JP7455289B1 - laser processing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

The laser processing device (100) performs laser processing by concentrating a laser beam (3) with an fθ lens (4) and irradiating the laser beam on a workpiece (25). The laser processing device (100) includes a protective window (5), a holder (6), a first air nozzle (7) for spraying a first air (A1), a dust collection duct (12) having a first opening (12a) and a second opening (12b), a second air nozzle (9) for spraying a second air (A2), a duct exhaust port (11), and a dust collection device (40) having a suction device (20) for sucking the second air (A2). The first opening (12a) and the second opening (12b) have an opening shape capable of surrounding the protective window (5), and the second air nozzle (9) sprays the second air (A2) over a range wider than the diameter of the protective window (5).

Description

The present disclosure relates to a laser processing device.

A laser processing device that performs high-speed drilling or cutting on a workpiece such as a printed wiring board has a processing head equipped with a lens and a protective window that protects the lens. Such a laser processing apparatus condenses laser light output from a laser oscillator using a condenser lens to perform laser processing on a workpiece. The protective window blocks out spatter, interfering gas, and dust generated by laser processing, and prevents damage to the lens. When the protective window is exposed to spatter, interfering gases, and dust, the surface of the protective window deteriorates and is damaged, resulting in poor cleaning, replacement, and processing.

Patent Document 1 discloses a cover glass that protects a condensing lens from debris that scatters when laser processing a workpiece, an air injection nozzle that sprays air toward the cover glass to remove debris, and a device that removes debris. A downflow generation section that generates a downflow that suppresses intrusion into the cover glass side, an outside air introduction path, and a suction flow path are provided. Debris scattered upward by the air injection nozzle and downflow generation section is guided downward without reaching the cover glass and collected in the suction channel.

JP2022-046068A

Patent Document 1 employs an air curtain that introduces outside air with a configuration that includes an outside air introduction path and a suction flow path, but because the straightness of the air is poor and the air volume is small, variations in the protective ability of the air curtain occur. , the protective performance of the protective window is reduced.

The present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and aims to provide a laser processing device that improves the protection performance of a protection window and realizes stable laser processing.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the purpose, a laser processing apparatus of the present disclosure performs laser processing in which laser light is focused by a condensing lens and irradiated onto a workpiece. The laser processing device includes a protective window provided on the downstream side of the optical path of the condensing lens, a holder that holds the condensing lens and the protective window, a first air nozzle that injects first air toward the protective window, and a laser beam. A collection having a first opening through which the air passes, a second opening on the downstream side of the optical path from the first opening, a second air nozzle that injects the second air, and a duct exhaust port that is a recovery port for the second air. The dust collection device includes a dust duct and a suction device that sucks second air from the duct exhaust port. The first opening and the second opening have opening shapes large enough to surround the protective window. The second air nozzle injects the second air to a wider area than the diameter of the protection window.

According to the laser processing apparatus of the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the protection performance of the protection window and realize stable laser processing.

A diagram showing a schematic configuration of a laser processing device according to an embodiment. A bottom view showing the configuration of a dust collection duct of the laser processing device according to the embodiment.

Below, a laser processing apparatus according to an embodiment will be described in detail based on the drawings.

Embodiment.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a laser processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing the configuration of the dust collection duct 12 of the laser processing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment. The laser processing apparatus 100 includes a laser oscillator 1, a reflecting mirror 2, an fθ lens 4 as a condensing lens, a protective window 5, a holder 6 as a first holder, a dust sensor 13, a Z-axis box 16 as a second holder, and a condenser. It includes a dust device 40, a first high pressure air supply source 21 as a first air supply source, a second high pressure air supply source 22 as a second air supply source, a control device 24, and an XY table 26. The dust collector 40 has a dust collection duct 12 and a suction device 20. The laser processing apparatus 100 performs laser processing in which a laser beam 3 is focused by an fθ lens 4 and irradiated onto a workpiece 25 . In FIG. 1, an X, Y, Z coordinate system is shown. Although the Z direction will be described as an up-down direction, other implementations are also possible.

A laser oscillator 1 emits laser light 3 as a pulse wave. Laser light 3 emitted from laser oscillator 1 is guided to fθ lens 4 via reflection mirror 2 . The reflecting mirror 2 reflects the laser beam 3 and guides it downstream of the optical path. The reflecting mirrors 2 are arranged at various positions on the optical path within the laser processing apparatus 100.

The fθ lens 4 focuses the laser beam 3 onto the workpiece 25. A workpiece 25 to be processed is placed on an XY table 26 . The workpiece 25 is, for example, a printed wiring board. The XY table 26 is movable in the two-dimensional directions of the X direction and the Y direction by a drive mechanism (not shown). By irradiating the workpiece 25 with the laser beam 3, the workpiece 25 is drilled or cut.

A holder 6 is housed and fixed within the Z-axis box 16. The holder 6 has, for example, a cylindrical shape. The fθ lens 4 and the protective window 5 are attached to the inside of the holder 6, and the holder 6 holds the fθ lens 4 and the protective window 5. The protective window 5 is provided below the fθ lens 4 on the downstream side of the optical path. The protective window 5 is provided between the fθ lens 4 and the workpiece 25. The protective window 5 shields spatter B1, interfering gas B2, or dust B3 generated during processing of the workpiece 25, and protects the fθ lens 4.

A plurality of first air nozzles 7 are provided on the side surface of the holder 6. The plurality of first air nozzles 7 are connected to a first high-pressure air supply source 21 via a first air pipe 18. The first air nozzle 7 injects first air A1 toward the protection window 5. That is, the plurality of first air nozzles 7 are provided below the protection window 5 and are inclined obliquely so that the first air A1 is injected with high pressure air in the direction of the protection window 5 from diagonally downward. This cools the protective window 5 and prevents a change in the refractive index of the protective window 5 due to heat input from the laser beam 3 and processing defects caused by the change. The first air A1 reflected by the protection window 5 changes its direction downward and pushes back the spatter B1, interference gas B2, or dust B3 generated from the workpiece 25 downward.

A dust collection duct 12 is provided below the holder 6 to prevent spatter B1, interfering gas B2, or dust B3 from being released to the outside. The dust collection duct 12 is attached to the lower side of the Z-axis box 16 by a first bolt joint 14 and a second bolt joint 15, and is not in contact with the holder 6. That is, a gap 8 is provided between the holder 6 and the dust collection duct 12. By preventing direct contact between the dust collection duct 12 and the holder 6, negative pressure vibrations of the suction device 20, which will be described later, are prevented from propagating to the fθ lens 4. The distance between the dust collection duct 12 and the Z-axis box 16 can be adjusted by adjusting the vertical nut positions of the first bolt joint 14 and the second bolt joint 15.

The dust collecting duct 12 has a first opening 12a on the upper side through which the laser beam 3 passes, and a second opening through which the laser beam 3 passes on the lower side so that the laser beam 3 can irradiate the workpiece 25. It has a section 12b. The first opening 12a and the second opening 12b have openings perpendicular to the optical axis of the laser beam 3. FIG. 2 shows the dust collection duct 12 viewed from below. The dust collection duct 12 includes a second air nozzle 9 that is a spout of the second air A2, and a duct exhaust port 11 that is a recovery port of the second air A2. The second air nozzle 9 is connected to a second high-pressure air supply source 22 via a second air pipe 19. Clean second air A2 is supplied from the second high-pressure air supply source 22 to the second air nozzle 9 via the second air pipe 19. Clean second air A2 is injected from the second air nozzle 9 into the dust collecting duct 12 in the X direction so as to intersect with the laser beam 3.

As shown in FIG. 2, the second air nozzle 9 has an opening extending in the Y direction, and the length of the opening of the second air nozzle 9 in the Y direction is larger than the diameter of the protective window 5. That is, the second air nozzle 9 injects the second air A2 along the surface of the protective window 5 to a wider range than the diameter of the protective window 5. Therefore, the second air A2 parallel to the protection window 5 can be injected from the second air nozzle 9 over a wider range than the outer diameter of the protection window 5. The second air nozzle 9 has an angle adjustment mechanism with respect to the Z direction, and can be adjusted to an optimal air emission angle. As shown in FIG. 2, the duct exhaust port 11 is desirably an opening that extends long in the Y direction, similar to the second air nozzle 9.

The duct exhaust port 11 is connected to a suction device 20 via an air pipe 17. The suction device 20 generates suction force (negative pressure). The suction device 20 generates a negative pressure A3 from the duct exhaust port 11, and collects spatter B1, interfering gas B2, and dust B3 in the dust collection duct 12. In this way, the second air nozzle 9, the duct exhaust port 11, and the suction device 20 realize the air curtain function.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first opening 12a on the upper side has a circular shape, and the second opening 12b on the lower side has a shape that is a combination of a semicircular shape and a rectangular shape. The upper first opening 12a has a circular shape with a diameter larger than the diameter of the protective window 5. The lower second opening 12b has a semicircular shape with a diameter larger than the diameter of the protective window 5 on the left side (-X side), and has a semicircular shape with a diameter larger than the diameter of the protective window 5 on the right side (+X side). It has a rectangular shape with two sides and two sides in the X direction that are larger than the radius of the protection window 5. In this way, the first opening 12a and the second opening 12b have an opening shape large enough to surround the protective window 5.

As shown in FIG. 2, the second opening 12b is an opening on the right side (+X side) from the center line 30 than the area of the opening area on the left side (-X side) from the center line 30 extending in the Y direction of the protective window 5. The area of the region is larger. Regarding the second opening 12b, if the opening area on the duct exhaust port 11 side from the center line 30 is formed larger than the opening area on the second air nozzle 9 side from the center line 30, then the duct exhaust port Other shapes may be adopted for the opening shape on the 11 side and the opening shape on the second air nozzle 9 side from the center line 30. The center line 30 is a straight line extending in the ±Y direction from the position in the X direction through which the laser beam 3 passes. The center line 30 can also be said to be a straight line extending in the ±Y direction from the circle center of the protective window 5, and when the first opening 12a has a circular shape, the center line 30 extends in the ±Y direction from the circle center of the first opening 12a. It can also be said that it is a straight line that extends.

The dust sensor 13 measures the amount of dust in the dust collection duct 12. The dust to be measured includes sputter B1, interfering gas B2, or dust B3. It is preferable that the dust sensor 13 be provided near the duct exhaust port 11. The amount measured by the dust sensor 13 is input to the control device 24 . The control device 24 is connected to the dust sensor 13, the suction device 20, the first high pressure air supply source 21, and the second high pressure air supply source 22. The control device 24 stores processing conditions for laser processing and workpiece information that is information about the workpiece 25. The processed work information includes the material, thickness, etc. of the processed work. The control device 24 controls the air volume of the first air nozzle 7 by the first high-pressure air supply source 21 and the second air nozzle by the second high-pressure air supply source 22 based on the measured value of the dust sensor 13, the processing conditions of the laser processing, and the processed workpiece information. 9 and the suction force (negative pressure) of the suction device 20.

In the embodiment, the first opening 12a and the second opening 12b have an opening shape large enough to surround the protective window 5. Further, the second air nozzle 9 injects the second air A2 along the surface of the protective window 5 to an area wider than the diameter of the protective window 5. Therefore, in the embodiment, the straightness of the second air A2 is improved, the air volume is increased, the protection ability of the air curtain is stabilized, and the protection ability of the protection window 5 by the air curtain is improved.

Furthermore, in the second opening 12b, the opening area on the duct exhaust port 11 side from the center line 30 is formed larger than the opening area on the second air nozzle 9 side from the center line 30, so that the inside of the dust collection duct 12 The generation of turbulence on the side of the duct exhaust port 11 can be suppressed, and the dust collection efficiency and air curtain strength can be prevented from decreasing.

Further, in the embodiment, a gap 8 is provided between the dust collection duct 12 and the holder 6 to prevent direct contact between the dust collection duct 12 and the holder 6. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the negative pressure vibration of the suction device 20 from propagating to the fθ lens 4, and it is possible to prevent processing defects.

In addition, in the embodiment, since clean first air A1 and second air A2 are supplied from the first high-pressure air supply source 21 and the second high-pressure air supply source 22, spatter, interfering gas, and dust are removed from the outside air. Even when the window is full, clean first air A1 and second air A2 can be supplied, and the risk of damage to the protection window 5 can be reduced.

Further, in the embodiment, the control device 24 controls the air volume of the first air nozzle 7 by the first high-pressure air supply source 21 and the second high-pressure air flow rate based on the measured value of the dust sensor 13, the processing conditions of the laser processing, and the processed workpiece information. Since the air volume of the second air nozzle 9 and the suction force (negative pressure) of the suction device 20 are controlled by the supply source 22, it is possible to optimize the protection ability of the protection window 5. By optimizing the protective ability of the protective window 5 when the machining conditions, workpiece, or factory environment changes, damage to the protective window 5, spatter B1, interfering gas B2, and dust in the environment or on the workpiece 25 can be avoided. It is possible to prevent B3 from remaining.

The configurations shown in the embodiments above are examples of the content of the present disclosure, and can be combined with other known techniques, or the embodiments can be combined with each other, It is also possible to omit or change a part of the configuration without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

1 Laser oscillator, 2 Reflection mirror, 3 Laser beam, 4 fθ lens, 5 Protective window, 6 Holder, 7 First air nozzle, 8 Gap, 9 Second air nozzle, 11 Duct exhaust port, 12 Dust collection duct, 12a First opening part, 12b second opening, 13 dust sensor, 14 first bolt joint, 15 second bolt joint, 16 Z-axis box, 17 air piping, 18 first air piping, 19 second air piping, 20 suction device , 21 first high pressure air supply source, 22 second high pressure air supply source, 24 control device, 25 workpiece, 26 XY table, 30 center line, 40 dust collector, 100 laser processing device, A1 first air, A2 Secondary air, B1 spatter, B2 interfering gas, B3 dust.

Claims (8)

A laser processing device that performs laser processing by condensing laser light with a condensing lens and irradiating it onto a workpiece,
a protective window provided on the downstream side of the optical path of the condensing lens;
a holder that holds the condenser lens and the protective window;
a first air nozzle that injects first air toward the protective window;
A first opening through which the laser beam passes, a second opening on the downstream side of the optical path from the first opening, a second air nozzle that injects second air, and a duct exhaust that is a recovery port for the second air. a dust collection device having a dust collection duct having a mouth, and a suction device that sucks the second air from the duct exhaust port,
The first opening and the second opening have an opening shape large enough to surround the protective window,
The laser processing apparatus is characterized in that the second air nozzle injects the second air to a wider range than the diameter of the protection window. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second air nozzle injects the second air along the surface of the protection window. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second opening has a larger opening area on the duct exhaust port side from the center line than on the second air nozzle side from the center line. The first holder, which is the holder, is housed and fixed in a second holder,
The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the dust collection duct is fixed to the downstream side of the optical path of the second holder at a distance from the first holder. a first air supply source that supplies the first clean air to the first air nozzle;
The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a second air supply source that supplies the second clean air to the second air nozzle. a dust sensor that measures the amount of dust in the dust collection duct;
a control device that controls the air volume of the first air nozzle, the air volume of the second air nozzle, and the suction force of the dust collector based on the measurement value of the dust sensor, the processing conditions of the laser processing, and information on the workpiece; The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising the following. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a mechanism for adjusting a distance between the second holder and the dust collection duct. The laser processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a mechanism for adjusting an angle of the second air with respect to a direction perpendicular to a surface of the protection window.

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