JPH058070A - Laser beam machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To allow optimum laser beam processing at all times regardless of a change in the transmission distance of a laser beam even if this distance changes by constituting the above-mentioned machine in such a manner that a condensing means having an optimum focal distance is selected according to the transmission distance of the laser beam. CONSTITUTION:This laser beam machine has a laser oscillating means which oscillates the laser beam by exciting a laser medium, a laser beam condensing and casting means which has the plural condensing means varying in the focal length to condense the laser beam from this laser oscillating means and irradiates a work piece, such as steel sheet, with the above-mentioned laser beam, a transmission means which transmits the laser beam from the above- mentioned laser oscillating means to the condensing means of these laser beam condensing and casting means, a transmission distance setting and detecting means which sets or detects the laser beam transmission distance of this transmission means, and a selecting means which selects the condensing means of the above-mentioned laser beam condensing and casting means according to the output of this transmission distance setting and detecting means.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

 [Object of the Invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a laser processing apparatus for processing an iron plate or the like with laser light.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional laser processing apparatus has a laser oscillator 1 for oscillating a laser beam and a condenser lens 2 for condensing the laser beam from the laser oscillator 1, as shown in FIG. The processing head 3 for irradiating the laser beam focused on the workpiece W and the bender mirror 4 for bending the laser beam from the laser oscillator 1 are provided, and the laser beam from the laser oscillator 1 is transmitted to the processing head 3. Means 5 and workpiece W
And a table 6 on which is mounted.

According to the laser processing apparatus having such a configuration, the processing head 3 moves in accordance with a preset processing shape and processing size, thereby moving the laser beam to an arbitrary position to perform processing. ..

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional laser processing apparatus, since the transmission distance of the laser light is not constant, the beam mode, the spot diameter, and the converging angle are changed, and the processing quality and processing are always constant. It was difficult to obtain accuracy.

Therefore, the present invention provides a laser processing apparatus that maintains a predetermined beam mode, spot diameter, and converging angle even when the laser light transmission distance changes, and always obtains constant processing quality and processing accuracy. The purpose is to provide. [Constitution of Invention]

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a laser oscillating means for exciting a laser medium to oscillate a laser beam, and a laser beam from the laser oscillating means. A laser beam condensing irradiation unit that has a plurality of condensing units having different focal lengths and irradiates a workpiece such as an iron plate with the laser beam, and a laser beam condensing irradiation unit that emits the laser beam from the laser oscillation unit. Transmitting means for transmitting to the light collecting means, transmission distance setting detecting means for setting or detecting the laser light transmission distance of the transmitting means, and the laser light collecting and irradiating means according to the output of the transmission distance setting detecting means. And a selecting means for selecting the light collecting means.

[0007]

In the laser processing apparatus of the present invention configured as described above, the laser processing is performed by selecting the condensing means having a focal length suitable for the transmission distance of the laser light and performing the laser processing. Even if the transmission distance changes, a predetermined beam mode, spot diameter, and converging angle can be maintained, and constant processing quality and processing accuracy can always be obtained.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the laser processing apparatus of this embodiment comprises a laser oscillator 1 for oscillating a laser beam and a plurality of condenser lenses for converging the laser beam from the laser oscillator 1 and having different focal lengths. 7a, 7b, 7c, a processing head 8 for irradiating the workpiece W with laser light, and a bender mirror 4 for bending the laser light from the laser oscillator 1,
The transmission means 5 for transmitting the laser light from the laser oscillator 1 to the processing head 8, the detector 9 for detecting the transmission distance of the laser light from the laser oscillator 1, and the processing according to the detection value from the detector 9 Condensing lenses 7a, 7b, 7 of the head 8
It comprises a selection circuit 10 for selecting any one of c and a table 6 on which the workpiece W is mounted. According to the present embodiment configured as described above, as shown in the following table, the relationship between the transmission distance L of the laser light and the focal length f of the condenser lens is input to the selection circuit 10 in advance.

[0010]

[Table 1]

Then, according to the transmission distance L detected by the detector 9, the condenser lens 7 is passed through the selection circuit 10.
Select either a, 7b, or 7c. Further, in the table above, a plurality of condensing lenses overlap at the same transmission distance, but the selection priority is determined in advance in consideration of the material of the workpiece W, and the optimum processing is performed depending on the material of the workpiece W. I can do it. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the processing head 8 is configured such that the condenser lenses 7a, 7b and 7c are formed in a rotary type, and can be freely rotated by a rotating means 8a.

In this embodiment, the condenser lens 7
a, 7b, 7c are formed in a rotary type, and a rotating means 8a
However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it may be formed in a sliding manner and slidable by a sliding means.

[0013]

As described above, according to the present invention, the condensing means having the optimum focal length is selected according to the transmission distance of the laser light, so that the transmission distance of the laser light is reduced. Even if it changes, the optimum laser processing can always be realized regardless of the change.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a processing head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a conventional laser processing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Laser oscillator 5 ... Transmission means 7a, 7b, 7
c ... Condensing lens 8 ... Processing head 9 ... Detector 10 ... Selection circuit
W ... Workpiece

Claims (1)

Claim: What is claimed is: 1. A laser oscillating means for exciting a laser medium to oscillate a laser beam, and a plurality of focusing means having different focal lengths for focusing the laser beam from the laser oscillating means. A laser beam focusing and irradiating means for irradiating a workpiece such as an iron plate with the laser beam, and a transmitting means for transmitting the laser beam from the laser oscillating means to the focusing means of the laser beam focusing and irradiating means. Transmission distance setting detection means for setting or detecting the laser light transmission distance of the transmission means, and selection means for selecting the focusing means of the laser light focusing and irradiating means according to the output of the transmission distance setting detection means. A laser processing apparatus comprising: