JP2017029992A - Laser machining device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a laser machining device that subjects a surface of a machining object to machining by laser irradiation, and that can improve convenience of a preview function using visible light.SOLUTION: In a laser machining system 100, a laser machining device 1 connected to a PC 7 includes: a laser oscillation unit 12; a guide light part 16; a galvano scanner 19; a laser controller 5; and a power supply unit 6. The laser machining device 1 stores (S6) machining data DW and the like acquired from the PC 7 when performing machining execution processing (S7), as stored data, in a RAM 62. When the laser controller 5 receives a preview display command according to operation of a remote controller 65, the laser machining device 1 uses the stored data in the RAM 62 as preview data and controls the guide light part 16 and the galvano scanner 19, in order to display (S15 and S16) machining contents in the stored data on a workpiece W by using visible laser light M.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to a laser processing apparatus that processes a surface of a processing object by irradiating a laser.

  Conventionally, a laser processing apparatus is configured to perform processing by irradiating a processing target with a laser, and sequentially scans the emitted laser so as to be at an arbitrary position on the processing target. , Processing such as drawing letters and symbols.

  As one of the inventions related to such a laser processing apparatus, an invention described in Patent Document 1 is known. The laser marker described in Patent Document 1 includes a head unit having a laser oscillator and a deflection optical system, and a controller unit. Information on printed characters or the like input using a PC or the like connected to the controller unit. Based on this, it is configured to scan the laser.

  As another invention related to the laser processing apparatus, the invention described in Patent Document 2 is known. The laser printing processing apparatus described in Patent Document 2 includes a YAG laser oscillator, a He-Ne laser oscillator, and a movable reflecting mirror. Prior to printing scanning by a laser from the YAG laser oscillator, a He-Ne laser is used. By scanning the irradiation of the printing range with the visible light laser from the oscillator, the printing range is displayed on the object to be processed in advance before printing scanning.

JP 2003-088965 A JP 59-045091 A

  In the case of a configuration in which an external device such as a PC is connected to a laser marker (corresponding to the laser processing device of the present invention) composed of a head unit and a controller unit as in the invention described in Patent Document 1, processing data indicating the processing content by laser For example, it is assumed that the creation is performed by a PC or the like from the viewpoint of processing performance and processing load. In this case, the capacity of the memory, the performance of the operation unit, and the like in the laser processing apparatus tend to be functions of the minimum necessary in consideration of cost reduction.

  Even in the above-described configuration, in order to accurately perform processing with a laser at a desired position on the processing target, the processing target is previously processed before laser scanning as in the invention described in Patent Document 2. It is very useful to mount a function (hereinafter, a preview function) that displays processing contents (for example, a processing area) with visible light.

  However, in the case of a configuration in which an external device such as a PC is connected to the laser processing device, in order to display the processing content (for example, processing region) by visible light, the processing data indicating the processing content is transmitted to the external device such as a PC. Since it is necessary to input to the laser processing apparatus, and every time the preview function is used, the external apparatus must be operated. In such a case, it is difficult to realize the preview function with a single laser processing apparatus except for an external apparatus. Moreover, since the capacity of the memory and the performance of the operation unit in the laser processing apparatus are functions that can be reduced as much as necessary, it is difficult to generate processing data by the laser processing apparatus alone. That is, in view of this point, it is difficult to realize the preview function with a single laser processing apparatus.

  The present disclosure has been made in view of the above-described problems, and relates to a laser processing apparatus that performs processing on the surface of an object to be processed by irradiating a laser, and can improve the convenience of a preview function using visible light. An object is to provide a processing apparatus.

  In order to achieve the above object, a laser processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a laser emitting unit that emits a laser for processing a workpiece, and data acquisition that acquires processing data indicating processing content by the laser. A visible light emitting unit that emits a visible light laser on the object to be processed, and a laser emitted from the laser emitting unit or a visible light laser emitted from the visible light emitting unit Obtained by the scanning unit, the laser emitting unit, the control unit that controls the visible light emitting unit and the scanning unit, the operation unit that receives an operation by the user, and the data obtaining unit, Preview data including first data indicating the processing content of the used processing data, and second data indicating the processing content of the processing data in a simplified manner than the first data. And when the control unit receives a predetermined preview display operation by the operation unit, the visible light emission is based on the preview data stored in the storage unit. By controlling the scanning section and the scanning section, the processing content of the processing data is displayed on the processing object using the visible light.

  The laser processing apparatus includes a laser emission unit, a data acquisition unit, a visible light emission unit, a scanning unit, and a control unit, and emits from the laser emission unit according to the processing data acquired by the data acquisition unit. By scanning the laser beam, it is possible to process the object to be processed. The laser processing apparatus stores preview data including the first data and the second data acquired by the data acquisition unit in a storage unit, and when a predetermined preview display operation by the operation unit is received, Based on the preview data stored in the storage unit, by controlling the visible light emitting unit and the scanning unit, the processing content of the processing data is used for the processing object using the visible light. Can be displayed. Therefore, according to the laser processing apparatus, it is possible to realize a preview function for displaying the processing content on the processing object using the preview data in the storage unit without acquiring the data again by the data acquisition unit. . Further, according to the laser processing apparatus, the preview function can accurately perform processing with a laser at a desired position on the processing target without wasting the processing target. Furthermore, according to the laser processing apparatus, since the preview data is read from the storage unit, the preview function can be realized more quickly than when the processing data is acquired by the data acquisition unit.

  A laser processing apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention is the laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the preview data is stored in the storage unit when the preview display operation by the operation unit is received. A determination unit configured to determine whether the preview data is stored in the storage unit, when the determination unit determines that the preview data is stored in the storage unit. By controlling the visible light emitting section and the scanning section based on preview data, the processing content of the processing data is displayed on the processing object using the visible light.

  According to the laser processing apparatus, when the determination unit determines that the preview data is stored in the storage unit, the visible light is based on the preview data stored in the storage unit. By controlling the emitting unit and the scanning unit, the processing content of the processing data is displayed on the processing target using the visible light, so that the data acquisition unit does not acquire the data again, By using the preview data in the storage unit, it is possible to realize a preview function for displaying the processing content on the processing object.

  A laser processing apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention is the laser processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the operation unit directly displays the processing content of the processing data using the visible light. Accepting the user's selection for either the first preview display to be performed and the second preview display to display an outline of the processing content of the processing data using the visible light. When a selection operation for 1 preview display is received, the visible light emitting unit and the scanning unit are controlled based on the first data of the preview data stored in the storage unit, and the processing content of the processing data is displayed. When the visible light is displayed on the object to be processed and the selection operation of the second preview display is received by the operation unit, the preview data stored in the storage unit is received. Based on the second data, and controls the visible light emitting portion and said scanning unit, and displaying by using the visible light the outline of the processing contents of the processing data to the object.

  The laser processing apparatus, when a selection operation for the first preview display is received by the operation unit, the processing content of the processing data is processed based on the first data of the preview data stored in the storage unit Since the object is displayed using the visible light, the processing content can be expressed more accurately using the visible light. On the other hand, when the selection operation of the second preview display is received by the operation unit, the laser processing apparatus outlines the processing content of the processing data based on the second data of the preview data stored in the storage unit. Is displayed on the object to be processed using the visible light, the processing content can be expressed in a simplified manner. That is, according to the laser processing apparatus, by accepting selection between the first preview display and the second preview display by the operation unit, it is possible to realize a preview function according to the user's application, and thus the preview function. Can improve convenience.

  A laser processing apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention is the laser processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first data is acquired by the data acquisition unit, and predetermined processing is performed. The processing content of the processing data used for the processing is configured to include position information of a plurality of processing points constituting the processing content, and the second data is processing in which the processing content of the processing data is processed It is characterized by comprising the position information of the outline of the region.

  In the laser processing apparatus, the first data includes position information of a plurality of processing points constituting the processing content, regarding the processing content of the processing data acquired by the data acquisition unit and used for predetermined processing. It consists of Therefore, when the processing content is displayed by visible light based on the first data, the content that is completely identical to the processing content is expressed, and thus the laser processing apparatus realizes a highly accurate preview function. be able to. The second data is constituted by position information of the contour of the machining area where the machining content of the machining data is machined. Therefore, when the processing content is displayed with visible light based on the second data, the contour of the processing region is displayed even if the processing content is composed of a combination of complex characters, symbols and symbols. Become. That is, the laser processing apparatus displays the outline of the processing area, thereby appropriately transmitting the position, size, and range of the processing area to the user, and at the same time reducing the processing related to the preview function.

  A laser processing apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention is the laser processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the operation unit includes the first data stored in the storage unit and With respect to the second data, an operation related to position editing for changing position information of a processing point constituting the processing content is received, and the operation stored in the storage unit is stored based on the operation related to position editing received by the operation unit. With respect to the first data and the second data, there is provided a position editing section for changing the position information of the processing points constituting the processing content and editing the position of the processing content.

  According to the laser processing apparatus, the processing content is related to the first data and the second data stored in the storage unit by the position editing unit based on the operation related to position editing received by the operation unit. It is possible to edit the position of the machining content by changing the position information of the machining points to be configured. That is, according to the laser processing apparatus, it is possible to perform position editing for the first data and the second data without acquiring again the processing data subjected to position editing by the external apparatus by the data acquisition unit, The position of the processing content on the processing object can be finely adjusted.

  A laser processing apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention is the laser processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the operation unit is in accordance with the first data stored in the storage unit. An operation relating to density editing for changing information relating to scanning of the laser when processing the workpiece is received, and the operation stored in the storage unit is stored on the basis of the operation relating to density editing received by the operation unit. It is characterized by having a density editing section that edits processing density when processing the processing content by the laser by changing information on scanning of the laser with respect to one data.

  According to the laser processing apparatus, on the basis of the operation relating to the density editing received by the operation unit, the density editing unit changes the information related to the laser scanning with respect to the first data stored in the storage unit. Thereby, the edit regarding the processing density at the time of processing the said processing content with the said laser can be performed. That is, according to the laser processing apparatus, it is possible to perform density editing on the first data without acquiring again by the data acquisition unit processing data that has been subjected to density editing by an external device, and thus on the processing object. The processing density when processing the processing content can be finely adjusted.

It is explanatory drawing which shows schematic structure of the laser processing system regarding this embodiment. It is a top view which shows the structure of the laser head part in a laser processing apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the control system of a laser processing system. It is a flowchart of the main process program regarding this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the process data regarding this embodiment. It is a flowchart of a preview display processing program. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of a display of the preview display based on process data. It is a flowchart of a data edit processing program.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment in which a laser processing apparatus according to the present invention is embodied as a laser processing system 100 including a laser processing apparatus 1 that can perform a marking process on an object to be processed using a pulse laser L will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. explain.

(Schematic configuration of the laser processing system 100)
First, a schematic configuration of the laser processing system 100 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. The laser processing system 100 includes a laser processing apparatus 1 and a PC 7. By controlling the laser processing apparatus 1 in accordance with processing data DW created by the PC 7 (see FIG. 5), a processing object (for example, A marking process is performed by two-dimensionally scanning the pulse laser L on the surface of the workpiece W). The workpiece W corresponds to an example of the workpiece W that is a workpiece.

(Schematic configuration of laser processing equipment)
Next, a schematic configuration of the laser processing apparatus 1 constituting the laser processing system 100 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the laser processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes a laser processing apparatus main body 2, a laser controller 5, and a power supply unit 6.

  The laser processing apparatus main body 2 irradiates a processing target (for example, a workpiece W) with a pulse laser L and performs two-dimensional scanning with the pulse laser L to perform marking processing on the processing target. The laser controller 5 is configured by a computer, is connected to the PC 7 so as to be capable of bidirectional communication, and is electrically connected to the laser processing apparatus main body 2 and the power supply unit 6. The PC 7 is configured by a personal computer, and is used when creating machining data DW when marking a workpiece and setting control parameters according to machining conditions.

  The laser controller 5 drives and controls the laser processing apparatus main body 2 and the power supply unit 6 based on the processing data DW, control parameters, various instruction information (for example, control commands) transmitted from the PC 7. A remote controller 65 having a plurality of operation buttons is connected to the laser controller 5. The remote controller 65 is configured to be able to input various control commands to the laser controller 5 in accordance with user operations on the plurality of operation buttons. A preview display process (S9) and a data editing process (S10) described later are performed. It is operated when performing etc.

  Note that FIG. 1 schematically shows the laser processing apparatus main body 2 because the schematic configuration of the laser processing system 100 and the laser processing apparatus 1 is shown. Therefore, a specific configuration of the laser processing apparatus main body 2 will be described later.

(Schematic configuration of the laser processing apparatus main body 2)
Next, a schematic configuration of the laser processing apparatus main body 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. In the description of the laser processing apparatus main body 2, the left direction, the right direction, the upper direction, and the lower direction in FIG. 1 are the front direction, the rear direction, the upper direction, and the lower direction, respectively. Therefore, the emission direction of the pulse laser L of the laser oscillator 21 is the forward direction, and the direction perpendicular to the main body base 11 and the pulse laser L is the up-down direction. And the direction orthogonal to the up-down direction and the front-rear direction of the laser processing apparatus main body 2 is the left-right direction of the laser processing apparatus main body 2.

  The laser processing apparatus main body 2 includes a laser head 3 (see FIG. 2) that emits the pulse laser L and the visible laser light M coaxially from the fθ lens 20, and a substantially box body on which the laser head 3 is fixed to the upper surface. And a cylindrical processing container (not shown).

  As shown in FIG. 2, the laser head unit 3 includes a main body base 11, a laser oscillation unit 12 that emits a pulse laser L, an optical shutter unit 13, an optical damper 14, a half mirror 15, and a guide light unit 16. And a reflection mirror 17, an optical sensor 18, a galvano scanner 19, an fθ lens 20, and the like, and is covered with a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing cover (not shown).

  The laser oscillation unit 12 includes a laser oscillator 21, a beam expander 22, and a mounting base 23. The laser oscillator 21 has a fiber connector, a condenser lens, a reflecting mirror, a laser medium, a passive Q switch, an output coupler, and a window in a casing. An optical fiber F is connected to the fiber connector, and pumping light emitted from the pumping semiconductor laser unit 40 constituting the power supply unit 6 enters through the optical fiber F.

  The condensing lens condenses the excitation light incident from the fiber connector. The reflecting mirror transmits the excitation light collected by the condenser lens and reflects the laser light emitted from the laser medium with high efficiency. The laser medium is excited by excitation light emitted from the excitation semiconductor laser unit 40 and oscillates laser light. Examples of the laser medium include neodymium-added gadolinium vanadate (Nd: GdVO4) crystal to which neodymium (Nd) is added as a laser active ion, neodymium-added yttrium vanadate (Nd: YVO4) crystal, and neodymium-added yttrium aluminum garnet. (Nd: YAG) crystal or the like can be used.

  A passive Q switch is a crystal having the property that the transmittance increases when the light energy stored inside exceeds a certain value. Therefore, the passive Q switch functions as a Q switch that oscillates the laser beam oscillated by the laser medium as a pulsed pulse laser L. As the passive Q switch, for example, a chrome-added YAG (Cr: YAG) crystal, Cr: MgSiO4 crystal, or the like can be used.

  The output coupler constitutes a reflecting mirror and a laser resonator. The output coupler is, for example, a partial reflection mirror constituted by a concave mirror whose surface is coated with a dielectric multilayer film, and the reflectance at a wavelength of 1064 nm is 80% to 95%. The window is made of synthetic quartz or the like, and transmits the laser light emitted from the output coupler to the outside. Accordingly, the laser oscillator 21 oscillates a pulse laser through the passive Q switch, and outputs the pulse laser L as a laser beam for marking the workpiece W.

  The beam expander 22 changes the beam diameter of the pulse laser L and is provided coaxially with the laser oscillator 21. The mounting base 23 is mounted so that the optical axis of the pulse laser L from the laser oscillator 21 can be adjusted, and is fixed to the upper surface on the rear side of the center position of the main body base 11 by the mounting screws 25. .

  The optical shutter unit 13 includes a shutter motor 26 and a flat shutter 27. The shutter motor 26 is composed of a stepping motor or the like. The shutter 27 is attached to the motor shaft of the shutter motor 26 and rotates coaxially. When the shutter 27 rotates to a position that blocks the optical path of the pulse laser L emitted from the beam expander 22, the shutter 27 reflects the pulse laser L to the optical damper 14 provided in the right direction with respect to the optical shutter unit 13. . On the other hand, when the shutter 27 rotates so as not to be positioned on the optical path of the pulse laser L emitted from the beam expander 22, the pulse laser L emitted from the beam expander 22 is placed on the front side of the optical shutter unit 13. It enters the arranged half mirror 15.

  The optical damper 14 absorbs the pulse laser L reflected by the shutter 27. The heat generated by the optical damper 14 is thermally conducted to the main body base 11 and cooled. The half mirror 15 is arranged so as to form an angle of 45 degrees obliquely in the lower left direction with respect to the optical path of the pulse laser L. The half mirror 15 transmits almost all of the pulse laser L incident from the rear side. The half mirror 15 reflects a part of the pulse laser L incident from the rear side to the reflection mirror 17 at a reflection angle of 45 degrees. The reflection mirror 17 is arranged in the left direction with respect to a substantially central position of the rear side surface on which the pulse laser L of the half mirror 15 is incident.

  The guide light unit 16 includes, for example, a visible semiconductor laser 28 that emits red laser light as visible laser light, and a lens group (not shown) that converges the visible laser light M emitted from the visible semiconductor laser 28 into parallel light. It consists of and. The visible laser light M has a wavelength different from that of the pulse laser L emitted from the laser oscillator 21. The guide light unit 16 is arranged in the right direction with respect to a substantially central position where the pulse laser L of the half mirror 15 is emitted. As a result, the visible laser beam M is incident at an incident angle of 45 degrees with respect to the reflection surface corresponding to the front side surface of the half mirror 15 at a substantially central position where the pulse laser L of the half mirror 15 is emitted, and reflected by 45 degrees. Reflected on the optical path of the pulsed laser L at the corners. That is, the visible semiconductor laser 28 emits visible laser light M onto the optical path of the pulse laser L. The visible laser beam M is also used when adjusting the position of the workpiece W in the processing container or when notifying the processing content of the processing data DW in a preview display process (S9) of FIG.

  The reflection mirror 17 is disposed so as to form an angle of 45 degrees obliquely in the lower left direction with respect to the front-rear direction parallel to the optical path of the pulse laser L. The reflection mirror 17 reflects the pulse laser L reflected on the rear side surface of the half mirror 15. A part of the light is incident at an incident angle of 45 degrees with respect to a substantially central position of the reflecting surface. The reflection mirror 17 reflects the pulse laser L incident on the reflection surface at an incident angle of 45 degrees toward the front side at a reflection angle of 45 degrees.

  The optical sensor 18 is composed of a photodiode or the like that detects the light emission intensity of the pulse laser L, and is disposed in the front direction in FIG. 2 with respect to a substantially central position where the pulse laser L of the reflection mirror 17 is reflected. . As a result, the optical sensor 18 receives the pulse laser L reflected by the reflection mirror 17 and detects the output intensity of the incident pulse laser L. Therefore, the intensity of the pulse laser L output from the laser oscillator 21 via the optical sensor 18 can be detected.

  The galvano scanner 19 is attached to the upper side of a through hole 29 formed at the front end of the main body base 11, and the pulse laser L emitted from the laser oscillation unit 12 and the visible laser light M reflected by the half mirror 15 Is two-dimensionally scanned downward. The galvano scanner 19 includes a galvano X-axis motor 31, a galvano Y-axis motor 32, and a main body 33. The galvano X-axis motor 31 and the galvano Y-axis motor 32 are configured such that their motor axes are orthogonal to each other. Are attached to the main body 33 by being fitted and held in the respective mounting holes from the outside. Therefore, in the galvano scanner 19, the scanning mirrors attached to the tip portions of the motor shafts face each other inside. Then, the rotation of the galvano X-axis motor 31 and the galvano Y-axis motor 32 is controlled to rotate the respective scanning mirrors, whereby the pulse laser L and the visible laser light M are two-dimensionally scanned downward. The two-dimensional scanning direction is a front-rear direction (X direction) and a left-right direction (Y direction).

  The fθ lens 20 concentrically condenses the pulse laser L and the visible laser light M that are two-dimensionally scanned by the galvano scanner 19 on the surface of the workpiece (work W or the like) disposed below. The fθ lens 20 corrects the focal point where the pulse laser L, the visible laser beam M, and the like are converged to a flat focal plane, and the scanning speed of the pulse laser L and the visible laser beam M is constant. To do. Therefore, by controlling the rotation of the galvano X-axis motor 31 and the galvano Y-axis motor 32, the pulse laser L and the visible laser light M are moved in the front-rear direction (X direction) and left and right in a desired processing pattern on the surface of the workpiece W. Two-dimensional scanning is performed in the direction (Y direction).

(Schematic configuration of the power supply unit)
Next, a schematic configuration of the power supply unit 6 in the laser processing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the power supply unit 6 includes a pumping semiconductor laser unit 40, a laser driver 51, a power supply unit 52, and a cooling unit 53 in a casing 55. The power supply unit 52 supplies a driving current for driving the pumping semiconductor laser unit 40 to the pumping semiconductor laser unit 40 via the laser driver 51. Based on the drive information input from the laser controller 5, the laser driver 51 drives the pumping semiconductor laser unit 40 on and off with a direct current.

  The pumping semiconductor laser unit 40 is optically connected to the laser oscillator 21 by an optical fiber F. The pumping semiconductor laser unit 40 emits pumping light, which is laser light having an output wavelength proportional to the current value exceeding the threshold current for generating laser light, with respect to the pulsed driving current input from the laser driver 51. The light is emitted into the optical fiber F. Therefore, the pumping light from the pumping semiconductor laser unit 40 is incident on the laser oscillator 21 via the optical fiber F. For example, a bar-type semiconductor laser using GaAs can be used for the pumping semiconductor laser unit 40.

  The cooling unit 53 is a unit for adjusting the power supply unit 52 and the pumping semiconductor laser unit 40 within a predetermined temperature range. For example, the cooling unit 53 is cooled by an electronic cooling method, so that the temperature of the pumping semiconductor laser unit 40 is increased. Control is performed, and the oscillation wavelength of the pumping semiconductor laser unit 40 is finely adjusted. The cooling unit 53 may be a water cooling type cooling unit, an air cooling type cooling unit, or the like.

(Control system of laser processing system 100)
Next, the control system configuration of the laser processing apparatus 1 constituting the laser processing system 100 will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 3, the laser processing apparatus 1 includes a laser controller 5 that controls the entire laser processing apparatus 1, a laser driver 51, a galvano controller 56, a galvano driver 57, a visible light laser driver 58, and the like. Configured. A laser driver 51, a galvano controller 56, a visible light laser driver 58, a remote controller 65, and the like are electrically connected to the laser controller 5.

  The laser controller 5 includes a CPU 61, a RAM 62, a ROM 63, a timer 64 for measuring time, and the like as an arithmetic unit and a control unit for controlling the entire laser processing apparatus 1, and a remote controller 65 is connected as described above. Yes. The CPU 61, RAM 62, ROM 63, timer 64, and remote controller 65 are connected to each other via a bus line (not shown) to exchange data with each other.

  The RAM 62 is for temporarily storing various calculation results calculated by the CPU 61, XY coordinate data of each processing point D in the processing data DW, and the like. The RAM 62 stores processing data DW acquired from the PC 7 as preview data when marking processing is performed or when a preview display described later is performed. This preview data includes first preview data and second preview data, details of which will be described later.

  The ROM 63 stores various programs. Based on the machining data DW transmitted from the PC 7, the XY coordinate data of each machining point D constituting the machining element DC is calculated and stored in the RAM 62. The various programs are stored. The ROM 63 stores, for each font type, data such as the font start point, end point, focus, and curvature of each character composed of straight lines and elliptical arcs. Accordingly, the ROM 63 stores a main processing program (see FIG. 4), a preview display processing program (see FIG. 6), and a data editing processing program (see FIG. 8) which will be described later.

  The CPU 61 performs various calculations and controls based on various control programs stored in the ROM 63. For example, the CPU 61 outputs XY coordinate data, galvano scanning speed information, and the like of each machining point D in the machining element DC to the galvano controller 56 based on the machining data DW input from the PC 7. The CPU 61 also supplies the laser driver 51 with information such as drive current supply control to the pumping semiconductor laser unit 40 input from the PC 7, pumping light output from the pumping semiconductor laser unit 40, and pumping light output period. Output. Further, the CPU 61 outputs XY coordinate data of each processing point D, a control signal for instructing ON / OFF of the galvano scanner 19, and the like to the galvano controller 56.

  The laser driver 51 is based on the control parameters (for example, current value of driving current, pumping light output, pumping light output period, etc.) regarding the pumping semiconductor laser unit 40 input from the laser controller 5. 40 is driven and controlled. Specifically, the laser driver 51 generates a pulsed drive current based on a control parameter related to the current value of the drive current input from the laser controller 5 and supplies the pulsed drive current to the pumping semiconductor laser unit 40. As a result, the pumping semiconductor laser unit 40 supplies pumping light having an intensity corresponding to the current value of the drive current into the optical fiber F during a predetermined supply period.

  The galvano controller 56 calculates drive angles, rotation speeds, and the like of the galvano X-axis motor 31 and the galvano Y-axis motor 32 based on the XY coordinate data, galvano scanning speed information, and the like of each processing point D input from the laser controller 5. Then, motor drive information representing the drive angle and rotation speed is output to the galvano driver 57.

  The galvano driver 57 drives and controls the galvano X-axis motor 31 and the galvano Y-axis motor 32 based on the motor drive information representing the drive angle and rotation speed input from the galvano controller 56, and two-dimensionally scans the pulse laser L. To do.

  The visible light laser driver 58 controls the guide light unit 16 including the visible semiconductor laser 28 based on the control signal output from the laser controller 5. For example, the visible light laser driver 58 is emitted from the visible semiconductor laser 28 based on the control signal. The light emission timing and the light amount of the visible laser beam M are controlled.

  The remote controller 65 is wired to the laser controller 5 and has a plurality of operation buttons. The remote controller 65 is configured to be able to input various control commands corresponding to user operations to the plurality of operation buttons to the laser controller 5, and a preview display process (S 9) and a data editing process in FIG. 4 to be described later. It is operated when (S10) or the like is performed. The remote controller 65 may be connected to the laser controller 5 so as to be able to transmit a control command, and may be wirelessly connected instead of wired connection.

  The PC 7 is connected to the laser controller 5 so as to be capable of two-way communication (see FIGS. 1 and 3), the processing data DW indicating the processing content transmitted from the PC 7, and the control parameters of the laser processing apparatus main body 2 It is configured to receive various control commands from the user.

(PC control system)
Next, the control system configuration of the PC 7 constituting the laser processing system 100 will be described with reference to the drawings. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the PC 7 includes a control unit 70 that controls the entire PC 7, an input operation unit 76 that includes a mouse, a keyboard, and the like, a liquid crystal display 77, and various data and programs for the CD-ROM 79. It comprises a CD-R / W78 etc. for writing and reading.

  The control unit 70 controls the entire PC 7 and measures the CPU 71, the RAM 72, the ROM 73, and the time as a calculation device and a control device for controlling the entire laser processing system 100 via the laser controller 5. A timer 74 and an HDD 75 are provided. The CPU 71, the RAM 72, the ROM 73, and the timer 74 are connected to each other via a bus line (not shown) to exchange data with each other. The CPU 71 and the HDD 75 are connected via an input / output interface (not shown), and exchange data with each other.

  The RAM 72 is used for temporarily storing various calculation results calculated by the CPU 71. The ROM 73 stores various control programs and data tables.

  The HDD 75 is a storage device that stores various application software programs and various data files. In the present embodiment, various control programs such as a control program for creating and correcting the machining data DW, and various data tables. Is remembered.

  Then, the CD-R / W 78 reads or writes data groups such as application programs and various data tables from the CD-ROM 79. That is, the PC 7 reads application programs and data tables from the CD-ROM 79 via the CD-R / W 78 and stores them in the HDD 75.

  The PC 7 is electrically connected via an input / output interface (not shown) to an input operation unit 76 composed of a mouse, a keyboard and the like, a liquid crystal display 77 and the like. Therefore, the PC 7 can output to the laser controller 5 a control command indicating start of marking processing, execution of preview display, or the like using the input operation unit 76 or the liquid crystal display 77.

(Processing contents of main processing program)
Next, processing contents of the main processing program executed by the CPU 61 of the laser controller 5 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The main processing program is executed by the CPU 61 when power is supplied to the laser processing apparatus 1.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the execution of the main processing program is started, the CPU 61 first determines whether or not a control command has been input to the laser controller 5. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, since the remote controller 65 is connected to the laser controller 5 at the same time as the PC 7 having the input operation unit 76, the control command is either the remote controller 65 or the PC 7. It is input from. When there is an input of a control command (S1: YES), the CPU 61 shifts the process to S2. On the other hand, when there is no input of a control command (S1: NO), the CPU 61 waits for processing until a control command is input.

  In S2, the CPU 61 determines whether or not the input control command is a data editing command. The data editing command is a control command for instructing an editing process on the processing data DW by the laser controller 5 alone, and a predetermined operation (for example, an operation related to position editing or an operation related to density editing) with respect to an operation button of the remote controller 65 Is input from the remote control 65. When the control command is a data editing command (S2: YES), the CPU 61 shifts the processing to data editing processing (S10). The contents of the data editing process (S10) will be described in detail later with reference to the drawings. On the other hand, when the input control command is not a data editing command (S2: NO), the CPU 61 shifts the process to S3.

  In S3, the CPU 61 determines whether the input control command is a preview display command or a machining start command. The preview display command is a control command for instructing a preview display process for displaying the processing content of the processing data DW using the visible laser beam M. The processing start command is for starting the execution of marking processing by the pulse laser L. This is a control command to be instructed. The preview display command and the processing start command are input from the PC 7 or the remote control 65 when an individual predetermined operation is performed on the input operation unit 76 or the remote control 65 of the PC 7. When the control command is a preview display command, the CPU 61 proceeds to the preview display process (S9). On the other hand, when the input control command is a machining start command, the CPU 61 proceeds to S4.

  After shifting to S4, the CPU 61 determines whether or not the laser processing apparatus 1 is in a safe state when executing the marking process. Specifically, the CPU 61 determines whether marking processing can be performed in a safe state based on detection results of various switches and sensors in the laser processing apparatus 1. For example, when the emergency stop switch in the laser processing apparatus 1 is off, the key switch and the reset switch are on, and the door sensor detects that the door of the processing container (not shown) is closed. The CPU 61 determines that the marking process can be performed in a safe state. When it is in a safe state for performing the marking process (S4: YES), the CPU 61 shifts the process to S5. On the other hand, when the marking process is not safe (S4: NO), the CPU 61 shifts the process to S8.

  In S5, the CPU 61 determines whether or not a certain amount in the machining data DW output from the PC 7 is received together with the machining start command. When a certain amount in the machining data DW from the PC 7 is received together with the machining start command (S5: YES), the CPU 61 shifts the process to S6. On the other hand, when a certain amount in the machining data DW is not received together with the machining start command (S5: NO), the CPU 61 performs processing until a certain amount in the machining data DW is received together with the machining start command. Wait.

(Configuration of machining data DW)
Here, the configuration of the machining data DW output from the PC 7 to the laser controller 5 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. As described above, the user can set the processing content of the marking processing in the processing data DW by appropriately arranging and combining desired processing elements DC by operating the input operation unit 76 of the PC 7 or the like. .

  The processing data DW includes detailed data in which details of processing and marking processing drawn on the surface of the workpiece W are defined by marking processing using the pulse laser L, and an outline of processing details drawn on the surface of the workpiece W. (For example, outline data indicating the position and size of the machining area DR in which the machining content is drawn).

  As shown in FIG. 5, the detailed data in the processing data DW includes the processing content drawn on the surface of the workpiece W by the marking processing using the pulse laser L, the processing order at the time of marking processing according to the processing content, the pulse It is configured to include control parameters such as the scanning speed of the laser L. The machining content in the machining data DW is expressed by combining one or a plurality of machining elements DC. One processing element DC is configured by arranging one or a plurality of processing points. For example, in the case of a character or the like, by arranging a plurality of processing points in a row, a line segment constituting the character is arranged. expressing.

  The outline data in the machining data DW indicates the position and size of the machining area DR where the machining content is drawn by the marking process, and relates to four area reference points PR for specifying the rectangular machining area DR. Consists of XY coordinate data. The XY coordinate data related to the four region reference points PR is configured by a combination of the maximum value and the minimum value in the XY coordinate values of each processing point constituting the processing content.

  With reference to FIG. 4 again, a process after completing the reception of the machining data DW output from the PC 7 will be described. When the reception of the machining data DW is completed and the process proceeds to S <b> 6, the CPU 61 executes a data storage process, and stores the detailed data and summary data constituting the machining data DW in the RAM 62 of the laser controller 5. That is, in this embodiment, the detailed data in the machining data DW is stored in the RAM 62 as the first data in the present invention, the summary data in the machining data DW is stored in the RAM 62 as the second data in the present invention, and preview display processing (S9). Used as preview data. After storing the machining data DW in the RAM 62, the CPU 61 proceeds to S7.

  In S7, the CPU 61 executes processing execution processing based on the control command indicating the start of execution of marking processing and the processing data DW stored in the RAM 62, and performs marking processing according to the processing content of the processing data DW. Apply to the surface. Specifically, in the processing execution process (S7), the CPU 61 obtains information such as XY coordinate data of each processing point, processing order, scanning speed, and the number of scans based on the detailed data of the processing data DW from the galvano controller 56. To drive the galvano scanner 19. At the same time, the CPU 61 outputs information related to the output intensity of the pulse laser L to the laser driver 51 based on the detailed data of the machining data DW. By executing this processing execution process (S7), the processing content based on the detailed data of the processing data DW is marked on the surface of the workpiece W. Thereafter, the CPU 61 returns the process to S1.

  When it is determined that the marking process is not safe (S4: NO), the CPU 61 executes a warning process to indicate that the marking process is not safe. Inform the user and warn. In the warning process (S8), the CPU 61 outputs a control command to the PC 7, thereby displaying a warning message on the liquid crystal display 77 of the PC 7. In this regard, the notification method in the warning process (S8) is not limited to the message display, but may be notified by a lighting mode by an LED disposed on the remote control 65 or the like of the laser processing apparatus 1 or voice. You may alert | report. After completing the warning process (S8), the CPU 61 returns the process to S1.

(Processing contents of preview display processing program)
Next, the processing content of the preview display processing program executed in the preview display processing (S9) will be described in detail with reference to FIG. As described above, when the input control command is a preview display command (S3: YES), the CPU 61 proceeds to the preview display process (S9) and executes the preview display process program.

  Here, in this embodiment, the types of preview display include full line display using detailed data (see FIG. 7A) and outline display using summary data (see FIG. 7B). The preview display command includes information indicating the type of preview display desired by the user (either full line display or outline display). When the user outputs a preview display command from the PC 7 or the remote controller 65, the user operates the input operation unit 76 of the PC 7 or the operation button of the remote controller 65 to select either the full line display or the outline display as the type of the preview display. It is configured to input a desired type.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when the execution of the preview display processing program is started, first, the CPU 61 determines whether or not the transmission source of the preview display command is the PC 7 (S11). As described above, in the present embodiment, the preview display command is input from the remote controller 65 based on a predetermined operation by the input operation unit 76 and from the PC 7 based on a predetermined operation on the remote controller 65. There is a case. Accordingly, in S21, it is determined whether the transmission source of the preview display command is the PC 7 or the remote controller 65. When the transmission source of the preview display command is the PC 7 (S11: YES), the CPU 61 shifts the process to S12. On the other hand, when the transmission source of the preview display command is not the PC 7 (S11: NO), the CPU 61 shifts the process to S13.

  In S12, the CPU 61 determines whether or not a certain amount of preview data output from the PC 7 together with the preview display command has been received. This preview data is configured to have detailed data and summary data, similar to the above-described processing data. When a certain amount of detailed data and summary data constituting the preview data is received (S12: YES), the CPU 61 stores the received preview data in the RAM 62, and then proceeds to S14. On the other hand, if a certain amount in the preview data has not been received (S12: NO), the CPU 61 waits for processing until a certain amount in the preview data is received.

  Here, preview data received from the PC 7 will be described. The detailed data in the preview data has the same content as the detailed data of the processing data DW, the processing content drawn on the surface of the workpiece W by the marking processing using the pulse laser L, and the marking processing in accordance with the processing content It includes control parameters such as the processing order and the scanning speed of the pulse laser L.

  The summary data in the preview data indicates the position and size of the machining area DR where the machining content is drawn by the marking process, like the outline data in the machining data DW, and the XY coordinates related to the four area reference points PR. It consists of data. That is, the summary data indicates the processing content by the position information (XY coordinate data) of fewer points compared to the detailed data.

  In S <b> 13 that proceeds when the transmission source of the preview display command is the remote controller 65, the CPU 61 determines whether or not there is stored data in the RAM 62. Here, the stored data includes detailed data and summary data of the processed data DW stored in the RAM 62 in the data storage process (S5), and detailed data and summary data of the preview data received in S12 and stored in the RAM 62. Yes. When there is already stored data in the RAM 62 (S13: YES), the CPU 61 shifts the process to S14. On the other hand, when there is no stored data in the RAM 62 (S13: NO), the CPU 61 ends the preview display processing program as it is.

  In S14, based on the input preview display command, the CPU 61 determines whether the preview display type in the preview display command is full line display. When the type of preview display is full line display (S14: YES), the CPU 61 proceeds to S15. On the other hand, if the type of preview display is not full line display (S14: NO), the CPU 61 proceeds to S16.

  In step S15, the CPU 61 performs a first preview display process to display a full line of the processing content according to the type of preview display specified in the preview display command. In the first preview display process (S15), the CPU 61 scans the visible laser beam M output from the guide light unit 16 in accordance with the detailed data of the preview data received from the PC 7 or the detailed data of the stored data in the RAM 62. By controlling the above, the machining content is displayed on the surface of the workpiece W by the visible laser beam M. After completing the first preview display process (S15), the CPU 61 ends the preview display process program.

  The processing contents of the first preview display process (S15) will be described in detail. The CPU 61 outputs a control signal based on the detailed data to be previewed to the visible light laser driver 58, thereby guiding it. The on / off control of the visible semiconductor laser 28 constituting the light unit 16 is performed, and the emission timing and the amount of light of the visible laser light M emitted from the visible semiconductor laser 28 are controlled. At the same time, the CPU 61 outputs information such as the XY coordinate data of each processing point, the processing order, the scanning speed, and the number of scans to the galvano controller 56 based on the detailed data that is the target of the preview display. The drive control of the scanner 19 is performed, and the visible laser beam M can be scanned along the processing content.

  Thus, in the first preview display process (S15), each processing element DC constituting the processing content to be previewed is displayed on the surface of the workpiece W by the locus of the visible laser beam M following the scanning of the galvano scanner 19. Is displayed above (see FIG. 7A). That is, by performing the first preview display process (S15), the same processing content as that in the case of performing the marking processing is displayed by the visible laser beam M. Therefore, according to the laser processing apparatus 1, a highly accurate preview is performed. Function can be realized. Further, in the first preview display process (S15), the user can confirm the same contents as when the marking process is performed without consuming the work W in accordance with the execution of the process execution process (S7). it can.

  In S16, the CPU 61 executes the second preview display process to perform an outline display of the processing content according to the type of preview display specified in the preview display command. In the second preview display process (S16), the CPU 61 scans the visible laser light M output from the guide light unit 16 in accordance with the preview data summary data received from the PC 7 or the stored data summary data in the RAM 62. By controlling, the machining area DR of the machining content is displayed on the surface of the workpiece W by the visible laser beam M. After completing the second preview display process (S16), the CPU 61 ends the preview display process program.

  Here, the processing contents of the second preview display process (S16) will be specifically described. The CPU 61 outputs a control signal based on the outline data to be previewed to the visible light laser driver 58. Then, on / off control of the visible semiconductor laser 28 constituting the guide light unit 16 is performed, and the light emission timing and the amount of light of the visible laser light M emitted from the visible semiconductor laser 28 are controlled. At the same time, the CPU 61 controls the driving of the galvano scanner 19 by outputting the XY coordinate data of the four area reference points PR constituting the outline data to be previewed to the galvano controller 56, and processing contents The visible laser beam M can be scanned along the outline of the rectangular processing region DR.

  As a result, in the second preview display process (S16), the contour of the processing region DR related to the processing content to be previewed is displayed on the surface of the workpiece W by the locus of the visible laser beam M following the scanning of the galvano scanner 19. (See FIG. 7B). In other words, by performing the second preview display process (S16), the positional relationship of the processing region DR when the marking processing is performed is displayed on the surface of the workpiece W by the visible laser beam M, so that a simple preview function is provided. Can be realized. Further, in the second preview display process (S16), the outline of the rectangular processing region DR is displayed by the locus of the visible laser beam M. Therefore, compared with the first preview display process (S15), the required time is shorter. A preview display can be performed.

  That is, according to the laser processing apparatus 1, when outputting a preview display command, either full line display by the first preview display process (S15) or outline display by the second preview display process (S16) is set. By doing so, it is possible to cause the laser processing apparatus 1 to execute a preview display in a user-desired mode, and thus it is possible to realize a preview function according to the user's application.

(Processing contents of data editing program)
Subsequently, processing contents of the data editing processing program executed in the data editing processing (S10) will be described in detail with reference to FIG. As described above, when the input control command is a data editing command (S2: YES), the CPU 61 proceeds to the data editing process (S10) and executes the data editing process program.

  Here, in the present embodiment, as editing contents in the data editing process (S10), position editing related to expansion, reduction, and movement of processing contents in stored data, and marking processing for processing contents related to stored data are performed. Density editing related to the marking density can be performed, and the data editing command includes information indicating editing contents desired by the user. When the user outputs a data editing command from the remote control 65, the user operates the operation button of the remote control 65, and as the editing content in the data editing processing, any desired editing content of position editing or density editing, Configured to enter details.

  As shown in FIG. 8, when the execution of the data editing processing program is started, the CPU 61 first determines whether there is stored data in the RAM 62 (S21). When there is stored data in the RAM 62 (S21: YES), the CPU 61 shifts the process to S22. On the other hand, when there is no stored data in the RAM 62 (S21: NO), the CPU 61 ends the data editing processing program as it is.

  In S22, the CPU 61 determines whether or not the editing content in the data editing command is position editing based on the content of the input data editing command. If the edited content is position editing (S22: YES), the CPU 61 shifts the processing to position editing processing (S23). On the other hand, when the edited content is not position editing (S22: NO), the CPU 61 shifts the processing to density editing processing (S24).

  In S <b> 23, the CPU 61 executes a position editing process, and performs editing related to expansion, reduction, and movement of the processing content in the stored data. Specifically, the CPU 61 reads the detailed data and summary data of the stored data to be edited from the RAM 62, and the value of the XY coordinate data of each processing point constituting the processing content or the XY coordinate data of the region reference point PR. By editing the value and the value of the movement time between coordinates, the processing contents are enlarged, reduced, and moved. After completing the position editing process (S23), the CPU 61 shifts the process to S24.

  Here, the processing content of the position editing process (S23) will be specifically described. For example, when enlarging / reducing the machining content, the CPU 61 determines the distance between a predetermined reference point located in the machining area in the stored data, each machining point constituting the machining content, and the area reference point PR. By changing the distance between the reference point and each processing point and the region reference point PR at a predetermined magnification according to the operation of the remote controller 65, the processing content can be enlarged or reduced. . In this case, since the distance between the coordinates is changed as the machining content is enlarged or reduced, the value of the movement time between the coordinates is edited.

  For example, every time a certain operation button is input on the remote controller 65, the CPU 61 changes the predetermined magnification to 1.25 times, 1.5 times, 1.75 times, 2 times,. Thereby, the said laser processing apparatus 1 can expand the processing content in stored data to a desired magnitude | size, without via PC7. Each time another operation button is input on the remote controller 65, the CPU 61 changes the predetermined magnification to 0.8, 0.75, 0.5, and so on. As a result, the laser processing apparatus 1 can reduce the processing content in the stored data to a desired size without using the PC 7.

  In the position editing process (S23), when moving the processing content in the stored data, the CPU 61 performs the processing on the XY coordinate data of each processing point and the area reference point PR constituting the processing content in the stored data. By adding or subtracting a predetermined value uniformly, the entire processing content can be moved in a predetermined direction. In this case, since the distance between the coordinates is not changed with the movement of the processing content, it is not necessary to edit the value of the movement time between the coordinates.

  For example, when an upward movement is input by an operation button on the remote controller 65, the CPU 61 uniformly determines the Y coordinate value in the XY coordinate data of each processing point and region reference point PR constituting the processing content. Add the values. Thereby, the laser processing apparatus 1 can move the processing content in the processed data upward by a predetermined distance. When a downward movement is input by the operation button, the CPU 61 uniformly subtracts a predetermined value from the Y coordinate values in the XY coordinate data of each processing point and region reference point PR constituting the processing content. Thereby, the laser processing apparatus 1 can move the processing content in the processed data downward by a predetermined distance.

  In addition, when a rightward movement is input by the operation button, the CPU 61 uniformly adds a predetermined value to the X coordinate value in the XY coordinate data of each processing point and region reference point PR constituting the processing content. To do. Thereby, the laser processing apparatus 1 can move the processing content in the processed data to the right by a predetermined distance. Similarly, when a leftward movement is input by the operation button, the CPU 61 uniformly subtracts a predetermined value from the X coordinate values in the XY coordinate data of each processing point and region reference point PR constituting the processing content. . Thereby, the said laser processing apparatus 1 can move the process content in processed data to the left only predetermined distance.

  In S24, the CPU 61 updates the contents of the detailed data and the summary data constituting the stored data in the RAM 62 based on the processing result of the position editing process (S23). Specifically, for the detailed data in the stored data, the CPU 61 uses the value of the XY coordinate data of each machining point constituting the machining content and the value of the movement time between each coordinate as the processing of the position editing process (S23). Update according to the results. And about summary data, CPU61 updates the value of XY coordinate data of each area | region reference point PR according to the process result of a position edit process (S23). Thereby, since the position and size of the processing content in the stored data indicate the content according to the processing result of the position editing process (S23), the laser processing apparatus 1 can store the stored data without going through the PC 7. It is possible to finely adjust the position and size of the processing content in. After updating the contents of the stored data in the RAM 62, the CPU 61 ends the data editing processing program.

  On the other hand, in S25, where the editing contents in the data editing command are not position editing (S22: NO) and density editing is performed, the CPU 61 executes density editing processing to mark the processing contents in the stored data. Edit the marking density when performing Specifically, the CPU 61 reads the detailed data of the stored data to be edited from the RAM 62, and edits the scanning speed, the number of scans, the output intensity, etc. of the pulse laser L included in the detailed data, thereby marking. Change the density of the density. After finishing the density editing process (S25), the CPU 61 proceeds to S26.

  Here, the processing content of the density editing process (S25) will be specifically described. In the density editing process (S25), the CPU 61 changes the marking density in the marking process by changing the scanning speed of the pulse laser L based on the operation on the operation button of the remote controller 65. The slower the scanning speed of the pulse laser L, the greater the amount of heat applied per unit area in the workpiece W, so that the marking density can be increased. If the scanning speed is increased, the marking density can be reduced. it can. Accordingly, when an instruction to increase the marking density is input by the operation button on the remote controller 65, the CPU 61 changes the scanning speed of the pulse laser L (that is, the driving speed of the galvano scanner 19) to a slow setting. Thereby, the said laser processing apparatus 1 can make the density | concentration of marking high. On the other hand, when an instruction to reduce the marking density is input by the operation button on the remote controller 65, the CPU 61 changes the scanning speed of the pulse laser L to a high setting. Thereby, the said laser processing apparatus 1 can make the density | concentration of marking thin.

  In the above-described density editing process (S25), the marking density is adjusted according to the scanning speed of the pulse laser L. However, the marking density depends on the number of scans of the pulse laser L and the output intensity of the pulse laser L. It is also possible to adjust. For example, as the number of scans of the pulse laser L at the time of marking processing is increased, the number of times heat is applied by the pulse laser L increases, so that the marking density can be increased. Also, if the output intensity of the pulse laser L is increased, the amount of heat given per unit area in the workpiece W increases, so that the marking concentration can be increased, and if the output intensity is decreased, the marking concentration is decreased. Can do. Furthermore, it is possible to adjust the density of the marking by combining some of these three items, so that more detailed density adjustment can be realized.

  In S26, the CPU 61 updates the contents of the detailed data constituting the stored data in the RAM 62 based on the processing result of the density editing process (S25). Specifically, for the detailed data in the stored data, the CPU 61 updates the value of the scanning speed of the pulse laser L when marking the processing content according to the processing result of the density editing process (S25). As a result, the marking density when marking the processing content in the stored data indicates the content according to the processing result of the density editing process (S25), and therefore the laser processing apparatus 1 is connected via the PC 7. In addition, it is possible to finely adjust the density of the marking when marking the processing content in the stored data. After updating the contents of the stored data in the RAM 62, the CPU 61 ends the data editing processing program.

  As described above, in the laser processing system 100 according to this embodiment, the laser processing apparatus 1 includes the laser oscillation unit 12, the galvano scanner 19, the laser controller 5, and the power supply unit 6, and is connected to the PC 7. Has been. According to the laser processing apparatus 1, the surface of the workpiece W can be processed by scanning the pulse laser L from the laser oscillation unit 12 with the galvano scanner 19.

  The laser processing apparatus 1 executes the preview display by outputting a preview display command from the PC 7 or the processing data DW including the detailed data and the summary data acquired from the PC 7 when performing the processing execution process (S7). The data including the detailed data and the summary data acquired in the above is stored in the RAM 62 as stored data (S6, S12). Then, when the laser controller 5 accepts a preview display command by a predetermined operation by the remote controller 65, the laser processing apparatus 1 uses the stored data stored in the RAM 62 as preview data and guide light. By controlling the unit 16 and the galvano scanner 19, the processing content of the stored data can be displayed on the workpiece W using the visible laser beam M (see FIG. 7).

  Therefore, according to the laser processing apparatus 1, when the preview display process is executed using the remote controller 65, the processing content is stored on the workpiece W using the stored data in the RAM 62 without acquiring the data from the PC 7 again. A preview function to be displayed can be realized. Further, according to the laser processing apparatus 1, the position can be confirmed without wastefully consuming the workpiece W by the preview function, so that the processing by the pulse laser L can be accurately performed at a desired position on the workpiece W. Can be applied. Furthermore, according to the laser processing apparatus 1, since the stored data is read from the RAM 62, the preview function can be realized more quickly than when preview data is acquired by data communication with the PC 7.

  Further, when the laser controller 5 receives a preview display command by a predetermined operation using the remote controller 65 (S11: YES), the laser processing apparatus 1 determines whether there is stored data in the RAM 62 (S13). ). Then, according to the laser processing apparatus 1, when there is stored data in the RAM 62 (S13: YES), the stored light stored in the RAM 62 is used as preview data, and the guide light unit 16 and the galvano are stored. By controlling the scanner 19, the processing content of the stored data is displayed on the workpiece W using the visible laser beam M, so that the stored data in the RAM 62 is used without acquiring the data again from the PC 7. Thus, a preview function for displaying the machining content on the workpiece W can be realized.

  When the laser processing apparatus 1 receives a preview display command for instructing full line display by operating the remote controller 65, the laser processing apparatus 1 executes the first preview display process (S15), and stores the stored data stored in the RAM 62. Based on the detailed data, each machining element DC constituting the machining content of the machining data DW is displayed on the workpiece W by the locus of the visible laser beam M. Since the detailed data of the processed data includes XY coordinate data of a plurality of processing points constituting the processing element DC, the laser processing apparatus 1 displays the full line in the first preview display process (S15). In this case, the content completely identical to the processing content can be expressed by the locus of the visible laser beam M (see FIG. 7A), and a highly accurate preview function can be realized.

  On the other hand, when the preview display command for instructing the outline display is received by the operation of the remote controller 65, the laser processing apparatus 1 executes the second preview display process (S16) and stores the stored data stored in the RAM 62. Based on the outline data, the outline of the machining area DR is displayed on the workpiece W by the locus of the visible laser beam M as an outline of the machining content. Since the outline data of the stored data is constituted by the XY coordinate data of the four area reference points PR constituting the machining area DR, the laser machining apparatus 1 displays the outline display in the second preview display process (S16). If it is performed, the contour of the processing region DR is displayed even if the processing content of the stored data is composed of a combination of complex characters, symbols and symbols (see FIG. 7B). That is, the laser processing apparatus 1 displays the contour of the processing region DR, thereby appropriately transmitting the position, size, and range of the processing region DR to the user, and at the same time, relates to the preview function as compared with the full line display. Processing can be reduced.

  And according to the said laser processing apparatus 1, when outputting a preview display command from the remote control 65, by selecting either full line display or outline display, the display mode in the preview display process (S9) is set to full. Selection can be made from line display (see FIG. 7A) and outline display (see FIG. 7B). As a result, the laser processing apparatus 1 can realize a preview function in accordance with the user's application, thereby improving the convenience of the preview function.

  Further, according to the laser processing apparatus 1, when a data editing command for instructing position editing is received by operating the remote controller 65, the position editing process (S23) is executed, so that the stored data in the RAM 62 is stored. With regard to the detailed data and the summary data, the XY coordinate data of each processing point constituting the processing content and the XY coordinate data of each region reference point PR can be changed to perform position editing such as expansion, reduction, and movement of the processing content. . In this position editing process (S23), according to the laser processing apparatus 1, detailed data in the stored data in the RAM 62 is obtained by the laser processing apparatus 1 alone without acquiring again the data subjected to the position editing by the PC 7. In addition, the position of the outline data can be edited, and the position of the machining content on the workpiece W can be finely adjusted.

  Furthermore, according to the laser processing apparatus 1, when a data editing command for instructing density editing is received by operating the remote controller 65, the density editing process (S25) is executed, so that the stored data in the RAM 62 is stored. With regard to the detailed data, by changing the information on the scanning speed of the pulse laser L and the like, it is possible to edit the marking density when the processing content is marked on the surface of the workpiece W by the pulse laser L. That is, according to the laser processing apparatus 1, the density editing of the detailed data in the stored data in the RAM 62 can be performed by the laser processing apparatus 1 alone without acquiring again the processing data subjected to the density editing by the PC 7. Therefore, it is possible to finely adjust the density of the marking when the machining content is marked on the workpiece W.

  In the above-described embodiment, one laser processing apparatus 1 is connected to one PC 7. However, depending on the use environment of the laser processing apparatus 1, one PC 7 may be connected to one PC 7. A configuration in which a plurality of laser processing apparatuses 1 are connected may also be employed. Here, in the conventional laser processing apparatus, unless a control command or data is output from the PC 7, the preview function cannot be realized, and editing of the processing data (position editing and density editing) is possible only with the PC 7. It was a configuration.

  As described above, when a plurality of laser processing apparatuses are connected to one PC 7, a user of a laser processing apparatus among the plurality of laser processing apparatuses can connect the PC 7 with a preview function or data editing. When in use, users of other laser processing apparatuses had to wait for work until the PC 7 was free.

  In this regard, according to the laser processing apparatus 1 according to the above-described embodiment, if there is stored data in the RAM 62, preview display processing (S9), data editing processing (S10), and processing execution are performed on the stored data. The processing (S7) can be performed by the laser processing apparatus 1 alone without using the PC 7. That is, even when a plurality of laser processing apparatuses are connected to one PC 7, work can be performed without waiting for the vacancy of the PC 7, so the convenience of the laser processing apparatus 1 can be improved. Can be increased.

  In the embodiment described above, the laser processing apparatus 1 is an example of a laser processing apparatus in the present invention. The laser oscillation unit 12 is an example of a laser emitting unit in the present invention, and the guide light unit 16 is an example of a visible light emitting unit in the present invention. The galvano scanner 19 is an example of a scanning unit in the present invention. The remote controller 65 is an example of an operation unit in the present invention, and the RAM 62 is an example of a storage unit in the present invention. The CPU 61 is an example of a control unit in the present invention, and the CPU 61 when executing the processes of S5 and S12 is an example of a data acquisition unit in the present invention. The CPU 61 when executing the position editing process (S23) is an example of the position editing unit in the present invention, and the CPU 61 when executing the density editing process (S25) is an example of the density editing unit in the present invention. The stored data stored in the RAM 62 functions as an example of the preview data in the present invention when it is read out during preview display in the preview display process (S9). In this case, the detailed data of the stored data functions as the first data in the present invention, and the outline data of the stored data functions as the second data in the present invention.

  Although the present invention has been described based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the laser processing apparatus 1 and the laser processing system 100 that emit the pulse laser L to perform the marking process are used. However, the laser processing apparatus according to the present invention is limited to this mode. Instead, it can be used for cutting, trimming, or drilling. As long as the workpiece W can be processed, not only the pulse laser L but also various lasers can be used.

  In the above-described embodiment, the outline data that constitutes stored data and functions as the second data in the present invention is defined to indicate the outline of the rectangular processing region DR, but is limited to this mode. It is not something. The second data in the present invention may be data indicating the processing content such as the processing data DW in a simplified manner than the certain detailed data in the first data, for example, a smaller number of processing points than the detailed information. If the processing content can be indicated by the position information (XY coordinate data), the data may be the second data in the present invention.

  In the embodiment described above, when the laser controller 5 acquires data (processing data DW, preview data) from the PC 7, detailed data and summary data are acquired and stored in the RAM 62. It is not limited to this aspect. For example, when the laser controller 5 acquires data from the PC 7, it is possible to acquire only detailed data and generate summary data from the detailed data. In this case, it is desirable that the laser controller 5 has sufficient processing capability to generate summary data from the detailed data.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Laser processing apparatus 2 Laser processing apparatus main-body part 3 Laser head part 5 Laser controller 6 Power supply unit 7 PC
12 Laser oscillation unit 16 Guide light part 19 Galvano scanner 61 CPU
62 RAM
65 Remote control 76 Input operation unit 100 Laser processing system L Pulse laser M Visible laser beam DW Processing data DC processing element DR processing area

Claims (6)

A laser emitting section for emitting a laser for processing the workpiece;
A data acquisition unit for acquiring processing data indicating processing content by the laser;
A visible light emitting section for emitting a visible light laser for indicating the processing content on the processing object;
A scanning unit that scans the laser emitted from the laser emitting unit or the visible light laser emitted from the visible light emitting unit;
A control unit for controlling the laser emitting unit, the visible light emitting unit and the scanning unit;
An operation unit that accepts user operations;
First data indicating the processing content of the processing data acquired by the data acquisition unit and used for predetermined processing, and second data indicating the processing content of the processing data in a simplified manner than the first data; And a storage unit for storing preview data including
The controller is
When a predetermined preview display operation by the operation unit is received,
Based on the preview data stored in the storage unit, by controlling the visible light emitting unit and the scanning unit, the processing content of the processing data is used for the processing object using the visible light. A laser processing apparatus characterized by displaying. A determination unit configured to determine whether the preview data is stored in the storage unit when the preview display operation by the operation unit is received;
The controller is
When the determination unit determines that the preview data is stored in the storage unit, the visible light emitting unit and the scanning unit are controlled based on the preview data stored in the storage unit. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing content of the processing data is displayed on the processing object using the visible light. The operation unit displays a first preview display that directly displays the processing content of the processing data using the visible light, and a second preview display that displays an overview of the processing content of the processing data using the visible light. And accepts user selection for either
The controller is
When the selection operation of the first preview display is received by the operation unit, the visible light emitting unit and the scanning unit are controlled based on the first data of the preview data stored in the storage unit, and the processing The processing content of the data is displayed on the processing object using the visible light,
When the selection operation of the second preview display is received by the operation unit, the visible light emitting unit and the scanning unit are controlled based on the second data of the preview data stored in the storage unit, and the processing 3. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an outline of data processing contents is displayed on the object to be processed using the visible light. The first data is acquired by the data acquisition unit, and is related to the processing content of the processing data used for a predetermined process, and includes position information of a plurality of processing points constituting the processing content,
4. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second data is configured by position information of a contour of a processing region where the processing content of the processing data is processed. 5. The operation unit accepts an operation related to position editing for changing position information of a processing point constituting the processing content with respect to the first data and the second data stored in the storage unit,
Based on the operation related to position editing received by the operation unit, the position information of the processing points constituting the processing content is changed with respect to the first data and the second data stored in the storage unit, The laser processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a position editing unit that performs editing related to a position of processing content. The operation unit accepts an operation related to density editing for changing information on scanning of the laser when processing the processing object according to the first data stored in the storage unit,
When processing the processing content by the laser by changing information on the laser scanning with respect to the first data stored in the storage unit based on an operation related to density editing received by the operation unit. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a density editing unit that performs editing related to the processing density.

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