JP2004130337A - Laser device and laser beam machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a laser beam oscillator for preventing damages or degradation attributable to deposition of impurities such as dust on a laser drive unit and maintaining the consistent laser beam output for a long time. <P>SOLUTION: The laser device has a casing 5 accommodating a drive unit 1 to generate at least laser beams and an optical unit to propagate at least the laser beams. The drive unit 1 and the optical unit are attachable/detachable to/from each other, and a protective window 11 is provided on the drive unit. A laser beam machine machines a work by laser beams 10 emitted from the laser beam apparatus. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a laser device and a laser processing machine.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A conventional laser device will be described below. FIG. 4 shows the configuration of a conventional laser device.
[0003]
In FIG. 4, 101 is a laser drive unit, 102 is a shutter unit, 103 is a power supply, 104 is a cooling device, 105 is a housing, 106 is a lens, 107 is a nozzle, 108 is a gas cylinder, 109 is a beam exit of the laser drive unit 101, Reference numeral 110 denotes laser light emitted from the beam exit.
[0004]
The operation of the laser device configured as described above will be described.
[0005]
First, the power source 103 and the cooling device 104 are connected to the laser driving unit 101. Electric energy is supplied from the power source 103 to the laser driving unit 101. Laser oscillation occurs due to electric energy inside the laser driving unit 101, and laser light is generated. The generated laser light is emitted from the beam exit 109 to the outside of the laser driving unit 101.
[0006]
At this time, the portion of the electric energy that is not converted into laser light becomes heat, and the laser driving unit 101 generates heat, so that the coolant is supplied from the cooling device 104 to the laser driving unit 101 and cooled. Then, the refrigerant that has absorbed the heat of the laser drive unit 101 and has risen in temperature returns to the cooling device 104 and is cooled, and then is supplied to the laser drive unit 101 again.
[0007]
In the laser device, a shutter 102 is provided on the optical axis of the laser beam 110 at the beam exit 109. The shutter 102 is movable, and is disposed on the optical axis of the laser beam 110 and absorbs the laser beam 110 when it is not desired to emit the laser beam 110 outside the housing 105. When the laser beam 110 is emitted outside the housing 105, the shutter 102 is moved from the optical axis.
[0008]
Then, after the laser beam 110 passes through the lens 106 and is condensed, the workpiece is irradiated and processed such as welding and cutting. Also, depending on the processing application, a technique for improving processing performance is performed by blowing processing assisting gas from the gas cylinder 108 onto the workpiece simultaneously with the irradiation of the laser beam 110. At that time, a nozzle 107 is provided to efficiently blow the gas. The components such as the shutter 102 and the lens 106 are collectively referred to as a laser optical unit.
[0009]
The laser driving unit 101, the shutter 102, the lens 106, and the nozzle 107 are collectively provided in the housing 105. In order to cope with the processing of complicated shapes such as solid objects, a laser processing machine with a housing 105 equipped with a laser drive unit 101 etc. at the tip of an arm of an industrial robot enables complex processing. It was.
[0010]
Further, as a conventional example, a configuration in which a protective window is provided between the lens 106 and the workpiece (for example, see Patent Document 1) has been made. It was necessary to replace it. Therefore, impurities have entered the housing 105 when the lens 106 is replaced.
[0011]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent No. 3219077 [0012]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the conventional laser apparatus has a problem in that impurities enter the housing 105 during maintenance of the shutter 102, the lens 106, and the like, adhere to the laser driving unit 101, and reduce the lifetime.
[0013]
Normally, when processing a workpiece with a laser device, the lens 106 is contaminated on the surface of the lens 106 due to spatter, fume, etc. generated during processing of the workpiece. If dirt is attached to the lens 106, the light condensing performance is deteriorated, so that the processing performance is lowered.
[0014]
Further, the laser light absorptance of the lens 106 itself also increases, so that the temperature rises, and when the heat resistance temperature is exceeded, damage such as breakage occurs. In order to prevent these problems, the surface of the lens 106 needs to be always clean, and maintenance such as periodically removing the lens 106 from the housing 105 and cleaning the surface has been performed.
[0015]
Further, since the shutter 102 is movable, it has a sliding portion, and the sliding portion deteriorates due to repeated operation of the shutter 102. Therefore, it is necessary to replace the shutter 102 periodically. The shutter 102 is provided with a light receiving portion for absorbing the laser light 110. However, since the light receiving portion also deteriorates due to the irradiation of the laser light 110, maintenance such as periodic replacement is necessary.
[0016]
As described above, the shutter 102 and the lens 106 are components that require periodic maintenance such as removal. At that time, impurities such as dust around the laser device have entered the housing 105. The intruding impurities adhere to each component inside the housing 105 and also adhere to the laser driving unit 101. The laser drive unit 101 has precise components that require high cleanliness. When impurities such as dust adhere to these components, particularly the optical components of the laser drive unit 101, problems such as local distortion and cracking have occurred.
[0017]
Consideration has also been made for measures against dust by a method in which the laser driving unit 101, the shutter 102, and the lens 106 are placed in separate housings or the distance between them is increased.
[0018]
However, each method has a problem that the size of the laser device becomes large, and a new problem has arisen that the laser device cannot be attached to the tip of an arm of a laser processing apparatus such as an industrial robot. Further, even when the laser apparatus is attached, the size of the laser apparatus becomes large, so that problems such as a small movable range of the processing apparatus arm occur.
[0019]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, a laser apparatus of the present invention includes a housing that houses at least a drive unit that generates laser light and at least an optical unit that propagates the laser light, and the drive unit and the optical unit Since the drive part has a protective window, impurities that have entered the housing during the maintenance of the optical part do not adhere to the laser drive part and prevent deterioration of the laser drive part In addition, it has an effect that a stable laser beam can be maintained for a long period of time.
[0020]
The laser processing machine of the present invention is a laser processing machine that processes a workpiece with laser light emitted from a laser device, wherein the laser device includes at least a drive unit that generates laser light, and at least the laser light. A housing containing a propagating optical unit; the drive unit and the optical unit are removable; the drive unit has a protective window; and the workpiece is processed by laser light that has passed through the protective window Therefore, impurities that enter the housing during the maintenance of the optical unit do not adhere to the laser driving unit, the deterioration of the laser driving unit is reduced, and stable processing performance can be maintained over a long period of time. is there.
[0021]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
[0022]
(Embodiment)
FIG. 1 shows a laser device in the present embodiment.
[0023]
In FIG. 1, 1 is a laser drive unit, 2 is a shutter unit, 3 is a power supply, 4 is a cooling device, 5 is a housing, 6 is a lens, 7 is a nozzle, 8 is a gas cylinder, 9 is a beam exit of the laser drive unit 1, 10 is a laser beam emitted from the beam exit, and 11 is a protective window.
[0024]
The operation of the laser device configured as described above will be described.
[0025]
First, the power source 3 and the cooling device 4 are connected to the laser driving unit 1. Electrical energy is supplied from the power source 3 to the laser driving unit 1. Laser oscillation is generated by electric energy inside the laser driving unit 1 to generate laser light. The generated laser light is emitted from the beam exit 9 to the outside of the laser driving unit 1. At this time, the portion of the electric energy that is not converted into laser light becomes heat, and the laser drive unit 1 generates heat, so that the coolant is supplied from the cooling device 4 to the laser drive unit 1 and cooled. The refrigerant that has absorbed the heat of the laser driving unit and has risen in temperature returns to the cooling device 4 and is cooled, and then supplied to the laser driving unit 1 again.
[0026]
The laser device is provided with a shutter 2 on the optical axis of the laser beam 10 at the beam exit 9. The shutter 2 is movable, and is arranged on the optical axis of the laser beam 10 and absorbs the laser beam 10 when it is not desired to emit the laser beam 10 to the outside of the housing 5. When the laser beam 10 is emitted outside the housing 5, the shutter 2 is moved from the optical axis.
[0027]
Then, after the laser beam 10 passes through the lens 6 and is condensed, the workpiece is irradiated and processed such as welding and cutting. Further, depending on the processing application, a method of improving processing performance is performed by blowing processing assisting gas from the gas cylinder 8 to the workpiece simultaneously with the irradiation of the laser beam 10. At that time, a nozzle 7 is provided to efficiently blow the gas.
[0028]
In the present embodiment, a protective window 11 is provided between the laser driving unit 1 and the shutter 2 and the lens 6 portion, and the laser driving unit 1 and the optical unit such as the shutter 2 and the lens 6 are shut off. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the deterioration of the laser driving unit 1 due to the intrusion of impurities.
[0029]
Since optical parts such as the shutter 2 and the lens 6 need to be regularly maintained, impurities enter the housing 5 at that time. However, since the laser driving unit 1 is cut off from the optical unit by the protective window 11 with the above configuration, impurities that have entered do not adhere to the laser driving unit.
[0030]
In the above maintenance, if the housing 5 is divided, the optical unit can be maintained more easily.
[0031]
By doing so, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of problems such as local distortion and cracking due to impurities adhering to the laser driving unit 1. Although impurities may adhere to the protective window 11, it can be dealt with by periodically cleaning or replacing the surface and minimizing the deterioration and damage of the laser device due to the entry of impurities. it can.
[0032]
This effect will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a comparison diagram between the prior art and the present embodiment regarding the temporal change of the laser output emitted from the laser device.
[0033]
Conventionally, since the laser driving unit 1 is damaged and deteriorated by impurities such as dust that have entered during maintenance of the optical unit, it has been difficult to maintain the laser output for a long period of time. However, in the present embodiment, the laser output is stabilized because the laser driving unit 1 is protected by the protective window 11. In addition, the laser output may be lowered due to impurities adhering to the protective window 11, but the laser output is restored by cleaning or replacing the surface of the protective window 11. The cost incurred when the protective window 11 is replaced is much cheaper than when the laser drive unit 1 is replaced. Therefore, there is an advantage that the running cost can be reduced for the user.
[0034]
The laser beam 10 emitted from the laser drive unit 1 passes through the protective window 11, but there is a part that is absorbed by the protective window 11 itself. Since the temperature rises due to absorption, the protective window 11 is required to have heat resistance. Therefore, it is suitable to use a material having high heat resistance such as a glass material such as quartz as the material of the protective window 11.
[0035]
In addition, since the absorption rate of the material varies depending on the wavelength of the oscillating laser, it is important to select a material having a low absorption rate for the protective window 11 as well as heat resistance. For example, in the case of a laser in the infrared region having a wavelength of about 10 μm, it is effective to use polyethylene having a low absorptance with respect to these wavelengths as the material of the protective window 11.
[0036]
Even when the absorption rate of the protective window 11 is low with respect to the laser beam 10, the temperature rises because an absorption component exists. If the temperature exceeds the heat resistance limit, the protective window 11 may be damaged. Even if the heat resistance limit is not exceeded, deterioration of the protective window 11 is promoted when used at a high temperature, causing problems such as shortening the replacement period. By cooling the protective window 11, these problems can be prevented. Can do.
[0037]
FIG. 3 shows a cooling method of the protective window 11. Reference numeral 12 denotes a holder for holding the protective window 11, and 13 denotes a refrigerant pipe. The piping 13 is branched from the cooling device 4 of the laser device, and the refrigerant also flows into the holder 12. The heat of the protective window 11 is transmitted to the holder 11, and the heat is absorbed and cooled by the refrigerant.
[0038]
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the deterioration of the laser driving unit is reduced by the laser processing machine having the laser device having the configuration in which the laser driving unit 1 and the optical unit such as the shutter 2 and the lens 6 are blocked by the protective window 11. It is possible to maintain the processing performance such as stable cutting and welding over a long period of time.
[0039]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the laser device of the present invention, it is provided with a housing that houses at least a driving unit that generates laser light and at least an optical unit that propagates the laser light, and the driving unit and the optical unit. Since the drive unit has a protective window, impurities that have entered the housing during the maintenance of the optical unit do not adhere to the laser drive unit and prevent the laser drive unit from deteriorating and stable laser light. Can be maintained over a long period of time.
[0040]
In addition, according to the laser processing machine of the present invention, the laser processing machine processes a workpiece with the laser light emitted from the laser device, the laser device including at least a driving unit that generates laser light and at least the laser. A housing containing an optical unit for propagating light; the drive unit and the optical unit are removable; the drive unit has a protective window; the laser beam that has passed through the protective window allows the workpiece to be removed. Can be processed stably for a long period of time, such as cutting and welding.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a laser apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a comparison diagram of changes over time in the laser output with the conventional embodiment. FIG. Configuration diagram of conventional laser equipment 【Explanation of symbols】
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Laser drive part 4 Cooling device 5 Case 6 Lens 10 Laser beam 11 Protective window

Claims (5)

The housing includes at least a drive unit that generates laser light and an optical unit that propagates at least the laser light. The drive unit and the optical unit are removable, and the drive unit has a protective window. Laser device. The laser device according to claim 1, wherein the protective window is a glass member. The laser device according to claim 2, wherein the glass member is quartz. 4. The laser apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cooling unit that cools the protective window. A laser processing machine for processing a workpiece with laser light emitted from a laser device, wherein the laser device includes at least a drive unit that generates laser light and an optical unit that propagates at least the laser light. A laser processing machine in which the drive unit and the optical unit are removable, the drive unit has a protective window, and the workpiece is processed by laser light that has passed through the protective window.

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