparatus using a laser oscillator that oscillates both a processing laser beam for performing predetermined processing on a workpiece and a guide laser beam for adjusting the irradiation position of the processing laser beam.

In such a laser processing apparatus, it is dangerous to expose an object other than the work or an operator to the laser beam during laser processing. When the operator operates an emergency stop input means such as an emergency stop switch or an emergency stop button, a safety operation is automatically executed to stop the control operation of the entire laser processing apparatus. In this safety operation, in order to prevent secondary damage such as fire and malfunction, the supply of drive power to all devices such as a laser oscillator and a processing head drive device, which are normally included in the laser processing device, is also stopped. However, there is a problem that once the laser oscillator and its accessory cooling device stop, it takes a considerable amount of time to recover.

As an example of a laser processing apparatus intended to solve such a problem, for example, in Patent Document 1, in a laser processing apparatus, if a returned laser beam is not detected for a predetermined time due to cable disconnection or the like, an abnormality is determined and an emergency stop is made. It is disclosed that actions are performed. According to such a laser processing apparatus, it is said that not only the disconnection of the optical fiber but also the wear of the optical element incorporated in the laser light source can be effectively determined.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-207901

As described above, in order to stop only the output of the laser beam without stopping the power supply to the laser processing equipment during an emergency stop, a shutter (mechanical opening/closing) placed near the output end of the laser oscillator is required. means) is generally provided additionally. However, since the laser beam emitted from the laser oscillator is normally oscillated at a power suitable for machining the workpiece, the shutter that blocks the laser beam continues to absorb the laser beam, shortening the life of the shutter itself. There is another problem of stowage.

Further, in a laser oscillator configured to emit a processing laser beam and a guide laser beam substantially coaxially as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a shutter is arranged on a common optical path of the processing laser beam and the guide laser beam. become. For this reason, when it is attempted to stop the emission of the machining laser beam, the emission of the guide laser beam is also stopped at the same time. was there.

Under these circumstances, a laser oscillator capable of independently oscillating a processing laser beam and a guide laser beam is required to have a configuration capable of selectively emitting the guide laser beam without using opening/closing means on the optical path. ing.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a laser oscillator that separately oscillates a processing laser beam and a guide laser beam and outputs them to a laser processing apparatus includes a processing laser oscillation source that oscillates the processing laser beam and a processing power source that supplies power to the processing laser oscillation source. a guide laser oscillation source that oscillates a guide laser beam, a guide power supply that supplies power to the guide laser oscillation source, and an oscillation control device that outputs a control signal for controlling the operation of the processing power supply and the guide power supply, The oscillation control device is configured to output a stop command as a control signal only to the processing power source when a safety device provided in the laser processing device is activated.

Further, according to one aspect of the present invention, a laser processing apparatus for performing predetermined processing by irradiating a guide laser beam and a processing laser beam onto a workpiece includes a laser oscillator that separately oscillates the processing laser beam and the guide laser beam; A work holding mechanism that holds a work, a transmission mechanism that irradiates the work with a processing laser beam and a guide laser beam, a transfer mechanism that moves the transmission mechanism relative to the work holding mechanism, and at least the work holding mechanism and the transfer mechanism a housing cover to be housed inside; and a main controller for controlling a processing operation for a work; further comprising a guide laser oscillation source that oscillates a guide laser beam, a guide power supply that supplies power to the guide laser oscillation source, and an oscillation control device that outputs a control signal for controlling the operation of the machining power supply and the guide power supply, The control device is configured to output a stop command as a control signal only to the processing power source when a safety device provided in the laser processing device is activated.

According to one aspect of the present invention, when the safety device provided in the laser processing apparatus is activated, the oscillation control device for the laser oscillator is configured to output a stop command as a control signal to the power source for processing. In a laser oscillator capable of separately oscillating a processing laser beam and a guide laser beam, the guide laser beam can be selectively emitted without using opening/closing means on the optical path.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is the schematic which shows the structure of the laser oscillator by 1st Embodiment which is a representative example of this invention, and the laser processing apparatus containing the same. 2 is a block diagram showing the relationship between a laser oscillator and a main controller of the laser processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a time chart showing an example of emergency stop operation when an emergency stop signal is detected in the laser processing apparatus according to the first embodiment; 5 is a time chart showing an example of an operation of stopping processing laser light when a safety device actuation signal is detected in the laser processing apparatus according to the first embodiment; FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the relationship between a laser oscillator and a main controller of a laser processing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the relationship between a laser oscillator and a main controller of a laser processing apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a schematic diagram; FIG.

An embodiment of a laser oscillator and a laser processing apparatus using the same according to a representative example of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Here, in the following explanation, "emergency stop" means that if the processing operation of the laser processing device is continued as it is, a dangerous situation in which the body of the operator or the constituent elements of the laser processing device may be seriously damaged. , means to forcibly stop the control operation of the entire laser processing apparatus. As a specific example of when such an "emergency stop" is executed, in addition to the above-described operator's input by the emergency stop input means, for example, a fire occurs in the laser processing apparatus itself or its surroundings, or a certain scale of fire occurs. For example, when an earthquake is detected, and further when it is detected that some of the constituent elements of the laser processing apparatus are damaged.

In the following description, the term "safety device" refers to a device for preventing the operator from being exposed to the processing laser beam, or a device for suppressing minor damage to each component of the laser processing apparatus. Includes equipment. Specific examples of such a "safety device" include a sensor for detecting the closed state of an open/close door provided in the housing cover of the laser processing apparatus, which will be described later, and a coolant temperature control for a cooling mechanism that cools a part of the laser oscillator. A sensor etc. which detect is mentioned.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a laser oscillator and a laser processing apparatus including the same according to a first embodiment, which is a typical example of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the relationship between the laser oscillator and the main controller of the laser processing apparatus shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the laser processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment includes, as an example, a laser oscillator 100 that separately oscillates a processing laser beam LP and a guide laser beam LG, and a work holding mechanism that holds a work W. 10, a transmission mechanism 20 that irradiates the workpiece W with the processing laser beam LP and the guide laser beam LG, a transport mechanism 30 that relatively moves the transmission mechanism 20 with respect to the workpiece holding mechanism 10, and at least the workpiece holding mechanism 10 and the transport An accommodation cover 40 that accommodates the mechanism 30 inside, a cooling mechanism 50 that circulates and supplies a cooling liquid LQ (coolant) for cooling the inside of the laser oscillator 100, and a main controller 60 that controls the machining operation for the workpiece W. include. The laser processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 performs predetermined processing such as laser welding, laser cutting, laser drilling (trepanning), laser marking, laser dicing, or laser annealing by irradiating a workpiece W with processing laser light. It can be applied as any processing device that performs

As an example, the work holding mechanism 10 includes a chuck mechanism (not shown) for attaching the work W, and grips and fixes the work W. Further, the work holding mechanism 10 may include a rotation mechanism in addition to a mechanism for moving the work W in the three axial directions of XYZ, for example.

As an example, the transmission mechanism 20 includes a processing head 22 that collects and irradiates the processing laser beam LP and the guide laser beam LG to the workpiece W, and the processing laser beam LP and the guide laser beam that are oscillated from the laser oscillator 100.

Transmission lines

24p and 24g for transmitting LG to the processing head 22 and

optical connectors

26p and 26g for connecting the

transmission lines

24p and 24g to the processing head 22 are included. FIG. 1 illustrates a case in which the processing laser beam LP and the guide laser beam LG are transmitted through separate transmission paths. may be configured as follows.

As an example, the processing head 22 has a structure in which a superimposition optical unit and a scanning optical unit (not shown) are built in a housing. Here, the superimposing optical unit includes, for example, a superimposing optical system such as a beam splitter or a half mirror that guides the processing laser beam LP and the guide laser beam LG so as to be substantially coaxial, and the processing laser beam LP that is substantially coaxially superimposed. and a condensing optical system such as a condensing lens for adjusting the focal length of the guide laser beam LG. Moreover, the processing head 22 may have a known configuration such as a cooling mechanism for cooling various built-in optical systems.

Further, the scanning optical unit includes, for example, a galvanometer scanner that scans the optical axis of the superimposed processing laser beam LP and guide laser beam LG in a two-dimensional area, and a lens unit such as an fθ lens for making the light incident on the work W at a substantially right angle. By using such a transmission mechanism 20, so-called long-focus laser processing (remote processing), in which the laser beam is focused on the work W, can be performed.

In the specific example shown in FIG. 1, the case where the scanning optical unit is built in the processing head 22 is illustrated, but only the condenser lens for adjusting the focus of the superimposed processing laser beam LP and guide laser beam LG is placed on the optical path. It may be arranged such that the scanning of the optical axis of each beam on the workpiece W is performed by the transport mechanism 30, which will be described later. Moreover, although the case where the processing laser beam LP and the guide laser beam LG are superimposed substantially coaxially and irradiated onto the workpiece W has been illustrated, the processing laser beam LP and the guide laser beam LG are each transmitted from different optical paths by separate optical systems. A method of irradiating the workpiece W may be employed.

The

transmission lines

24p and 24g are composed of, for example, known optical fibers. For the

optical connectors

26p and 26g, known connectors can be used according to the material and type of the optical fibers used for the

transmission lines

24p and 24g. The

transmission paths

24p and 24g may be configured as optical paths in which mirrors are arranged on cover members according to the wavelength of the processing laser beam LP or guide laser beam LG to be transmitted.

As an example, the transport mechanism 30 is configured as a 6-axis or 7-axis industrial robot that includes a base member 32 and a robot arm 34 at least at the tip. The processing head 22 of the transmission mechanism 20 is attached to the tip of the robot arm 34, and the processing head 22 is moved to any position and angle within the swivel range.

As an example, the storage cover 40 has a structure in which a closed space S is formed inside by combining the side surfaces other than the floor surface and the ceiling surface with panel members. As shown in FIG. 1, at least the workpiece holding mechanism 10 and the transfer mechanism 30 are housed in the closed space S, so that the housing cover 40 shuts off the closed space S from the outside as a substantially processing chamber. In FIG. 1, the laser oscillator 100 is arranged outside the housing cover 40, and the

transmission lines

24p and 24g of the transmission mechanism 20 pass through through holes formed in part of the side surface of the housing cover 40. are arranged as follows.

As shown in FIG. 1, an access door 42 for allowing an operator to enter and exit a part of the side surface of the housing cover 40 and a door 42 for carrying in/out the workpiece W from the outside to/from the workpiece holding mechanism 10 are provided on a part of the side surface of the housing cover 40 as shown in FIG. An opening/closing member including a loading/unloading door 44 is provided. Here, a plurality of loading/unloading doors 42 and loading/unloading doors 44 may be provided on the side surface of the housing cover 40 .

In the laser processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, an opening/closing sensor (not shown) for detecting whether these doors are open (or closed) is attached to each of the entrance/exit door 42 and the loading/unloading door 44. It is By setting the processing laser beam LP from the processing head 22 not to irradiate the workpiece W when the loading/unloading door 42 or the loading/unloading door 44 is open, the loading/unloading door 42 and the loading/unloading door 44 and the open/close sensor constitutes the "safety device" described above. On the other hand, an emergency stop button (not shown) may be provided on the side surface of the storage cover 40 on the closed space S side so that an emergency stop can be made when the operator is trapped.

In addition, in the laser processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, the cooling mechanism 50 includes a circulation pump and a circulation power supply (both not shown) that feed a cooling liquid (coolant) LQ therein, and a laser that will be described later. A cooling member 130 that cools at least the machining laser oscillation source 110p and the machining power source 112p of the oscillator 100 is connected via the circulation path 52 . The cooling mechanism 50 is driven based on a command signal from a main controller 60 of the laser processing apparatus 1, which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 2 as an example, the main controller 60 outputs command signals to the work holding mechanism 10, the transmission mechanism 20, the transfer mechanism 30, and the cooling mechanism 50, which are objects to be controlled, based on a predetermined program. A main control unit 62 that controls these operations by receiving signals from the outside (for example, detection signals from various sensors, emergency stop signals from emergency stop buttons, etc.) and receiving signals of any kind. and a signal discrimination unit 64 that discriminates whether. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, the main controller 60 further includes a console unit 66 including a display screen, and an emergency stop button 68 for emergency stopping the operation of the entire laser processing apparatus 1 in an emergency.

Main controller 60 is connected to work holding mechanism 10, transmission mechanism 20, transfer mechanism 30, cooling mechanism 50 and laser oscillator 100 shown in FIG. It is also connected to various sensors to receive detection signals. Then, the main controller 62 of the main controller 60 also outputs a command signal SC including an oscillator drive start command and a drive end command to the oscillation controller 120 of the laser oscillator 100 .

As an example, as shown in FIG. 2, the signal determination unit 64 receives input signals from an operator such as the console unit 66 and the emergency stop button 68, and opening/closing sensors provided on the entrance door 42 and the loading/unloading door 44. Also, the signal determination unit 64 includes a first determination unit 64a that outputs a first signal S1 when determining that the received signal is of the first layer, and a first determination unit 64a that outputs a first signal S1 and a second discriminator 64b that outputs a second signal S2 when the received signal is discriminated to be of the second layer.

Here, in the first embodiment, as an example, when there is a signal input due to disaster detection such as an emergency stop button, a fire alarm, or a seismometer, the first determination unit 64a performs the first determination based on the signal input. 1 signal (emergency stop signal) S1 is output to the main controller 62 and the oscillation controller 120 of the laser oscillator 100, respectively. Similarly, the second discriminator 64b outputs a second signal (safety device actuation signal) S2 to the laser oscillator 100 based on the signal input from the open/close sensor provided on each of the loading/unloading door 42 or loading/unloading door 44 described above. Output to the control device 120 . Then, when the main control unit 62 receives the first signal S1 from the first determination unit 64a, it outputs an emergency stop command signal to the control object of the laser processing apparatus 1 .

As shown in FIG. 2 as an example, the laser oscillator 100 according to the first embodiment includes a processing laser oscillation source 110p that oscillates processing laser light LP, a processing power supply 112p that supplies power to this, and a guide laser light LG. A guide laser oscillation source 110g that oscillates, a guide power source 112g that supplies power to the same, and a control signal (drive command DP, DG or stop command DS) for controlling the operation of the processing power source 112p and the guide power source 112g. a cooling member 130 supplied with cooling liquid LQ for cooling at least the machining laser oscillation source 110p and the machining power supply 112p; 140 and .

As an example of the processing laser oscillation source 110p, a laser source with a wavelength having a high absorption efficiency depending on the material of the workpiece W to be processed is applied. As such a processing laser oscillation source 110p, a YAG laser, a _YVO4 laser, a fiber laser, a disk laser, or the like capable of fiber transmission can be exemplified. Further, the machining power source 112p supplies drive power to the machining laser oscillation source 110p based on control commands (drive command DP and stop command DS) from the oscillation control device 120, which will be described later.

Similarly, the guide laser oscillation source 110g is, for example, a laser source with a wavelength of visible light (360 to 830 nm) in order to simulate and visualize the position where the surface of the work W is irradiated with the processing laser beam LP. Applies. A green laser with a wavelength of 515 nm can be exemplified as such a guide laser oscillation source 110g. Further, the guide power source 112g supplies drive power to the guide laser oscillation source 110g based on control commands (a drive command DG and a stop command DS) from the oscillation control device 120, which will be described later.

The oscillation control device 120 outputs control signals to the processing power source 112p and the guide power source 112g based on various commands from the main control device 60 of the laser processing apparatus 1, respectively. As a result, in the laser oscillator 100 according to the first embodiment, the processing power source 112p and the guide power source 112g are driven and controlled independently, and as a result, even if the output of the processing laser beam LP is stopped, the guide laser The output of light LG is maintained.

As an example, the cooling member 130 is configured as a substantially plate-shaped hollow member, and is arranged so that one surface thereof is in contact with at least the processing laser oscillation source 110p and the processing power source 112p. As shown in FIG. 2 , the cooling member 130 is connected to the cooling mechanism 50 via two circulation paths 52 , and together with the cooling mechanism 50 constitutes a cooling system for the laser oscillator 100 . Thereby, the coolant LQ circulates between the cooling mechanism 50 and the cooling member 130, and can cool at least the processing laser oscillation source 110p and the processing power source 112p during oscillation driving.

As an example, the maintenance door 140 is configured as a window that is opened and closed when performing maintenance on various components incorporated inside the housing of the laser oscillator 100 . At this time, for example, an open/close sensor (not shown) for detecting the open/close state of the maintenance door 140 may be provided, and the output of the open/close sensor may be input to the signal determination section 64 of the main controller 60 . That is, the maintenance door 140 and the open/close sensor provided thereon are also configured as one of the safety devices for the laser oscillator 100 and the laser processing apparatus 1 .

Next, a specific example of oscillation control of the laser oscillator in the laser processing apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B.

FIG. 3A is a time chart showing an example of emergency stop operation when an emergency stop signal is detected in the laser processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3B is a time chart showing an example of the operation of stopping the processing laser beam when the safety device activation signal is detected in the laser processing apparatus according to the first embodiment.

When an emergency stop operation is performed in the laser processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. A command signal SC is received from 60 to start outputting the processing laser beam LP and the guide laser beam LG. Upon receiving the command signal SC, the oscillation control device 120 outputs control signals of drive commands DP and DG to the power source 112p for machining and the power source 112g for guiding, respectively, at time T2. As a result, the oscillation and output of the processing laser beam LP and the guide laser beam LG are continued until the output stop command signal SC is received from the main controller 60 .

On the other hand, at time T3, for example, when the emergency stop button 68 provided in the main controller 60 is pressed, the emergency stop signal S1 is output to the oscillation control device 120 from the first discriminator 64a that has received the detection signal. Subsequently, at time T4, the oscillation control device 120 that has received the emergency stop signal S1 outputs a control signal of a stop command DS to each of the machining power source 112p and the guiding power source 112g.

Subsequently, at time T5, the machining power supply 112p and the guiding power supply 112g that have received the control signal of the stop command DS stop power output to the machining laser oscillation source 110p and the guiding laser oscillation source 110g, respectively. As a result, at time T6, the oscillation and output of the processing laser beam LP and the guide laser beam LG from the laser oscillator 100 are stopped, and the emergency stop operation is completed.

On the other hand, in the laser processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, when the operation of stopping the processing laser light LP by the safety device is performed, first, at time T1, oscillation control of the laser oscillator 100 is performed as shown in FIG. 3B. The device 120 receives a command signal SC from the main controller 60 of the laser processing apparatus 1 to start outputting the processing laser beam LP and the guide laser beam LG. Upon receiving the command signal SC, the oscillation control device 120 outputs control signals of drive commands DP and DG to the power source 112p for machining and the power source 112g for guiding, respectively, at time T2. Thus, similarly to the case shown in FIG. 3A, the oscillation and output of the processing laser beam LP and the guide laser beam LG are continued until the output stop command signal SC is received from the main controller 60 .

On the other hand, for example, at time T3, when the open/close sensor detects that the access door 42 provided in the housing cover 40 is open (or not closed), the second determination unit 64b that receives the detection signal Safety device actuation signal S2 is output to oscillation control device 120 . Subsequently, at time T4, the oscillation control device 120 that has received the safety device actuation signal S2 outputs a control signal of the stop command DS only to the machining power supply 112p.

Subsequently, at time T5, the machining power supply 112p that has received the control signal of the stop command DS stops power output to the machining laser oscillation source 110p. On the other hand, the guiding power source 112g that has not received the control signal continues to output power to the guiding laser oscillation source 110g. As a result, at time T6, the oscillation and output of the processing laser beam LP from the laser oscillator 100 are stopped, and the oscillation and output of the guide laser beam LG are maintained.

With the configuration as described above, the laser oscillator and the laser processing apparatus according to the first embodiment are such that when the safety device provided in the laser processing apparatus is activated, the oscillation control device of the laser oscillator is switched off to the power supply for processing. Therefore, in a laser oscillator that can independently oscillate the processing laser beam and the guide laser beam, the guide laser beam can be emitted without using opening/closing means on the optical path. Can be executed selectively.

<Second embodiment>
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the relationship between the laser oscillator and the main controller of the laser processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, in the schematic diagrams and the like shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the same reference numerals are given to the components that can adopt the same or common configuration as the first embodiment. The repeated description of is omitted.

In the laser processing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 as an example, the main controller 60 outputs a command signal to the controlled object based on a predetermined program to perform these operations. It includes a main control section 62 for control, and a signal discrimination section 64 for receiving a signal from the outside (for example, an emergency stop signal from an emergency stop button) and discriminating whether or not the signal is an emergency stop signal.

On the other hand, the laser oscillator 200 according to the second embodiment includes, as an example, a processing laser oscillation source 110p that oscillates the processing laser beam LP, a processing power supply 112p that supplies power to this, and a guide laser that oscillates the guide laser beam LG. An oscillation control device that outputs a control signal (drive command DP, DG or stop command DS) for controlling the operations of the laser oscillation source 110g, the guide power source 112g that supplies power to the same, the processing power source 112p and the guide power source 112g. 120, a cooling member 130 supplied with a cooling liquid LQ for cooling at least the machining laser oscillation source 110p and the machining power source 112p, and a signal received from the outside (for example, a detection signal from various sensors) and the signal is and a signal discriminator 250 for discriminating whether it is a safety device activation signal.

In the laser processing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment having the above configuration, the main controller 60 is provided with the signal determination section 64 that outputs the first signal S1 to the oscillation control device 120 of the laser oscillator 200, and the second signal The laser oscillator 200 is characterized by incorporating a signal discrimination device 250 that outputs S2. With these configurations, the structure of the main controller 60 can be simplified, and the laser oscillator 200 can have a structure in which a function for determining whether the safety device is operating is integrated and added.

Then, the oscillation control device 120 outputs control signals to the machining power supply 112p and the guide power supply 112g based on the received command signal SC, first signal S1 or second signal S2. Thus, in the laser oscillator 200 according to the second embodiment as well, the processing power supply 112p and the guide power supply 112g are driven and controlled independently.

With the configuration as described above, the laser oscillator and the laser processing apparatus according to the second embodiment have the effect of outputting the second signal (safety device activation signal) in addition to the effects described in the first embodiment. By incorporating the discrimination device into the laser oscillator, the structure of the main controller of the laser processing apparatus can be simplified, and a laser oscillator with added value (additional function) can be provided.

<Third Embodiment>
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the relationship between the laser oscillator and the main controller of the laser processing apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Also in the third embodiment, in the schematic diagrams and the like shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the same or common configurations as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. The repeated description of is omitted.

In the laser processing apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment, the laser oscillator 300 includes, for example, a processing laser oscillation source 110p that oscillates processing laser light LP, a processing power supply 112p that supplies power to this, and a guide laser light LG. and an internal cooling mechanism 360 including a guide laser oscillation source 110g that oscillates and a guide power source 112g that supplies power thereto, a circulation pump 310 and a circulation power source 312 that supplies power to the circulation pump 310, and the above-described power sources. and an oscillation control device 120 that outputs a control signal for control (drive command DP, DG, DC or stop command DS).

The laser processing apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment configured as described above integrates the cooling mechanism 50 and the circulation path 52 shown in FIGS. characterized by That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the internal cooling mechanism 360 includes a circulation pump 310 that circulates a coolant LQ therein, a circulation power supply 312 that supplies power to the circulation pump 310, and a substantially plate-like hollow member. and a cooling member 330 in which the cooling liquid LQ circulates. With these configurations, the laser oscillator 300 can be manufactured and sold as a unit in which the internal cooling mechanism 360 is integrated.

Then, the oscillation control device 120 outputs control signals to the machining power supply 112p, the guide power supply 112g, and the circulation power supply 312 based on the received command signal SC, first signal S1 or second signal S2. Accordingly, in the laser oscillator 300 according to the third embodiment, the processing power source 112p, the guide power source 112g, and the circulation power source 312 are independently driven and controlled. Even if it stops, driving of the guide power supply 112g and the circulation power supply 312 is maintained.

At this time, for example, the cooling member 330 is provided with an internal pressure sensor (not shown) for detecting the pressure of the cooling liquid LQ circulating therein, and the detected value of the internal pressure sensor is input to the signal determination unit 64 of the main controller 60. It may be configured as That is, the internal cooling mechanism 360 and the internal pressure sensor are also configured as one of the safety devices of the laser oscillator 300 and the laser processing apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment.

When the internal pressure of the cooling member 330 decreases, it is determined that a leak (coolant leakage) has occurred in the internal cooling mechanism 360, and the second determination unit 64b outputs and receives the safety device actuation signal S2. An operation in which the oscillation control device 120 outputs control signals of the stop command DS to the machining power source 112p and the circulation power source 312 is sequentially executed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent damage to other components in the laser oscillator 300 due to leakage of the cooling liquid LQ.

With the configuration as described above, the laser oscillator and the laser processing apparatus according to the third embodiment have the effects described in the first embodiment, as well as the internal By further providing a cooling mechanism, it becomes possible to manufacture and sell the laser oscillator as a unit in which the internal cooling mechanism is integrated. Further, by providing a function for detecting liquid leakage from the internal cooling mechanism, it is possible to prevent damage to other components in the laser oscillator due to liquid leakage of the cooling liquid.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the invention. Within the scope of the invention, any component of the embodiment can be modified, or any component of the embodiment can be omitted.

For example, in the above embodiment, the power supply for machining and the power supply for guide of the laser oscillator are independent of the drive power supply for each mechanism of the laser processing apparatus, and when the emergency stop button is pressed, the oscillation control device Although the power source for processing and the power source for guide are respectively stopped by a signal, the power source for processing and the power source for guide may be configured to be interlocked with the driving power source. As a result, when the emergency stop button is pushed, all the power sources can be simultaneously interlocked and stopped by the emergency stop signal from the main control device.

Further, the specific examples shown in the first to third embodiments may be applied by combining their features. For example, it is possible to integrate the signal discrimination device shown in the second embodiment and the internal cooling mechanism shown in the third embodiment into a laser oscillator.

Reference Signs List 1 laser processing device 10 workpiece holding mechanism 20 transmission mechanism 22

processing head

24p,

24g transmission path

26p, 26g optical connector 30 transport mechanism 32 base member 34 robot arm 40 accommodation cover 42 door 44 loading/unloading door 50 cooling mechanism 52 circulation path 60 Main controller 62 Main control section 64 Signal discrimination section 64a First discrimination section 64b Second discrimination section 66 Console unit 68

Emergency stop button

100, 200, 300 Laser oscillator 110p Processing laser oscillation source 110g Guide laser oscillation source 112p Processing power source 112g Guide Power Supply 120 Oscillation Control Device 130 Cooling Member 140 Maintenance Door 250 Signal Discriminating Device 310 Circulation Pump 312 Power Supply for Circulation 330 Cooling Member 360 Internal Cooling Mechanism

Claims

A laser oscillator that separately oscillates a processing laser beam and a guide laser beam and outputs them to a laser processing device,
A machining laser oscillation source that oscillates the machining laser beam and a machining power supply that supplies power thereto, a guide laser oscillation source that oscillates the guide laser beam and a guide power supply that supplies power thereto, and the machining power supply and an oscillation control device that outputs a control signal for controlling the operation of the guide power supply,
The oscillation control device is a laser oscillator that outputs a stop command as the control signal only to the processing power source when a safety device provided in the laser processing device is activated.
2. The laser oscillator according to claim 1, further comprising a signal discriminating device that discriminates whether or not to output said stop command from said oscillation control device based on a signal input from the outside.
further comprising an internal cooling mechanism comprising a circulation pump for circulating cooling liquid to at least the machining laser oscillation source and the machining power supply, and a circulation power supply for supplying power to the circulation pump;
3. The laser oscillator according to claim 1, wherein said oscillation control device also controls the operation of said circulating power supply.
further comprising an opening/closing member that is opened/closed during maintenance of each component included in the laser oscillator;
4. The laser oscillator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said oscillation control device outputs said stop command to said machining power supply even when said opening/closing member is open.
5. The laser oscillator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the processing laser oscillation source comprises a fiber laser oscillator or a disk laser oscillator.
A laser processing device for performing predetermined processing by irradiating a guide laser beam and a processing laser beam to a work,
a laser oscillator that separately oscillates the processing laser beam and the guide laser beam;
a work holding mechanism for holding the work;
a transmission mechanism for irradiating the workpiece with the processing laser beam and the guide laser beam; a transfer mechanism for relatively moving the transmission mechanism with respect to the workpiece holding mechanism;
an accommodation cover that accommodates at least the workpiece holding mechanism and the transport mechanism;
a main controller that controls machining operations on the workpiece;
including
The laser oscillator is
a machining laser oscillation source that oscillates the machining laser light and a machining power source that supplies power to the machining laser oscillation source;
a guide laser oscillation source that oscillates the guide laser light and a guide power source that supplies power to the guide laser oscillation source;
an oscillation control device that outputs a control signal for controlling operations of the machining power supply and the guide power supply;
further comprising
The oscillation control device outputs a stop command as the control signal only to the power source for processing when a safety device provided in the laser processing device is activated.
7. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the laser oscillator further includes a signal discriminating device that discriminates whether or not to output the stop command from the oscillation control device based on an externally input signal.
The laser oscillator further includes a cooling mechanism comprising a circulation pump for circulating cooling liquid to at least the machining laser oscillation source and the machining power supply, and a circulation power supply for supplying power to the circulation pump,
8. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the oscillation control device of the laser oscillator also controls the operation of the circulating power supply.
The laser oscillator further includes an opening/closing member that is opened/closed during maintenance of each component,
The laser processing apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the oscillation control device of the laser oscillator outputs the stop command to the processing power supply even when the opening/closing member is open.
10. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said processing laser oscillation source of said laser oscillator is composed of a fiber laser oscillation device or a disk laser oscillation device.