JP2009291815A - Laser beam machining apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a laser beam machining apparatus by which the deburring operation of injection molded products can correctly and effectively be performed without needing a large installation space, and fragmentary burrs are not caused. <P>SOLUTION: The laser beam machining apparatus 10 is equipped with: a Y axis slide table 12 movable in a horizontal Y direction with a workpiece placed; an X axis slide table 13 capable of moving the entire Y axis slide table 12 in a horizontal X direction; and a laser generator 11 for emitting a laser beam L to the workpiece placed on the Y axis slide table 12. Also, in a control box 23, there is installed a control mechanism that transfers the Y axis slide table 12 and the X axis slide table 13 in accordance with a preliminarily input program and that performs vertical movement and tilt of a focal point LF of the laser beam L emitted from the laser beam generator 11. The X axis slide table 13 and the Y axis slide table 12 are moved X and Y directions by driving devices 13m and 12m, respectively. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a laser processing apparatus used for removing burrs from various products injection-molded using a thermoplastic resin as a raw material.

  As shown in FIG. 8, since a burr V is usually formed around the product PW taken out from the mold after injection molding, it is necessary to remove it in a subsequent process. As a method for removing the burr V, conventionally, an operation of cutting along the parting line PL using a knife N is performed. Such a deburring operation is performed manually by a skilled worker, but the actual situation is that the worker has variations in work time, finished quality, and the like. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, since the product PW after the deburring operation often has small burrs SV remaining along the parting line PL, it takes a lot of labor to remove these burrs SV. is doing.

  Therefore, a deburring device using a robot has been proposed as a technique capable of automatically executing an accurate deburring operation (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The deburring device described in Patent Document 1 operates the robot hand based on the measurement data obtained by the three-dimensional shape measuring device, and removes the deburring on the workpiece surface with a deburring tool attached to the hand. Unlike manual work, there is very little variation in work time and finished quality.

JP-A-8-141881

  The deburring device described in Patent Document 1 is excellent in that there is very little variation in work time, finished quality, etc., but the structure is complicated and difficult to handle, and a large installation space is required to secure the movement area of the robot hand. is necessary. In addition, since cutters and grinders are used as deburring tools, fine debris generated during deburring work may scatter to the surroundings, and scattered debris may adhere to the workpiece. Therefore, it is not suitable for deburring work of injection molded products.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9, when the product PW has a hollow shape having the opening W1, a piece-like burr generated during the deburring operation may enter the product PW from the opening W1. Since the piece-like burrs that have entered the product PW may adversely affect the quality and function of the product PW, it is necessary to remove them completely in the subsequent process. However, the piece-like burrs enter the product PW. It takes a great deal of labor and time to check whether or not it is necessary to remove the burrs in the product PW.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a laser processing apparatus that does not require a wide installation space, can perform a deburring operation of an injection molded product accurately and efficiently, and does not generate a section-shaped burr. is there.

  A laser processing apparatus of the present invention includes a work table that can move at least in two horizontal axes, and a laser generator that irradiates a workpiece placed on the work table with a laser beam, and is preliminarily input. According to another program, there is provided a control mechanism for horizontally moving the work table and vertically moving and tilting the focal point of the laser beam emitted from the laser generator.

  With such a configuration, the work table is moved in two horizontal axes according to a program previously input to the table control mechanism and the laser control mechanism, and the focus of the laser beam emitted from the laser generator is moved up and down and tilted. You can make it. Therefore, if the program is input in advance so that the focal point of the laser beam moves along the part suitable for deburring of the workpiece placed on the work table, the deburring operation of the injection molded product can be accurately performed. And can be performed efficiently. In this case, since the burrs are melted by the laser beam irradiated from the laser generator, no section-like burrs are generated. Moreover, since it is a relatively simple structure composed of a work table, a laser generator, a table control mechanism, and a laser control mechanism, a large installation space is not required.

  Here, if a partition that partitions the work table and the laser generator from the surroundings is provided, a part of an article or a human body enters the operating region of the laser processing apparatus, or gas or waste material generated during the laser processing work And the like can be prevented from being scattered, which improves safety.

  In addition, by providing an exhaust means that eliminates the gas generated from the workpiece during laser processing, it prevents the gas generated during laser processing from adversely affecting the workpiece or diffusing to the surroundings. Therefore, it is effective for improving the quality of the workpiece and improving the work environment.

  In this case, if a gas blow mechanism that jets gas toward the gas generation region is provided as the exhaust means, the gas generated during the laser processing can be quickly removed by the gas blown from the gas blow mechanism. The adverse effects due to gas can be surely eliminated.

  On the other hand, if a ventilation fan is provided as the exhaust means, it is possible to prevent gas generated during laser processing from staying around the work area, which is effective in improving the work environment.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a laser processing apparatus that does not require a wide installation space, can perform a deburring operation of an injection molded product accurately and efficiently, and does not generate a section-like burr.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a laser processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are partially enlarged views of the laser processing apparatus shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the laser processing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment includes a Y-axis slide table 12 that can move in the horizontal Y direction with a workpiece W placed thereon, and the entire Y-axis slide table 12. And an X-axis slide table 13 that can move in the horizontal X direction, and a laser generator 11 that irradiates the workpiece W placed on the Y-axis slide table 12 with a laser beam L. The X-axis slide table 13 and the Y-axis slide table 12 are moved in the X and Y directions by the driving devices 13m and 12m, respectively, and the laser generator 11 is moved up and down by the lifting device 17. In addition, a control mechanism (see FIG. 5) that moves the Y-axis slide table 12 and the X-axis slide table 13 and moves the focal point LF of the laser beam L emitted from the laser generator 11 up and down according to a program inputted in advance. (Not shown) is provided in the control box 23.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the Y-axis slide table 12 and the X-axis slide table 13 cooperate to function as a work table in which the Y-axis slide table 12 can move in the horizontal XY directions. Further, by moving the focal point LF of the laser beam L irradiated from the laser generator 11 up and down or tilting the optical axis of the laser beam L, the focal point LF of the laser beam L is in a range as shown in FIG. It can be set at any position within the LZ.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the laser processing apparatus 10, a control box 23 and an operation panel 27 are arranged on a bottom plate 21 of a frame 20 assembled in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and on a shelf plate 22 provided above the control box 23. An X-axis slide table 13, a Y-axis slide table 12, and a laser generator 11 are arranged. A pair of start switches 25 and 25 and an emergency stop switch 26 are provided on the left and right sides of the front edge of the shelf board 22. A region above the shelf 22 of the frame 20 is partitioned from the periphery by a plurality of partition walls 14 and a front door 15 made of a transparent acrylic plate. The front door 15 can be slid up and down by the elevating device 16, thereby opening and closing the opening 20 f above the shelf 22 in front of the frame 20.

  During the laser processing operation, the front door 15 is lowered and the opening 20f is closed. However, due to some trouble, a part of the human body or an article passes through the opening 20f in which the front door 15 is raised and opened. Then, area sensors 24 are provided on the left and right sides of the opening 20f for detecting the laser processing apparatus 10 when it enters the laser processing work area and stopping the laser processing apparatus 10.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, as an exhaust means for removing gas generated from the workpiece W during laser processing, an air blowing mechanism 29 for ejecting gas toward the gas generation region, and a ventilation fan 28 (FIG. 3). 1). In FIG. 1, a state in which the ventilation fan 28 is provided in only one partition wall 14 is illustrated, but it is preferable that the other partition wall 14 is provided with the ventilation fan 28. In addition, as the gas blown out from the blow mechanism 29, air is used in the present embodiment, but other gases (for example, inert gas) can also be used.

  Next, a deburring operation of the workpiece W that is an injection molded product will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4 to 6. 4 is a plan view showing a work process for the workpiece, FIG. 5 is a view showing the work process for the work piece as viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a view showing the work piece that has been deburred. It is. In FIG. 3, the burr V (see FIG. 4) around the workpiece W is omitted.

  When performing the deburring operation of the workpiece W using the laser processing apparatus 10, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of workpieces W placed on the Y-axis slide table 12 functioning as a work table are arranged. It fixes with the fixing tool 12a. As shown in FIG. 1, when the pair of start switches 25 and 25 are pressed simultaneously after the front door 15 is closed, the laser generator 11 is activated, and the driving devices 13m and 12m, the lifting device 17 and the like are set in advance. Operates according to the program entered.

  As a result, the X-axis slide table 13, the Y-axis slide table 12, and the laser generator 11 move according to the program, so that the focal point LF (see FIG. 2) of the laser beam L emitted from the laser generator 11 is As shown in FIG. 4, the resin is melted while relatively moving on the track CL set in advance by the program along the parting line PL of the workpiece W. And finally, as shown in FIG. 6, the to-be-processed object W from which the burr | flash V was removed is obtained. In FIG. 4, the track CL is displayed at a position away from the parting line PL for easy viewing, but in practice, both of them substantially overlap.

  On the other hand, since the workpiece W has a hollow shape having a cylindrical opening W1, the burr V around the opening W1 cannot be removed in one operation. Therefore, a deburring operation in the vicinity of the opening W1 is performed through a process as shown in FIG. First, as shown in FIG. 5A, a laser beam L is irradiated in the vertical direction from directly above the boundary between the opening W1 and the burr V to cut the resin above the parting line PL. Part C1 is formed. Next, as shown in FIG. 5B, irradiation is performed with the optical axis of the laser beam L tilted, so that the lower portion of the cut portion C1 is blown obliquely to provide the widened portion C2. And as shown in FIG.5 (c), if the cut part C3 is formed by irradiating the laser beam L to the perpendicular direction from right above the wide part C2, and fusing the part below the parting line PL, it will be processed The deburring operation around the opening W1 of the object W is completed.

  As described above, the laser processing apparatus 10 moves the Y-axis slide table 12 as a work table in the horizontal XY directions according to the table control mechanism built in the control box 23 and the program previously input to the laser control mechanism, The focal point LF of the laser beam L emitted from the generator 11 can be moved up and down and tilted. Therefore, if a program that moves the focal point of the laser beam L along a portion suitable for deburring of the workpiece W placed on the Y-axis slide table 12 is input, the burrs of the injection-molded product are obtained. The picking work can be performed accurately and efficiently. Further, the optical axis of the laser beam L emitted from the laser generator 11 can be tilted to irradiate the laser beam L from an oblique direction. Laser processing can be easily performed on a workpiece.

  In the case of the laser processing apparatus 10, since the burr V is melted by the laser beam L emitted from the laser generator 11, no small burr remains or no section burr is generated, and manual deburring is not performed at all. It becomes unnecessary. The laser processing apparatus 10 has a relatively simple structure including a Y-axis slide table 12, an X-axis slide table 13, a laser generator 11, a table control mechanism, a control box 23 incorporating a laser control mechanism, and the like. Therefore, a large installation space is not required.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, by providing a plurality of partition walls 14 and a front door 15 that partition the Y-axis slide table 12, the X-axis slide table 13, and the laser generator 11 from the periphery, the operation of the laser processing apparatus 10 is performed. Since it is possible to prevent a part of an article or a human body from entering the region or a gas or waste material generated during laser processing work to be scattered, the safety is excellent.

  Further, as an exhaust means for removing gas generated from the workpiece W during the deburring operation, an air jet mechanism 29 (see FIG. 3) for jetting gas toward the gas generation region, and a ventilation fan 28 (FIG. 1). Reference). As a result, it is possible to prevent the gas generated during the deburring operation from adversely affecting the workpiece W or diffusing to the surroundings, so that the quality of the workpiece W and the work environment can be improved. It is valid.

  In this case, since the gas generated during the deburring operation can be quickly removed by the gas (air) ejected from the squirting mechanism 29, the adverse effects of the gas can be reliably eliminated. Further, since the ventilation fan 28 is provided, it is possible to prevent the gas generated during the deburring operation from staying around the work area, which is effective in improving the work environment.

  Next, another embodiment relating to the work table will be described with reference to FIG. In the work table shown in FIG. 7, a Y-axis slide table 12 that can move in the horizontal Y direction with the workpiece W placed thereon, and an X-axis slide that can move the entire Y-axis slide table 12 in the horizontal X direction. The table 13 and the X-axis slide table 18 which can move the whole Y-axis slide table 12 and the X-axis slide table 13 in the horizontal X direction are provided. Further, drive devices 13m and 18m for moving the X-axis slide tables 13 and 18 in the X direction and drive devices 12m for moving the Y-axis slide table 12 in the Y direction are provided. These entire work tables can be arranged on the shelf plate 22 of the frame 20 (see FIG. 1).

  With such a configuration, in addition to the movement in the X direction by the X axis slide table 13, the movement in the X direction by the X axis slide table 18 can be performed, so that a long movement distance in the X direction can be secured. it can. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently perform the deburring work of the workpiece LW having a large size in the X direction.

  As described above, the laser processing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment can be suitably used for the deburring operation of the workpiece W that is an injection molded product, but the application of the present invention is not limited to this. Therefore, it can be used as a processing means for other members.

  The laser processing apparatus of the present invention can be widely used in the field of deburring work of various synthetic resin products manufactured by injection molding.

It is a perspective view which shows the laser processing apparatus which is embodiment of this invention. It is a partially expanded view of the laser processing apparatus shown in FIG. It is a partially expanded view of the laser processing apparatus shown in FIG. It is a top view which shows the work process with respect to a to-be-processed object. It is the figure which looked at the work process with respect to a workpiece from the arrow A direction in FIG. It is a figure which shows the workpiece which deburring was completed. It is a perspective view which shows other embodiment regarding a work table. It is a figure which shows the conventional deburring operation | work. It is a figure which shows the workpiece after the conventional deburring operation.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Laser processing apparatus 11 Laser generator 12 Y-axis slide table 12a Fixture 12m, 13m, 18m Drive apparatus 13,18 X-axis slide table 14 Partition 15 Front door 16, 17 Lifting apparatus 20 Frame 20f, W1 Opening 21 Bottom plate 22 Shelf plate 23 Control box 24 Area sensor 25 Start switch 26 Emergency stop switch 27 Operation panel 28 Ventilation fan 29 Aeration mechanism A Arrow line C1, C3 Cut part C2 Widening part CL Orbit L Laser beam LF Focus LZ range N Knife PL Parting line V, SV Bali W, LW Workpiece

Claims (5)

A work table movable at least in the horizontal biaxial direction, and a laser generator for irradiating a workpiece placed on the work table with a laser beam,
A laser processing apparatus comprising a control mechanism for horizontally moving the work table and vertically moving and tilting a focal point of a laser beam irradiated from the laser generator in accordance with a program inputted in advance.   The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a partition wall that partitions the work table and the laser generator from the surroundings.   The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an exhaust unit configured to exclude gas generated from the workpiece during laser processing.   The laser processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a gas blower mechanism for jetting gas toward the gas generation region is provided as the exhaust unit.   The laser processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a ventilation fan is provided as the exhaust unit.

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