JP2022067269A - Laser processing device and laser processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a laser processing device that prevents scattered matters such as fume or spatter generated during processing from adhering to a workpiece.SOLUTION: A laser processing device comprises an upper housing for holding a workpiece from the upper surface side and a lower housing for holding the workpiece from the lower surface side that is the opposite side from the upper surface. The upper housing includes a laser transmission window and forms an upper closed space defined by the upper housing and the workpiece on the inner side of the upper housing when the workpiece is held. An upper communication hole which allows communication between the inner side and the outer side of the upper closed space and though which fluid can be supplied to the upper closed space is formed in a portion of the upper housing. The lower housing forms a lower closed space defined by the lower housing and the workpiece on the inner side of the lower housing when the work is held. A lower communication hole which allows communication between the inner side and the outer side of the lower closed space and through which the fluid can be discharged from the lower closed space is formed in a portion of the lower housing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a laser processing apparatus and a laser processing system.

Devices for cutting a workpiece and drilling a workpiece (hereinafter collectively referred to as "laser machining" or simply "machining") using a laser beam are known. In such an apparatus, from the viewpoint of improving the quality of the product, it is required to suppress the adhesion of scattered substances such as fume and spatter generated during processing to the workpiece. For example, Patent Document 1 describes that a laser cutting apparatus suppresses adhesion of scattered objects by injecting blow gas toward a laser beam irradiation position for cutting a workpiece. For example, Patent Document 2 describes that in a metal plate laser melting process, the atmospheric pressure on the lower surface of the workpiece is reduced by 5 KPa or more to suck and remove the scattered material to the lower surface side of the workpiece. There is.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-225787 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-190590

However, in the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, although the adhesion of the scattered matter to the vicinity of the processed portion irradiated with the laser beam can be suppressed, the scattered matter is diffused to the surroundings by the gas flow, so that the place other than the vicinity of the processed portion is used. There was a problem that scattered matter might adhere to the surface. Further, in the technique described in Patent Document 2, the pressure difference between the upper surface (the surface on the side irradiated with the laser beam) and the lower surface (the surface opposite to the upper surface) of the workpiece is 1 atm (about 0.1 MPa). Since the above cannot be achieved, there is a problem that the scattered matter scattered around at high speed cannot be collected.

It should be noted that such a problem is not limited to a laser processing device having a laser light source, but a laser processing device used for laser processing using an external laser light source (in other words, a device for fixing a workpiece). ), And it was a problem common to laser processing systems equipped with a laser processing device.

The present invention has been made to solve at least a part of the above-mentioned problems, and in a laser processing apparatus used for laser processing an workpiece, scattered matter such as fume and spatter generated during processing. However, the purpose is to prevent it from adhering to the workpiece.

The present invention has been made to solve at least a part of the above-mentioned problems, and can be realized as the following forms.

(1) According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a laser processing apparatus used for laser processing an workpiece. This laser processing apparatus includes an upper housing for holding the workpiece from the upper surface side and a lower housing for holding the workpiece from the lower surface side opposite to the upper surface. The upper housing has a laser transmission window that transmits laser light for laser processing, and when the workpiece is sandwiched, the upper housing and the workpiece are inside the upper housing. An upper closed space is formed, and a part of the upper housing is formed with an upper communication hole that communicates the inside and outside of the upper closed space and can supply a fluid to the upper closed space. When the work piece is sandwiched, the lower housing forms a lower closed space inside the lower housing, which is partitioned by the lower housing and the work piece. A lower communication hole is formed in a part of the lower housing so as to communicate the inside and outside of the lower closed space and allow fluid to be discharged from the lower closed space.

According to this configuration, in the laser processing apparatus, when the upper housing sandwiches the workpiece, the upper housing forms an upper closed space partitioned by the upper housing and the workpiece inside the upper housing. When the work piece is sandwiched between the lower housings, the lower housing forms a lower closed space partitioned by the lower housing and the work piece inside the lower housing. Therefore, the fluid is supplied to the upper closed space through the upper communication hole, and the fluid is discharged from the lower closed space through the lower communication hole, whereby the upper surface of the workpiece (laser light is irradiated). A differential pressure can be generated between the lower surface (the surface opposite to the upper surface) and the lower surface (the surface opposite to the upper surface) to generate an air flow from the upper surface side to the lower surface side of the workpiece. The airflow generated from this differential pressure suppresses the adhesion of scattered objects such as fume and spatter generated during machining to the workpiece, and controls the scattering direction of the scattered objects to make the scattered objects the workpiece. It can be discharged to the lower surface side and collected. As a result, in the laser processing apparatus used for laser processing the workpiece, it is possible to prevent scattered objects such as fume and spatter generated during the machining from adhering to the workpiece. Further, according to the laser processing apparatus having this configuration, the generation of plumes formed on the upper surface of the workpiece is reduced by the air flow generated from the differential pressure between the upper surface and the lower surface of the workpiece. The plume is a light emitting body that may occur during processing, and hinders the arrival of the laser beam at the processing point, which causes a decrease in processing efficiency. By reducing the generation of such plumes, it is possible to improve the processing efficiency. Further, according to the laser machining apparatus of this configuration, in addition to discharging the fluid from the lower closed space, the fluid is supplied to the upper closed space, so that it is compared with the conventional configuration in which only the lower surface of the workpiece is depressurized. Therefore, the differential pressure between the upper surface and the lower surface of the workpiece can be set to 1 atm (about 0.1 MPa) or more, and scattered objects scattered around at high speed can be recovered.

(2) According to one embodiment of the present invention, a laser processing system is provided. This laser machining system includes a laser machining device of the above-described embodiment, a supply device connected to the upper communication hole of the laser machining device to supply a fluid to the upper closed space, and a control unit for controlling the supply device. , Equipped with.
According to this configuration, the laser machining system includes a laser machining device, a supply device that supplies fluid to the upper closed space, and a control unit that controls the supply device. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of scattered objects such as fume and spatter generated during processing to the workpiece, and it is possible to improve the processing efficiency. Further, by controlling the presence / absence of driving of the supply device and the supply amount of the fluid in the supply device by the control unit, it is possible to control the direction of the scattered matter and efficiently collect the scattered matter.

(3) In the laser processing system of the above embodiment, the laser processing system further includes a discharge device connected to the lower communication hole of the laser processing device to discharge the fluid from the lower closed space, and the control unit is the control unit. In addition to the supply device, the discharge device may be controlled.
According to this configuration, the laser machining system further includes a discharge device for discharging the fluid from the lower closed space, and the control unit controls the discharge device in addition to the supply device. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of scattered objects such as fume and spatter generated during processing to the workpiece, and it is possible to improve the processing efficiency. In addition, by controlling the presence / absence of driving of the supply device and the discharge device, and the supply amount and the discharge amount of the fluid in the supply device and the discharge device by the control unit, the direction control of the scattered matter and the more efficient recovery of the scattered matter are performed. Can be made possible.

(4) In the laser processing system of the above embodiment, the control unit is at least the supply device so that the differential pressure between the upper closed space and the lower closed space of the laser processing device is 0.1 MPa or more. The drive may be controlled.
According to this configuration, the control unit controls the drive of the supply device so that the differential pressure between the upper closed space and the lower closed space of the laser processing device is 0.1 MPa or more, so that the control unit scatters around at high speed. You can also collect scattered materials.

(5) In the laser processing system of the above embodiment, the control unit has such that the differential pressure between the upper closed space and the lower closed space of the laser processing device is 0.1 MPa or more and 0.25 MPa or less. In addition, at least the drive of the supply device may be controlled.
According to this configuration, the control unit controls the drive of the supply device so that the differential pressure between the upper closed space and the lower closed space of the laser processing device is 0.1 MPa or more, so that the control unit scatters around at high speed. You can also collect scattered materials. Further, the control unit controls the drive of the supply device so that the differential pressure between the upper closed space and the lower closed space of the laser processing device is 0.25 Mpa or less, so that the workpiece is foil-shaped (for example,). Even if the thickness is 10 μm or more and 300 μm or less), the scattered material can be recovered without causing the work piece to be broken or bent.

(6) In the laser processing system of the above embodiment, the upper housing of the laser processing apparatus further includes a pressure acquisition unit for acquiring the pressure in the upper closed space, and the control unit is provided by the pressure acquisition unit. The fluid supplied from the supply device to the upper closed space may be controlled so that the acquired pressure maintains a constant range.
According to this configuration, the control unit controls the fluid supplied from the supply device to the upper closed space so that the pressure acquired by the pressure acquisition unit maintains a constant range. By maintaining the pressure in the upper closed space within a certain range, the processing efficiency of the workpiece can be improved, and even if the workpiece is foil-shaped (for example, the thickness is 10 μm or more and 300 μm or less). Scattered material can be recovered without causing breakage or bending in the work piece.

(7) The laser processing system of the above embodiment further includes an image acquisition unit that acquires images of the upper closed space and the lower closed space, and the control unit captures an image acquired by the image acquisition unit. When the analysis shows that scattered matter is found on the upper surface side of the workpiece, the differential pressure between the upper closed space and the lower closed space may be increased.
According to this configuration, the control unit can automatically control the differential pressure between the upper closed space and the lower closed space using the image acquired by the image acquisition unit, thus improving the convenience of the laser processing system. can.

The present invention can be realized in various aspects, for example, a laser processing device used when laser processing a workpiece using an external laser light source, and a laser processing device including a laser light source. , Laser processing systems including laser processing equipment, control methods for these equipment and systems, computer programs executed in these equipment and systems, server equipment for distributing the computer programs, and non-temporary storage of the computer programs. It can be realized in the form of a medium or the like.

It is explanatory drawing which illustrates the schematic structure of the laser processing system. It is explanatory drawing which illustrates the schematic structure of the laser processing apparatus. It is explanatory drawing which illustrates the structure of the laser processing apparatus which fixed the workpiece. It is explanatory drawing which illustrates the cross-sectional structure in the line AA of FIG. It is a figure explaining the control by a control part. It is a figure which shows an example of the workpiece when laser processing was performed with the differential pressure as 0MPa. It is a figure which shows an example of the workpiece when laser processing was performed with the differential pressure as 0.1MPa. It is a figure which shows an example of the workpiece when laser processing was performed with the differential pressure as 0.2MPa. It is a graph which shows the relationship between a differential pressure and a scattered matter recovery rate. It is explanatory drawing which illustrates the cross-sectional structure of the laser processing apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which illustrates the schematic structure of the laser processing system of 3rd Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which illustrates the schematic structure of the laser processing system of 4th Embodiment.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a laser processing system 1. The laser processing system 1 is a system used for laser processing an workpiece. Here, "laser processing" or "processing" generally means that a work piece is changed by using a laser beam, such as cutting a work piece using a laser beam or drilling a hole in the work piece. do. The laser processing system 1 of the present embodiment is particularly suitable for processing a foil-shaped metal plate having a thickness of 10 μm or more and 300 μm or less by providing the laser processing apparatus 100 described later. The laser processing system 1 may be used for processing a plate-shaped metal plate thicker than 300 μm, a foil-shaped or plate-shaped ceramic plate, a foil-shaped or plate-shaped resin plate, or the like.

FIG. 1 illustrates XYZ axes that are orthogonal to each other. The X-axis corresponds to the width direction of the laser processing device 100, the Y-axis corresponds to the height direction of the laser processing device 100, and the Z-axis corresponds to the depth direction of the laser processing device 100. In the following description, the upper side (+ Y-axis direction) of FIG. 1 is referred to as the “upper side” of the laser processing device 100, and the lower side (−Y-axis direction) of FIG. 1 is referred to as the “lower side” of the laser processing device 100. These points are also common to FIGS. 1 and later.

The laser processing system 1 includes a laser processing device 100, a control unit 200, a laser light source 300, a supply device 400, and a discharge device 500. Details of the laser processing apparatus 100 will be described later in FIG. The control unit 200 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The CPU controls the laser light source 300, the supply device 400, and the discharge device 500, respectively, by expanding the computer program stored in the ROM into the RAM and executing the program.

The laser light source 300 is a laser oscillator that oscillates laser light of any kind (wavelength) such as a green laser and a blue laser. Regarding the laser light source 300, for example, the control unit 200 controls whether or not the laser light is transmitted from the laser light source 300, the wavelength, the output, the optical path, and the like. The supply device 400 is a gas supply device that supplies an arbitrary type of fluid such as air, argon (Ar) gas, and nitrogen (N) gas to the laser processing device 100. Regarding the supply device 400, for example, the control unit 200 controls whether or not the fluid is supplied from the supply device 400, the flow rate, the pressure, and the like. The discharge device 500 is a vacuum pump for discharging the fluid from the laser processing device 100. Regarding the discharge device 500, for example, the control unit 200 controls whether or not the fluid is discharged by the discharge device 500, the discharge amount (suction amount), and the like.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the laser processing apparatus 100. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of the laser machining apparatus 100 in which the workpiece TF is fixed. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the cross-sectional configuration of the line AA in FIG. The laser processing apparatus 100 includes upper housings 10, 20, 30 and lower housings 40, 50, 61.

The upper housings 10, 20, and 30 are housings for holding the workpiece TF (FIG. 2) from the upper surface side. The upper housings 10, 20, and 30 include a transparent window portion 10, a frame body 20, and a support body 30.

The transmission window portion 10 is a member constituting a transmission window that transmits the laser beam LA oscillated from the laser light source 300. As shown in FIG. 2, the transmission window portion 10 includes a flat plate-shaped plate 11 and a glass plate 12. A plurality of (six in the illustrated example) screw holes 13 are formed in the plate body 11. The glass plate 12 is a flat plate-like member made of a material capable of transmitting laser light LA (FIG. 2), such as quartz glass. The glass plate 12 functions as a “laser transmission window”. The plate body 11 is fixed to the frame body 20 in a state where the glass plate 12 is in contact with the upper surface 201 of the frame body 20 by fitting the screws 62 (FIG. 3) into the screw holes 13.

The frame body 20 is a member that accommodates the support body 30 and constitutes the upper outer frame of the laser processing apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. 2, the frame body 20 includes a flat plate-shaped main body portion 21 and leg portions 22 protruding downward from both ends (ends in the ± X-axis direction) of the main body portion 21. The lower surface 202 of the frame 20 is a flat surface. The main body 21 is formed with a through hole 25 penetrating the main body 21 in the height direction (Y-axis direction) from the upper surface 201 to the lower surface 211. An upper communication hole 23 that communicates the main body portion 21 is formed on the side surface of the main body portion 21 from the outside to the inside of the through hole 25. The upper communication hole 23 communicates with the inside and outside of the upper closed space 100a (FIG. 4), which will be described later.

The support 30 is a member that sandwiches the workpiece TF together with the support 40 and supports the workpiece TF. As shown in FIG. 2, the support 30 includes a main body portion 31 having a substantially C shape when viewed from the Y-axis direction, and an upper window portion 32 arranged in a gap on the side surface of the main body portion 31. There is. The lower surface 302 of the support 30 is a flat surface. The main body 31 and the upper window 32 are formed with through holes 35 penetrating the support 30 in the height direction (Y-axis direction) from the upper surface 301 to the lower surface 302. The upper window portion 32 is a flat plate-like member made of a transparent material such as quartz glass. The upper window portion 32 may be omitted. The support 30 is fitted and fixed to the frame 20 in a state where the upper surface 301 is in contact with the lower surface 211 of the frame 20. The support 30 and the frame 20 may be sealed by an O-ring or the like.

By having such a configuration, in the laser processing apparatus 100, the lower surface 202 of the frame body 20 and the lower surface 302 of the support 30 come into contact with the upper surface of the workpiece TF, whereby the workpiece TF is moved from above. Fix it. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, an upper closed space 100a partitioned by the upper housings 10, 20, 30 and the workpiece TF is formed inside the upper housings 10, 20, 30. .. As described above, the upper communication hole 23 communicates with the upper closed space 100a. Therefore, by connecting the supply device 400 (FIG. 1) to the upper communication hole 23, the fluid can be supplied from the supply device 400 into the upper closed space 100a.

The lower housings 40, 50, and 61 are housings for sandwiching the workpiece TF from the lower surface side (the surface opposite to the upper surface side). As shown in FIG. 2, the lower housings 40, 50, 61 include a support 40, a frame body 50, and a plate body 61.

The support 40 is a member that sandwiches the workpiece TF together with the support 30 and supports the workpiece TF. As shown in FIG. 2, the support 40 includes a main body portion 41 having a substantially C shape when viewed from the Y-axis direction, and a lower window portion 42 arranged in a gap on the side surface of the main body portion 41. I'm out. The upper surface 401 of the support 40 is a flat surface. The main body portion 41 and the lower window portion 42 are formed with through holes 45 penetrating the support 40 in the height direction (Y-axis direction) from the upper surface 401 to the lower surface 402. The lower window portion 42 is a flat plate-like member made of a transparent material such as quartz glass. The lower window portion 42 may be omitted. The support 40 is fitted and fixed to the frame 50 in a state where the upper surface 401 is in contact with the upper surface 511 of the frame 50. The support 40 and the frame 50 may be sealed by an O-ring or the like.

The frame body 50 is a member that accommodates the support body 40 and constitutes the lower outer frame of the laser processing apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. 2, the frame body 50 includes a flat plate-shaped main body portion 51 and leg portions 52 protruding upward from both ends (ends in the ± X-axis direction) of the main body portion 51. The upper surface 501 of the frame body 50 is a flat surface. The main body 51 is formed with a through hole 55 penetrating the main body 51 in the height direction (Y-axis direction) from the upper surface 511 to the lower surface 502. A lower communication hole 53 that communicates the main body 51 is formed on the side surface of the main body 51 from the outside to the inside of the through hole 55. The lower communication hole 53 communicates with the inside and outside of the lower closed space 100b (FIG. 4), which will be described later.

The plate body 61 (FIG. 3) is a flat plate-shaped member. The plate body 61 is fixed to the lower surface 502 of the frame body 50 and supports the support body 40 and the frame body 50. The plate body 11, the frame body 20, the main body portion 31, the main body portion 41, the frame body 50, the plate body 61, and the screw 62 can be formed of any metal material.

By having such a configuration, in the laser processing apparatus 100, the upper surface 501 of the frame body 50 and the upper surface 401 of the support 40 come into contact with the lower surface of the workpiece TF, so that the workpiece TF is lowered. Fix from. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, inside the lower housings 40, 50, 61, there is a lower closed space 100b partitioned by the lower housings 40, 50, 61 and the workpiece TF. It is formed. As described above, the lower communication hole 53 communicates with the lower closed space 100b. Therefore, by connecting the discharge device 500 (FIG. 1) to the lower communication hole 53, the discharge device 500 can discharge the fluid from the lower closed space 100b.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating control by the control unit 200. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the control unit 200 oscillates the laser beam LA from the laser light source 300 at an arbitrary wavelength, output, and optical path while the workpiece TF is sandwiched between the laser processing devices 100. Further, the control unit 200 performs any of the following processes a1 to a3 so that the pressure difference between the upper closed space 100a and the lower closed space 100b (hereinafter, also referred to as “differential pressure”) becomes “0”. It is controlled to be "1 MPa or more". The control unit 200 performs any of the following processes a1 to a3 so that the differential pressure between the upper closed space 100a and the lower closed space 100b is "0.1 MPa or more and 0.25 MPa or less". It may be controlled so as to be. In order to increase the differential pressure, it is preferable to perform the treatment a3.
(A1) The control unit 200 supplies an arbitrary type of fluid from the supply device 400 at an arbitrary flow rate and pressure.
(A2) The control unit 200 drives the discharge device 500 with an arbitrary suction amount.
(A3) The control unit 200 supplies an arbitrary type of fluid from the supply device 400 at an arbitrary flow rate and pressure, and drives the discharge device 500 at an arbitrary suction amount.

As described above, in the laser machining system 1, a differential pressure of 0.1 MPa or more is generated between the upper closed space 100a and the lower closed space 100b (in other words, between the upper surface and the lower surface of the workpiece TF). As shown in FIG. 5A, the airflow AF from the upper surface side to the lower surface side of the workpiece TF is generated. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5B, the airflow AF can prevent the scattered matter SP such as fume and spatter generated during the machining from adhering to the workpiece TF. Further, the airflow AF controls the scattering direction of the scattered object SP to be lower than the processing point P (lower surface side of the workpiece TF), and the scattered object SP can be discharged to the lower surface side of the workpiece TF. Further, the scattered matter SP can be collected in the lower closed space 100b. If the treatment a2 or the treatment a3 is performed, the scattered matter SP can be more effectively recovered by the discharge device 500.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a workpiece TF when laser machining is performed with a differential pressure of 0 MPa. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a workpiece TF when laser machining is performed with a differential pressure of 0.1 MPa. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a workpiece TF when laser machining is performed with a differential pressure of 0.2 MPa. In FIGS. 6 to 8 thereafter, the scattering state of the scattered matter SP is high through the upper window portion 32 and the lower window portion 42 while changing the differential pressure between the upper closed space 100a and the lower closed space 100b. The image taken by the speed camera is shown.

When there is no differential pressure (0 MPa) between the upper closed space 100a and the lower closed space 100b, as shown in FIG. 6, a plume PM is formed above the laser processing point P by the laser beam LA, and the plume PM is formed. It can be seen that the scattered matter SP scatters relatively upward (upper surface TF1 side). When the differential pressure is 0.1 MPa, as shown in FIG. 7, it can be seen that many scattered matter SPs are scattered below the processing point P (lower surface TF2 side). This is an action caused by the airflow AF described with reference to FIG. 5, and the scattered matter SP on the lower surface TF2 side can be recovered by the lower closed space 100b (and the discharge device 500). When the differential pressure is 0.2 MPa, as shown in FIG. 8, almost all the scattered matter SP is scattered on the lower side (lower surface TF2 side) than the processing point P and is recognized on the upper side (upper surface TF1 side). I know I can't. This is an action caused by the airflow AF described with reference to FIG. 5, and the scattered matter SP on the lower surface TF2 side can be recovered by the lower closed space 100b (and the discharge device 500).

FIG. 9 is a graph showing the relationship between the differential pressure and the scattered matter recovery rate. In FIG. 9, the scattered matter recovery rate (%) was obtained while changing the differential pressure from 0 Mpa to 0.2 Mpa. The scattered matter recovery rate (%) was obtained by applying the following formula 1 to the scattered matter SP reflected in one frame among the high-speed camera images taken by the same method as in FIGS. 6 to 8.
Scattered material recovery rate (%) = number of scattered materials on the lower surface side / total number of scattered materials ... (1)

As shown in FIG. 9, as the differential pressure between the upper closed space 100a and the lower closed space 100b increases, the scattered matter recovery rate improves. Further, when the differential pressure is increased to about 0.2 MPa, the scattered matter recovery rate becomes close to 100%, almost all the scattered matter SP is discharged to the lower surface TF2 side, and the lower closed space 100b (and the discharge device 500) is used. It can be recovered. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, in the conventional configuration in which the upper limit of the pressure difference between the upper surface and the lower surface of the workpiece TF is 1 atm (about 0.1 MPa), it is compared with the case where the differential pressure is 0.2 MPa. As a result, the recovery rate of scattered materials remains less than 80%. In other words, in the laser processing system 1 of the present embodiment, by setting the differential pressure to 0.2 MPa, the scattered matter recovery rate can be improved by 20% or more as compared with the conventional configuration.

When the workpiece TF is foil-shaped, the upper limit of the differential pressure between the upper closed space 100a and the lower closed space 100b is set to 0.25 Mpa in order to suppress the damage of the workpiece TF. Is preferable. However, when the workpiece TF is plate-shaped, the differential pressure between the upper closed space 100a and the lower closed space 100b may be larger than 0.25 Mpa.

As described above, according to the laser processing apparatus 100 of the first embodiment, when the upper housings 10, 20, and 30 sandwich the workpiece TF, the upper housings 10, 20, and 30 are inside the upper housings 10, 20, and 30. The upper closed space 100a partitioned by the housings 10, 20, 30 and the workpiece TF is formed, and the lower housings 40, 50, 61 form the lower housing when the workpiece TF is sandwiched. Inside the 40, 50, 61, a lower closed space 100b partitioned by the lower housings 40, 50, 61 and the workpiece TF is formed. Therefore, the fluid is supplied to the upper closed space 100a through the upper communication hole 23, and the fluid is discharged from the lower closed space 100b through the lower communication hole 53, thereby causing the upper surface of the workpiece TF to be discharged. A differential pressure is generated between TF1 (the surface on which the laser beam LA is irradiated) and the lower surface TF2 (the surface opposite to the upper surface) to create an airflow AF from the upper surface side to the lower surface side of the workpiece TF. Can be caused. The airflow AF generated from this differential pressure suppresses the adhesion of scattered matter SP such as fume and spatter generated during machining to the workpiece TF, and controls the scattering direction of the scattered matter SP to control the scattered matter SP. Can be discharged to the lower surface side of the workpiece TF and collected. As a result, in the laser machining apparatus 100 used for laser machining the workpiece TF, it is possible to prevent the scattered matter SP such as fume and spatter generated during machining from adhering to the workpiece TF.

Further, according to the laser processing apparatus 100 of the first embodiment, the plume PM formed on the upper surface TF1 of the workpiece TF by the airflow AF generated from the differential pressure between the upper surface TF1 and the lower surface TF2 of the workpiece TF. Is reduced (FIGS. 7 and 8). The plume PM is a light emitting body that may occur during processing, and hinders the arrival of the laser beam LA at the processing point P, which causes a decrease in processing efficiency. By reducing the generation of such plume PM, the laser processing apparatus 100 of the first embodiment can improve the processing efficiency.

Further, according to the laser processing apparatus 100 of the first embodiment, in addition to discharging the fluid from the lower closed space 100b, the fluid is supplied to the upper closed space 100a, so that only the lower surface TF2 of the workpiece TF is used. Compared with the conventional configuration of depressurizing, the differential pressure between the upper surface TF1 and the lower surface TF2 of the workpiece TF can be set to 1 atm (about 0.1 MPa) or more, and it scatters to the surroundings at high speed. Scattered material SP can also be collected.

Further, according to the laser processing system 1 of the first embodiment, the laser processing device 100, the supply device 400 that supplies the fluid to the upper closed space 100a, and the discharge device that discharges the fluid from the lower closed space 100b. The 500 is provided with a control unit 200 for controlling the supply device 400 and the discharge device 500. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the scattered matter SP such as fume and spatter generated during machining from adhering to the workpiece TF, and it is possible to improve the machining efficiency. Further, according to the process a1, the control unit 200 controls whether or not the supply device 400 is driven and the amount of fluid supplied (fluid flow rate) in the supply device 400 to control the direction of the scattered matter SP and the scattered matter. Efficient recovery of SP can be made possible. Further, according to the process a3, the control unit 200 determines whether or not the supply device 400 and the discharge device 500 are driven, and the fluid supply amount (fluid flow rate) and discharge amount (suction amount) in the supply device 400 and the discharge device 500. By controlling, it is possible to control the direction of the scattered matter SP and more efficiently collect the scattered matter SP.

Further, according to the laser processing system 1 of the first embodiment, the control unit 200 supplies the laser processing apparatus 100 so that the differential pressure between the upper closed space 100a and the lower closed space 100b is 0.1 MPa or more. Since the drive of the device 400 and the discharge device 500 is controlled, the scattered matter SP scattered around at high speed can also be collected. Further, the control unit 200 controls the drive of the supply device 400 and the discharge device 500 so that the differential pressure between the upper closed space 100a and the lower closed space 100b of the laser processing device 100 is 0.25 Mpa or less. Even if the workpiece TF is in the form of a foil (for example, the thickness is 10 μm or more and 300 μm or less), the scattered material SP can be recovered without causing the workpiece TF to break or bend.

<Second Embodiment>
FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a cross-sectional configuration of the laser processing apparatus 100A of the second embodiment. The laser processing apparatus 100A of the second embodiment includes the support 30A instead of the support 30, and the support 40A instead of the support 40. The support 30A does not include the upper window portion 32 described in the first embodiment, and the support 40A does not include the lower window portion 42 described in the first embodiment. As described above, the configuration of the laser processing apparatus 100A can be variously changed, and a transparent window portion (upper window portion 32, lower window portion) for visually recognizing the inside of the upper closed space 100a and the lower closed space 100b can be changed. 42) may not be provided. Even with such a laser processing apparatus 100A of the second embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment described above can be obtained.

<Third Embodiment>
FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the laser machining system 1B of the third embodiment. The laser processing system 1B of the third embodiment includes a laser processing device 100B instead of the laser processing device 100, and a control unit 200B instead of the control unit 200. The laser processing apparatus 100B further has a pressure acquisition unit 29 in addition to the configuration described in the first embodiment.

The pressure acquisition unit 29 is a pressure sensor that acquires the pressure inside the upper closed space 100a. The pressure acquisition unit 29 acquires the pressure inside the upper closed space 100a at any time, and transmits the acquired pressure to the control unit 200B at any time. The control unit 200B controls at least one of the flow rate of the fluid supplied from the supply device 400 and the pressure so that the pressure received from the pressure acquisition unit 29 (the pressure inside the upper closed space 100a) is maintained within a certain range. Change (first embodiment: process a1 or process a3). The pressure range is predetermined and stored in the control unit 200B. The pressure range may be registered or changed by the user of the laser processing system 1B.

As described above, the configuration of the laser machining system 1B can be variously changed, and the pressure acquisition unit 29 may be used to perform feedback control so that the pressure in the upper closed space 100a is maintained within a certain range. .. The laser machining apparatus 100B and the laser machining system 1B of the third embodiment can also achieve the same effects as those of the first embodiment described above. Further, according to the laser processing system 1B of the third embodiment, the control unit 200B supplies the pressure acquired by the pressure acquisition unit 29 from the supply device 400 to the upper closed space 100a so as to maintain a constant range. Control the fluid. By maintaining the pressure in the upper closed space 100a within a certain range, the processing efficiency of the workpiece TF can be improved, and the workpiece TF is foil-shaped (for example, the thickness is 10 μm or more and 300 μm or less). However, the scattered material SP can be recovered without causing the work piece TF to break or bend.

<Fourth Embodiment>
FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the laser machining system 1C of the fourth embodiment. The laser machining system 1C of the fourth embodiment includes a control unit 200C instead of the control unit 200, and further includes a high-speed camera 600.

The high-speed camera 600 is arranged at a position where the inside of the upper closed space 100a and the lower closed space 100b can be photographed from the transparent window portion (upper window portion 32, lower window portion 42). The high-speed camera 600 captures the state of the upper closed space 100a and the lower closed space 100b at any time, and transmits the captured images to the control unit 200C at any time. The control unit 200C analyzes an image received from the high-speed camera 600, and when a scattered object SP is found on the upper surface TF1 side of the workpiece TF, the difference between the upper closed space 100a and the lower closed space 100b. The supply device 400 and the discharge device 500 are controlled so as to increase the pressure (first embodiment: processes a1 to a3). The high-speed camera 600 functions as an "image acquisition unit".

As described above, the configuration of the laser processing system 1C can be variously changed, and the differential pressure between the upper closed space 100a and the lower closed space 100b may be automatically controlled by using the high-speed camera 600. .. The same effect as that of the above-described first embodiment can be obtained by the laser processing apparatus 100 and the laser processing system 1C of the fourth embodiment as well. Further, according to the laser processing system 1C of the fourth embodiment, the control unit 200C automatically determines the differential pressure between the upper closed space 100a and the lower closed space 100b by using the image obtained from the high-speed camera 600. Therefore, the convenience of the laser processing system 1C can be improved.

<Modified example of this embodiment>
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be carried out in various embodiments without departing from the gist thereof, and for example, the following modifications are also possible. Further, in the above embodiment, a part of the configuration realized by the hardware may be replaced with software, and conversely, a part of the configuration realized by the software may be replaced with the hardware. You may.

[Modification 1]
In the first to fourth embodiments, an example of the configuration of the laser machining systems 1, 1B and 1C is shown. However, the configuration of the laser processing system 1 can be changed in various ways. For example, at least a part of the control unit 200, the laser light source 300, the supply device 400, and the discharge device 500 may be built in the laser processing device 100. For example, at least one of the supply device 400 and the discharge device 500 may be omitted.

[Modification 2]
In the first to fourth embodiments, an example of the configuration of the laser machining apparatus 100, 100A, 100B is shown. However, the configuration of the laser processing apparatus 100 can be changed in various ways. For example, a part of the above-mentioned configuration (for example, the main body portion 21 and the main body portion 31, the main body portion 41, the main body portion 51, the plate body 61, etc.) may be integrally formed. For example, the upper communication hole 23 may be provided with an attachment portion for attaching the supply device 400, and the upper communication hole 23 may be provided with a sealing member for keeping the inside of the upper closed space 100a airtight. It may be done. Similarly, the lower communication hole 53 may be provided with an attachment portion for attaching the discharge device 500, and the lower communication hole 53 may be sealed to keep the inside of the lower closed space 100b airtight. A stop member may be provided. For example, the upper communication hole 23 may be provided in the leg portion 22, and the lower communication hole 53 may be provided in the leg portion 52.

[Modification 3]
The configurations of the first to fourth embodiments, the laser processing systems 1, 1B and 1C of the modifications 1 and 2 above, and the laser processing devices 100, 100A and 100B may be appropriately combined. For example, in the laser processing system 1 of the third embodiment and the laser processing system 1 of the fourth embodiment, the laser processing apparatus 100 of the second embodiment may be adopted. In the laser processing system 1 of the fourth embodiment, when the laser processing apparatus 100 of the second embodiment without a transparent window portion (upper window portion 32, lower window portion 42) is adopted, the high-speed camera 600 is mounted on the upper side. It may be arranged inside the closed space 100a and the lower closed space 100b. For example, the laser machining system 1 may be configured to perform both feedback control by the pressure acquisition unit 29 of the third embodiment and control by the high-speed camera 600 of the fourth embodiment.

Although this embodiment has been described above based on the embodiments and modifications, the embodiments described above are for facilitating the understanding of the present embodiment and do not limit the present embodiment. This aspect may be modified or improved without departing from its spirit and claims, and this aspect includes its equivalent. Further, if the technical feature is not described as essential in the present specification, it may be deleted as appropriate.

1,1B, 1C ... Laser processing system 10, 20, 30 ... Upper housing 10 ... Transmission window 11 ... Plate 12 ... Glass plate 13 ... Screw hole 20 ... Frame 21 ... Main body 22 ... Leg 23 ... Upper side Communication hole 25 ... Through hole 29 ... Pressure acquisition part 30, 30A ... Support 31 ... Main body 32 ... Upper window 35 ... Through hole 40, 50, 61 ... Lower housing 40, 40A ... Support 41 ... Main body 42 ... Lower window 45 ... Through hole 50 ... Frame 51 ... Main body 52 ... Leg 53 ... Lower communication hole 55 ... Through hole 61 ... Plate 100, 100A, 100B ... Laser processing device 100a ... Upper closed space 100b ... Lower closed space 200, 200B, 200C ... Control unit 300 ... Laser light source 400 ... Supply device 500 ... Discharge device 600 ... High speed camera

Claims (7)

A laser processing device used for laser processing of workpieces.
An upper housing for sandwiching the work piece from the upper surface side, and
A lower housing for holding the workpiece from the lower surface side opposite to the upper surface, and
Equipped with
The upper housing is
It has a laser transmission window that transmits the laser light for laser processing.
When the work piece is sandwiched, an upper closed space partitioned by the upper case and the work piece is formed inside the upper case.
An upper communication hole that communicates the inside and outside of the upper closed space and can supply a fluid to the upper closed space is formed in a part of the upper housing.
The lower housing is
When the work piece is sandwiched, a lower closed space partitioned by the lower case and the work piece is formed inside the lower case.
A laser processing apparatus in which a lower communication hole is formed in a part of the lower housing so as to communicate the inside and outside of the lower closed space and allow fluid to be discharged from the lower closed space. It ’s a laser processing system.
The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1 and
A supply device connected to the upper communication hole of the laser processing device and supplying fluid to the upper closed space, and a supply device.
A control unit that controls the supply device,
A laser machining system. The laser processing system according to claim 2, further
A discharge device connected to the lower communication hole of the laser processing device and discharging fluid from the lower closed space is provided.
The control unit is a laser processing system that controls the discharge device in addition to the supply device. The laser processing system according to claim 2 or 3.
The control unit is a laser processing system that controls at least the driving of the supply device so that the differential pressure between the upper closed space and the lower closed space of the laser processing device is 0.1 MPa or more. The laser processing system according to claim 2 or 3.
The control unit controls at least the drive of the supply device so that the differential pressure between the upper closed space and the lower closed space of the laser processing device is 0.1 MPa or more and 0.25 MPa or less. , Laser processing system. The laser processing system according to any one of claims 2 to 5.
The upper housing of the laser processing apparatus further includes a pressure acquisition unit for acquiring the pressure in the upper closed space.
The control unit is a laser processing system that controls a fluid supplied from the supply device to the upper closed space so that the pressure acquired by the pressure acquisition unit maintains a constant range. The laser processing system according to any one of claims 2 to 6, further comprising.
An image acquisition unit for acquiring images of the upper closed space and the lower closed space is provided.
The control unit analyzes the image acquired by the image acquisition unit, and when scattered objects are found on the upper surface side of the workpiece, the differential pressure between the upper closed space and the lower closed space. A laser processing system that raises the temperature.

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