JP2003326381A - Device for holding extra thin metallic sheet in laser beam machining - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a holding device for laser beam machining, a device capable of easily putting up an extra thin metallic sheet (the sheet) horizontally on the mounting frame. <P>SOLUTION: In fine cutting the sheet as in the case of a metal mask with high precision, it is generally necessary to hold the sheet on a mounting frame with tension. The mounting frame 20 for tensely holding the sheet W is fixedly installed on the XY stage 9, with a supporting base 31 fixedly arranged which holds the sheet W at a prescribed height immediately below the nozzle 6 of a machining head 3. In addition, inside the mounting frame 20, there are parallelly and movably provided a plurality of supporting rods 24 that holds the surface height of the sheet at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the sheet. Then, with one end in the longitudinal direction of the sheet W fixed on a frame member 20b of the mounting frame 20, and with the other end fixed on a movable member 22 installed on a frame member 20d, the sheet is tensely held with an air cylinder. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a holding device for an ultrathin metal plate in laser processing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, a metal mask used for manufacturing a mounting substrate is irradiated with a laser beam focused on an ultrathin metal plate having a plate thickness of 0.1 to 0.5 mm, and at the same time, an assist gas is jetted to increase the height. It is manufactured by performing precision and high quality fine cutting. In such processing, it is necessary to hold the ultra-thin metal plate so that the focal position does not fluctuate, and in general, the ultra-thin metal plate is held by being tensioned to the mounting frame. In addition, a support board that supports the ultra-thin metal plate from the back side is fixedly arranged immediately below the processing head so that the processing part does not locally bend (called the corrugation phenomenon) due to the assist gas injection pressure. Some have.

Means for tensioning and holding an ultrathin metal plate is
It is general that one end of the ultra-thin metal plate is fixed to one end of the mounting frame, and the other end in the longitudinal direction opposite to the mounting frame is fixed to a movable holding member, and then tensioned with a screw. In addition, the ultrathin metal plate is tensioned from four sides and fixed to the mounting frame (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-14).
2053).

[0004]

However, it is not easy to tension and hold the ultra-thin metal plate in a slack-free state. For example, if one end of an ultrathin metal plate is fixed and the other end in the longitudinal direction is fixed to the movable member, considerable skill is required to make it uniform over the entire width direction of the ultrathin metal plate. In need of.

In particular, when the size of the ultra-thin metal plate is large, the slack due to its own weight is large, and the ultra-thin metal plate cannot be attached to the mounting frame in a horizontal state. Not only do you need
It is difficult to flatten the entire surface of the ultra-thin metal plate.
Further, the rigidity of the mounting frame must be increased, the weight is increased, and the driving force of the XY stage is also required to be large.

Further, if the tension is increased, an excessive tension is likely to occur, and the ultra-thin metal plate may be slightly shrunk when it is removed after processing, which has a drawback of affecting processing accuracy. Further, in the one disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-142053, pressing members are fixed by fixing the four sides of an ultra-thin metal plate into the grooves of the plate frame, and there is a large difference in tension depending on the driving condition, and a large size. It is difficult to stretch the ones accurately.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a holding device for laser processing in which an extremely thin metal plate can be simply stretched horizontally on a mounting frame.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following means. That is, a laser beam is emitted from a nozzle of a processing head, an assist gas is jetted, and an ultrathin metal plate held by an XY stage that moves in a plane according to a command from a control device is cut and processed. In the holding device, a support plate for holding the ultrathin metal plate at a predetermined height is fixedly arranged just below the nozzle of the processing head, and a rectangular shape is provided with a tensioning means for tensioning and fixing the ultrathin metal plate in the longitudinal direction. Is attached to the XY stage, and a plurality of support rods for holding the surface height of the ultrathin metal plate can be moved in parallel inside the attachment frame in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the ultrathin metal plate. The feature is that it is provided.

The present invention is a holding device for holding an ultra-thin metal plate by tensioning it in the longitudinal direction, and is not applied to a device for holding the ultra-thin metal plate in four directions by tension. The longitudinal direction refers to the X or Y direction of the XY stage and does not necessarily mean the longitudinal direction of the product.

The tensioning means may be any means for tensioning the ultra-thin metal plate in the longitudinal direction. One end of the ultra-thin metal plate is fixed to one end of the mounting frame by a clamp and the other end is provided on the mounting frame. It is general that a movable member is fixed to a movable member with a clamp and then tensioned with a cylinder. Further, both the one end side and the other end side of the ultra-thin metal plate may be fixed to the movable member provided in the mounting frame with a clamp so that both movable members are tensioned.

When tensioning the ultra-thin metal plate, it is necessary to flatten the entire surface of the ultra-thin metal plate, and it is desirable to simultaneously pull a plurality of locations in the width direction of the ultra-thin metal plate with a cylinder. . The cylinder may be pneumatic, hydraulic, or electric. The support rod holds the ultrathin metal plate at a predetermined height from the back surface, and a plurality of support rods are provided in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the ultrathin metal plate. A guide is provided on the attachment frame so that the movable member and the support rod can move horizontally.

With this support rod, when attaching the ultra-thin metal plate to the mounting frame, the slack due to its own weight can be greatly reduced,
An ultra-thin metal plate can be held flat without increasing tension. The support rod interferes with the support plate directly below the processing head as the XY stage moves, and therefore, when the support rod interferes, it must be pushed by the support plate to move. However, when the support rod moves in the opposite direction, that is, in the direction in which the support rod moves away from the support plate, it is desirable to return the support rod to a predetermined position.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is easy to connect the support rod with the mounting frame by an elastic member such as a spring.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the laser processing apparatus grips an ultrathin metal plate W by a holding device 8 provided on an XY stage 9 that is movable in the XY directions, and a control device 10 controls it based on preset cutting data. It is moving. Then, a condenser lens 4 for condensing the laser light incident from the laser oscillator 1 via the reflection mirror 2 is internally provided, and a processing head 3 having a nozzle 6 at the lower end is fixedly arranged. Reference numeral 5 is a protective glass 5 for protecting the condenser lens 4 from the injection pressure of the assist gas AG, 11 is an X-axis driving device, and 12 is a Y-axis driving device.

The holding device 8 has a mounting frame 20 fixed to the XY stage 9, a tensioning means for tensioning and fixing the ultrathin metal plate W in the longitudinal direction, and a supporting rod movably provided in the mounting frame. 24 and a support plate 31 fixedly arranged immediately below the nozzle 6. The mounting frame 20 includes four frame members 20a,
20b, 20c, and 20d are formed in a rectangular shape.

The tension means is the frame member 2 on one end side of the mounting frame 20.
The movable member 22 provided parallel to the inside of 0d and the frame member 20b
And the clamp 21 provided on the movable member 22, and the movable member 2
2 and an air cylinder 28 that attracts the air.
Sliding members are attached to both ends of the movable member 22, and the movable member 22 is movable in the horizontal direction by engaging with guides 23 provided on the frame members 20a and 20c of the mounting frame 20.

The holding tool 21 includes a holding plate 21a and a tightening fitting 21.
b, one end side in the longitudinal direction of the ultra-thin metal plate W is sandwiched between the frame member 20b by the sandwiching plate 21a and fixed by the fastening metal fitting 21b, and the other end side is sandwiched by the sandwiching plate 21a from the upper surface of the movable member 22. Secure with the tightening metal fitting 21b.

It is to be noted that six tightening fittings 21b are provided, each of which is tightened by rotating 90 degrees. In addition, the air cylinder 28 is the movable member 2
Two are provided on both sides of 2, so that they can be operated at the same time. Two support rods 24 are provided inside the mounting frame 20 in parallel with the movable member 22 at regular intervals. Sliding members 24a are attached to both ends of the support rod 24 and are movable by engaging with the guides 23 provided on the frame members 20a and 20c.

The sliding members 24a on both ends of the two support rods 24 are connected to the frame members 20b and 20d by springs 26 as elastic members, and the sliding members 24a are connected by springs 25 as elastic members. Has been done. This support rod 24
The upper end of the plate contacts the lower surface of the ultrathin metal plate W to hold the ultrathin metal plate W at a predetermined height position.

The support board 31 is a suction block 30 supported below the processing head 5 from a fixed portion of the laser processing apparatus.
Is mounted on the upper surface of the via a spring. The height of the upper surface of the support board 31 is slightly higher than a predetermined height (the height at which the surface of the ultrathin metal plate serves as a focal point), and the predetermined height is maintained by maintaining the tension of the ultrathin metal plate W. I try to be Therefore, the upper surface of the support board is in sufficient contact with the back surface of the ultrathin metal plate. Further, a spiral groove is formed on the upper surface of the support board 31 so as to be suitable for sliding.

The suction block 30 is provided with a discharge port 32 at the center and is connected to a suction device (not shown). Next, the operation of the holding device for the ultra-thin metal plate W thus configured will be described.

First, before the ultra-thin metal plate W is attached to the attachment frame 20, the holding tool 2 for holding the frame member 20b and the movable member 22.
The mounting frame 20 is positioned so that the support plate 31 is located substantially in the center of the mounting frame 20. next,
One end side of the ultrathin metal plate W is inserted into the gap between the frame member 20b and the pressing plate 21a, and the six fastening metal fittings 21b are sequentially operated and fastened. Then, holding the other end of the ultra-thin metal plate W, it is pulled up tightly, inserted into the gap between the movable member 22 and the pressing plate 21a, and the six fastening metal fittings 21b are sequentially operated and fastened.

At this time, the ultrathin metal plate W has two support rods 2.
4 and the support board 31, the amount of slack caused by its own weight is small even if it occurs at a short interval between the mounting frame 20b, the support rod 24, and the support board 31. You can

In this state, the air cylinder 28 is operated to pull the movable member 22 toward the frame member 20b, and the ultrathin metal plate W is tensioned. The tension force can sufficiently tension the ultrathin metal plate W without increasing the tension so much. At the time of cutting, the mounting frame 20 moves along with the movement of the XY stage 9 based on the cutting information of the control device 10. At this time,
When the support rod 24 hits the support plate 31, it is guided by the guide 23 and moves in parallel. Then, when the mounting frame 20 moves in the opposite direction, the support rod 24 is returned to a predetermined position by the springs 25 and 26. Further, the assist gas AG is ejected from the nozzle 6 during the cutting process, but since the ultrathin metal plate W immediately below the processing head 5 is held by the support plate 31 of the suction head 30, it does not bend and collects. The distance from the optical lens to the surface of the ultrathin metal plate W is always constant, and the position of the focal point does not change.

In the above embodiment, the elastic members for returning the support rod 24 to the predetermined position have been described as the springs 25 and 26, but rubber strings may be used. Further, although the sliding members 24a of the support rod 24 are connected by the spring 25, a rigid body such as a connecting rod may be used, or the spring 25 may be omitted by using the spring 26 as a compression spring. Further, a damper may be attached to prevent the elastic member from vibrating the support rod 24.

[0026]

As described above, according to the holding apparatus for an ultrathin metal plate of the present invention, the supporting plate for holding the ultrathin metal plate at a predetermined height is fixedly arranged just below the nozzle of the processing head, The XY stage is provided with a rectangular mounting frame provided with a tensioning means for tensioning and fixing the thin metal plate in the longitudinal direction, and the inside of the mounting frame is extremely thin in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the ultrathin metal plate. Since a plurality of supporting rods for holding the surface height of the metal plate are provided so as to be movable in parallel, the slack due to its own weight is small, and the ultrathin metal plate can be mounted on the mounting frame substantially horizontally.
Therefore, even when a person is nervous, a high tension is not required unlike the conventional case.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the overall configuration of a laser cutting apparatus for a metal plate.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing an overall configuration of a holding device for an ultrathin metal plate of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the holding device.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a mounting state of the support rod.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Laser oscillator 2 ... Reflecting mirror 3 ... Machining head 4 ... Condensing lens 5 ... Protective glass 6 ... Nozzle 8 ... Holding device 9 ... XY stage 10 ... Control device 11 ... X-axis drive device 12 ... Y-axis drive device 20 ... Mounting frame 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d ... Frame member 21 ... Clamping tool 21a ... Holding plate 21b ... Tightening bracket 22 ... Movable member 23 ... Guide 24 ... Support rod 24a ... Sliding member 25, 26 ... Spring 28 ... Air cylinder 30 ... Suction block 31 ... Support board 32 ... Suction port W ... Ultra-thin metal plate AG ... Assist gas

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An ultra-thin laser processing for cutting and processing an ultra-thin metal plate held by an XY stage that irradiates laser light from a nozzle of a processing head and injects an assist gas, and planarly moves according to a command from a control device. In a metal plate holding device, a supporting plate for holding an ultrathin metal plate at a predetermined height is fixedly arranged just below a nozzle of a processing head, and a tensioning means for tensioning and fixing the ultrathin metal plate in a longitudinal direction is provided. A rectangular mounting frame is provided on the XY stage, and a plurality of supporting rods for holding the surface height of the ultra-thin metal plate in parallel to the longitudinal direction of the ultra-thin metal plate are provided inside the mounting frame in parallel. A holding device for an ultra-thin metal plate in laser processing, which is provided so as to be movable. 2. The supporting rod is connected to the mounting frame by an elastic member in order to return the supporting rod to a predetermined position when the supporting rod does not interfere with the supporting board. A holding device for an ultrathin metal plate in laser processing according to 1.