JP2011240403A - Laser beam machine loading self-propelled galvano scanner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To expand a machining range while keeping the condensing diameter of a laser small upon laser machining by a galvano scanner.SOLUTION: Although the machining range using a conventional fixed galvano scanner is restrictive, the conventional machining range is expanded by making the galvano scanner loaded in a laser device self-propelled in the device to enable a machining technique development which has more application power. By the galvano scanner 20 moving at a high speed in an operation range 2L, machining while resting at a designated position, and machining while self-propelling, the machining capacity of the galvano scanner is expanded.

Description

  The present invention relates to a laser processing machine having a mechanism that allows a galvano scanner to self-propell in an apparatus.

  Many laser processing machines using galvano scanners are used for printing, drilling, etc. Normally, galvano scanners are fixed to laser devices, and laser processing is performed only within the scanning range of the scanner. Yes. The scanning range of the scanner is determined by the condensing distance of the lens, but in order to enlarge the processing area, it is necessary to use a long focal length lens and enlarge the scanning range of the scanner. Alternatively, a method is conceivable in which the workpiece is moved back and forth and left and right on an XY stage or the like.

The processing using the galvano scanner shown in FIG. 1 enables high value-added processing by scanning the laser beam at a high speed, but the processing by the scan mirror shown in 11a and 11b is performed for processing by the galvano scanner. Due to the scope, the scope of investigation is limited. Processing beyond the scanning range cannot be performed, and the processing range is only within 12 frames. When the processing target exceeds this range, laser scanning cannot be performed by the scanner.

Laser processing using a galvano scanner performs scanning control of laser light by changing the angle of two mirrors 11a and 11b on which the laser light is reflected. The scanable range is a condensing lens 11c to be used. Depends on the focal length.
A method of using a condensing lens with a long focal length as a means for expanding the processing range can be considered, but the condensing diameter of the laser beam has a characteristic that the condensing diameter at the condensing point increases as the focal length increases. When the condensing diameter increases, the energy density of the laser at the condensing point decreases. Processing with high-density energy is the greatest feature of laser processing, but when the energy density decreases, the superiority of laser processing is lost.

In addition, when the focal length of the condensing lens is increased, the laser light scanned from one point by the mirror angle control increases the minimum value of the positioning index decomposition ability, and the positioning accuracy and the repetition accuracy decrease.

By moving the object to be processed on an XY stage or the like and dividing the processing range, laser processing can be performed over a wide range without using a long focus lens, but since laser scanning and control of the XY stage are separate, The program becomes complicated, and the division part of the machining range is also divided by the laser beam scanning, so that it is difficult to perform high-precision machining. In addition, in order to secure the machining range of the entire workpiece, a machining stage that is twice as large as the workpiece is required.

In order to make high-speed machining using a galvano scanner possible for an object that exceeds the current machining range, the present invention mainly moves the galvano scanner main body 20 in the laser device to enable positioning. Features.

The galvano scanner main body is mounted on a mount composed of a ball screw, a motor, an LM guide, and the like in the laser device, a positioning device, and a laser light guide device, and includes a mechanism that performs high-speed movement and positioning in the front-rear and left-right directions This is a laser processing apparatus.

When the scanner main body moves in the laser device, the laser light always follows the scanner main body by the light guide device, and the laser light of the same quality can be output at any position.

The laser light scanning control by the galvanometer mirror and the movement and positioning of the galvano scanner unit main body are controlled simultaneously by a single software.

The galvano scanner main body can freely set the machining shape within the machining range in which it can run. The set machining shape is automatically divided and realized by software.

When the galvano scanner is self-propelled and performs processing at the specified position, the center point of the processing range can be set arbitrarily for each target, so that processing can be performed for each shape without dividing the figure. It is characterized by.

It is characterized in that the processing range can be expanded without dividing by performing processing without stopping the self-running of the galvano scanner.

A wide processing range can be secured while maintaining the high energy density that is characteristic of laser processing.

By using a single software to move and position the scanner that scans the laser and the galvano scanner body, it is possible to set the machining center point for each object, and the figure that is generated when the machining area is divided It is possible to avoid quality degradation due to the division.

The scanner mirror controlled by a single software and the galvano scanner main body can synchronize each other's operation so that specified processing can be performed without stopping the self-running of the galvano scanner main body, and the processing range is divided. It is possible to expand the processing range without doing so.

When processing while the galvano scanner is self-propelled, the self-propelled speed is detected by the mounted encoder, and the software controls the scanner mirror according to the speed. By controlling the scanning trajectory according to the self-running speed, laser scanning similar to the scanning trajectory in the stationary state can be performed.

Principle of galvano scanner External view of laser processing machine equipped with self-propelled galvano scanner Change in optical path length during self-running galvo scanner Galvano scanner self-running and laser path length control mechanism Flow machining with self-propelled galvo scanner The scanning range of the galvano scanner alone plus the X and Y axes Dividing the object to be processed by dividing the galvo scanner search area Non-divided machining that is possible by setting the center point of the galvano scanner to an arbitrary position

In the laser processing machine according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the galvano scanner 20 mounted on the laser body 2 self-travels within the movable ranges 2a and 2b in the apparatus, so that the galvano scanner 20 alone is The possible processing range can be expanded.

FIG. 3 shows a change in the optical path length of the laser beam generated when the galvano scanner 20 is self-propelled in the apparatus. The laser light is input to the mirror 32 and turned back 90 degrees, and then reaches the galvano scanner 20 via the mirrors 31 and 30.
When the laser light path L until the light is input to the mirror 32 is fixed, when the galvano scanner 20 moves within the movable range 2L, the distance between the mirrors 31 and 30 changes, and as a result, the optical path length 24 is set to the galvano scanner 20. It will change depending on the position.
A change in the optical path length accompanying the movement of the galvano scanner 20 causes a beam diameter change due to the light diffusion angle of the laser light.

The mechanism shown in FIG. 4 is a mechanism that enables the galvano scanner main body 20 to keep the laser optical path length in the apparatus constant at any position.
The laser beam folding unit 33 including the mirrors 31 and 32 is movable within the range of L, and is separate from the first ball screw 220 and the driving device 210 used for moving and positioning the galvano scanner 20 main body. The second ball screw 211 and the second driving device 221 are driven and positioned.
By changing the laser light path L based on the position in the galvano scanner movement range 2L, the laser light path length can be kept constant.
When the galvano scanner 20 moves to the left, the value of b shown in FIG. 4 decreases, but the value of a indicating the position of the folding unit 33 correspondingly increases by 1/2 of the amount of movement of b, The optical path length value is La. Since the folding unit 33 controls the position of the two mirrors so that the optical path length can be maintained with a movement amount that is half the movement amount of the galvano scanner 20, it can easily follow the high-speed movement of the galvano scanner 20. Is possible. This mechanism enables the galvano scanner 20 to output laser light with the same diameter under any circumstances.

FIG. 5 shows a feature that enables the galvano scanner 20 to perform processing while traveling without stopping its operation when moving in the laser apparatus.
When the galvano scanner 20 moves from the C position to the D position, the scanned laser light 24 is controlled in synchronization with the movement of the galvano scanner 20 without stopping.

The galvano scanner 20 is moved and positioned by the ball screw 210, or moved by the ball screw 212. The Y axis that is moved and positioned by the Y-axis that is moved without being stationary is processed while being stationary. Enables processing of a wide range of areas that exceed the processing range and is not divided.

The range that can be moved on the X axis and the Y axis is the processing range of the apparatus. When the galvano scanner main body is stopped and processing is performed within the range, the entire processing range is automatically divided by the processing range of the galvano scanner main body. FIG. 6 shows the scanning range of the galvano scanner alone and the scanning range including the X axis and the Y axis.

When a processing target exists in a divided part of the processing range, as shown in FIG. 7, the characters B and C are within the processing range, but A and D straddle the two processing ranges and can be used for two processes. It will be divided. Depending on the location where the processing is performed, it may be difficult to perform a continuous processing. By setting the center point of each processing range to an arbitrary position, it is possible to always perform processing at the center of the processing range, and processing without division is possible.

Further, by performing the processing while the galvano scanner main body shown in FIG.

A laser processing machine equipped with a galvano scanner having the above-described mechanism seems to be capable of processing such as cutting, drilling, welding, printing, marking, and heat treatment.

There is no limitation on the processing range, so it seems possible to process large objects that have been difficult to process with a galvano scanner.

Laser processing of a roll-shaped workpiece that flows in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the galvano scanner main body moves can be performed continuously without stopping the roll feed.

1 Laser oscillator 11a Galvano mirror 1
11b Galvano mirror 2
11c Condensing lens 12 Laser operating range (processing range)
2 Laser Device 20 Galvano Scanner 2a Galvano Scanner Movement Range 2b Galvano Scanner Movement Range 23 Processing with Self-Running Galvano Scanner 24 Laser Light 25 Processing Range Enlarged by Self-Running Galvano Scanner 26 Center Point 210 of Processing Range First Ball Screw 211 Second ball screw 220 First driving device 221 Second driving device 30 Folding mirror 31 Folding mirror 32 Folding mirror a Folding unit coordinate b Galvano scanner coordinate C Galvano scanner position C
D Galvo scanner position D
L Laser path length 1
2L laser path length 2
La Laser path length adjustment coordinates

Claims (4)

  By allowing the galvano scanner body mounted on the laser device to self-run within the laser device, the laser beam scanning range possible with the galvano scanner alone is greatly expanded, and at the same time the laser processing range is greatly expanded. Laser processing equipment.   A laser processing apparatus provided with a galvano scanner and a laser light guide device on a movement and positioning device provided in a laser device, and provided with a mechanism capable of horizontal movement in the front-rear and left-right directions at high speed.   A laser processing device with a feature that allows the galvano scanner itself to run within the scanning range of a single galvano scanner so that laser processing can be performed in a wider range and all control can be performed simultaneously with a single software.   When the galvano scanner moves horizontally in the front-rear or left-right direction, while the galvano scanner body is stationary at the specified position, in addition to the method of scanning the laser beam only with the scanner mirror and processing, while moving the galvano scanner body A laser processing apparatus having a feature capable of performing laser processing without dividing the entire moving range by controlling a scanner mirror.

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