JPH01289591A - Multi head laser beam machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform the mass production of plural works simultaneously with high accuracy efficiently by arranging an optical sensor and plural laser heads at a fixing side and providing a driving means in X and Y axial directions on the table where a scanning body and plural works are fitted. CONSTITUTION:Four works W are fixed by setting on a table 9 by aligning to the arrangement gap of 1st-4th laser heads 21a-21d. A scanning body 22 is then fitted onto the table 9 corresponding to an optical sensor 23. After completion of the setting of a material and profile pattern like this, NC data are given to the servomotors in Z axial direction and X, Y axial directions by an NC control device D, the outgoing control of a laser beam is performed as well and the working of the work W is progressed. An analog detection signal is output according to the intensity of illumination level owned by the pattern from the optical sensor 23 accompanied by the scanning movement, so the laser beam output is controlled according to this output at its size and irradiated toward the work W.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) This invention uses a plurality of laser heads to
The present invention relates to a multi-head laser processing device that can perform highly efficient simultaneous processing.

(Prior Art) As a conventional pattern following type laser processing device, one proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 199589/1983 is known.

This processing apparatus will be explained with reference to FIG. 4. A detection head 3' of a sensor is moved for scanning relative to a scanned object 2- on which a desired engraving pattern 1- has been drawn. Then, in synchronization with this, the processing head 5' of the laser oscillator is moved by scanning relative to the workpiece 4',
The detection head 3' detects the engraving pattern 1' of the object 2' to be scanned.
Turn on the output of the laser oscillator only when scanning.

Then, a desired pattern is engraved on the workpiece 4' by a laser beam output from the processing head 5'.

Therefore, with this device, there are no restrictions on the design of the engraving pattern, even complex shapes can be easily laser engraved, and complicated programming for numerical control is not required.
It has the advantage of being easy to implement.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) Conventional machining devices rarely have a so-called single-head laser head, in which one workpiece is disposed for a single laser head, due to the relationship between machine cost and laser output. The problem was that the production capacity per unit time was extremely low because the workpieces were processed one by one.

This invention was made by focusing on the problems of the prior art described above, and aims to provide a laser folding machine that reduces production efficiency by installing a plurality of laser heads. It is.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is as follows.

That is, the multi-head laser processing apparatus of the present invention scans and detects a scanned object having a required profile pattern using an optical sensor, and also detects the object to be processed by scanning in synchronization with the relative movement between the scanned object and the optical sensor. In a laser processing device that processes a workpiece with a laser beam irradiated from the laser head by relatively moving a laser head facing the laser head, the optical sensor and the laser head are fixed sides, and a plurality of laser heads are installed. At the same time, a table is provided corresponding to the optical sensor and a plurality of laser heads, and the object to be scanned and the workpiece are attached to this table. It is equipped with an axial drive means.

(Function) A large number of workpieces and one object to be scanned are mounted on the table, and each of these is made to correspond to a plurality of laser heads and optical sensors. And X on the table
Applying two-dimensional scanning motion in the axial direction and the Y-axis direction,
The object to be scanned is detected by an optical sensor, and a detection signal from the optical sensor is used to control the illumination of a laser beam from each laser head. In this way, by simultaneously irradiating laser beams from each laser head and avoiding uniform movement of each workpiece, simultaneous processing is performed.
It has achieved high precision and efficient mass production processing.

(Example) An example of the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings.

The mechanical configuration system will be explained with reference to Figures 1 and 2.
is a frame 2 is a guide rail provided on the frame 1 in the X-axis direction 3 is a moving body in the same direction that is engaged with the guide rail 2 via a slide bearing 4 A is an X that drives the moving body 3
An axial drive means is used to drive the motor from each member of the servo motor 5 fixed to the frame 1 side, the feed screw shaft 6 provided on the output shaft of this servo motor 5, and the passive nut 7 of the movable body 3 screwed to the feed screw full 16. configured. 8 is a guide rail in the Y-axis direction provided on the top of the moving body 3 9 is a guide rail 8
Table B attached to via the slide bearing 10
is a driving means in the Y-axis direction for moving the table 9, which is a servo motor 11 fixed to the moving body 3 side, and this servo motor 1
1, a feed screw shaft 12 provided on the output shaft 1, and a driven nut 13 of the table 9 screwed onto the feed screw foot 12.

14.14 is a pair of left and right columns established on the rear side of the frame 1. 15 is a horizontal beam connecting the columns 14.14 at their upper ends, and these columns 14.14 and the horizontal beam 15 constitute a gate-shaped frame. 16 is an elevating body in the Z-axis direction provided in the housing space of the horizontal beam 15; C is an elevating body 1;
A drive means in the Z-axis direction that drives the servo motor 17 fixed to the horizontal beam 15, a feed screw shaft 1B provided on the output shaft of this servo motor 17, and a passive drive means for the elevating body 16 screwed to the feed screw shaft 18. It is composed of 1 to 19 members.

Reference numerals 20a to 20d are attachment stays provided at the lower part of the elevating body 16 via an elevating rod 21 which also serves as an elevating guide, and the laser heads 21a to 21d are attached to the attaching stays 20a to 20d. In the illustrated example, four laser heads 21a to 21d are provided at equal intervals, and each laser head corresponds to the upper surface of the workpiece W attached to the table 9.

Next, reference numeral 22 denotes an object to be scanned, which is mounted on the table 9 in the same manner as the workpiece W..., and is a photographic original expressed by bright and dark areas or shading areas. Reference numeral 23 denotes an optical sensor attached to the elevating body 16 corresponding to the object to be scanned 22, which measures the illuminance there according to the brightness levels of light and dark and shading in the tracing pattern of the object to be scanned 22, and Sends a voltage signal consisting of voltage. The above-mentioned optical sensor 23 uses a photodiode 1 with excellent output power-illuminance characteristics as a light receiving element, and receives incident light from a minute spot (within a diameter of 0.1#) on the object to be scanned 22. acts upon receiving. In addition, the analog voltage signal from the optical sensor 23 is amplified by an amplifier circuit (not shown) and output as a control signal. is input to control the laser beam output.

D is an NC control device connected to servo motors 5.11.17 in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions, and is connected to the servo motors 5.11.17 for the movement of the optical sensor 23 to relatively scan the object 22 to be scanned. N.C.
It provides data and NC data necessary to maintain the distance between the optical sensor 23 and the object to be scanned 22 at an appropriate detection interval.

Next, an optical system for irradiating a laser beam onto the workpiece W will be described with reference to FIG. 3 as well.

Reference numeral 24 denotes a rake oscillator 25 provided at a fixed position at the rear of the frame 1. Reference numeral 24 denotes a rake oscillator 25, which is a beam exit port of the Rayleigh oscillator 24.
The reflection Q4 mirrors 27a to 27c are beam splitters disposed in the optical path of the radar beam a bent by the total reflection mirror 26, and the beam splitters 27a to 27c are arranged in the optical path of the radar beam a bent by the total reflection mirror 26. 2
7c transmits a part of the tip of the helical beam, and part of it is refracted by 90' to avoid reflection. 28 is a total reflection mirror that refracts the transmitted light by 90'. The Radhe beams refracted by the beam splitters 27a to 27c and the total reflection mirror 28 are introduced into the first to fourth laser heads 21a to 2Id, and are focused by condensing lenses 29a to 29d in the heads to be processed. The material W... is effectively irradiated.

In the above, the ratio (branch point) of the foul rate and transmittance in each beam splitter 27a to 27G is set as follows, and thereby the first to fourth laser heads 21a
- Equalize the beam output of 21d.

First Rade head (beam splitter 27a) - branching ratio 25:75 Second Rade head (beam splitter 27b) - branching ratio 33.3:6
6, 7 Third rake head (beam splitter 27C) - Branching ratio 50:50 Fourth laser head (total reflection mirror 28) The multi-head laser processing apparatus according to the present invention is configured as described above. Then, the workpiece is processed efficiently as follows.

First, four workpieces W are placed on the table 9 in a jet according to the arrangement spacing of the first to fourth radar heads 21a to 21b, and are appropriately fixed using a mounting jig (not shown) or the like. . Then, the object to be scanned 22 is mounted on the same table 9 in correspondence with the optical sensor 23. in this way,
Once the material and tracing pattern have been set, the NC
The control device provides NC data to the servo motors in the Z-axis direction, X-axis direction, and Y-axis direction, and also controls the emission of the laser beam to advance the processing of the workpiece W. That is, by Z@A control, the optical sensor 23 approaches the object 22 to be scanned and sets the detection position, and by X-axis and Y-axis control, the optical sensor 23 approaches the object 22 to be scanned.
3 is scanned relatively. The relationship between the scanned object 22 and the optical sensor 23 is that the workpiece W... and the laser head 2
1a to 21d, and in synchronization with the above, each laser head 21a to 21d is connected to the workpiece W...
approach the machining position and perform a relative scanning movement.

Along with the scanning movement, the optical sensor 23 outputs an analog detection signal according to the illuminance level of the pattern, and the laser beam output is controlled to be large or small according to this output. Irradiation is directed toward the workpiece W.

In dark areas of the tracing pattern where the illuminance level is low, the analog output is large, in which case the laser output is large and the engraving spot becomes large and deep. Moreover, in contrast to the above, in areas where the illuminance level is high, the laser beam output is small and the engraving spot becomes small and shallow. Therefore, processing is performed while faithfully expressing the shading and lightness of the traced pattern.

Here, each of the IJWs to be processed on the table 9 is moved under the same conditions and simultaneously processed with high precision under uniform beam output. Therefore, efficient mass production processing can be reliably achieved with a -degree processing cycle.

In this embodiment, the radar head side, which is equipped with a multi-head head and has a complicated and large mechanical system and optical system, is the fixed side, and the table side, which has the workpiece, is the movable side. The configuration of the entire device can be made as compact as possible. Further, in the above embodiment, four laser heads are arranged, but the number is not limited and can be set as appropriate depending on the relationship between the processing object and the output of the laser beam.

Further, in one embodiment, a beam splitter is used to distribute the beam output, but a configuration may also be adopted in which each laser head is provided with each laser generator. Further, the arrangement relationship between the object to be scanned and the optical sensor can be relatively changed. That is, the object to be scanned may be attached to the elevating body side, and the optical sensor may be attached to the table side.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, the laser processing apparatus of the present invention is equipped with a plurality of laser "heads" and can perform simultaneous processing of the same number of workpieces on a table using these laser "heads". This has the great effect of allowing mass production to be carried out efficiently.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of a multi-head laser processing apparatus according to the present invention, in which Fig. 1 is a front view, Fig. 2 is a side view, and Fig. 3 is an explanatory drawing showing a laser beam transmission optical system. 4
The figure is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional processing device. 1: Frame 3: Moving body △: Drive means 5 in the X-axis direction
: Servo motor 9: Table B: Drive means in YIN] direction 11: Nervous movement 16: Elevating body C
: Drive means in Z-axis direction 17: Servo motor 21a
~21d: Laser head D: NC control i1+1 device
22: Scanned object 23: Optical sensor-24 Elm-11 oscillator 26.28: Reflection mirror 27a to 27c: Beam splitter 29a to 29d: Condensing lens

Claims (1)

[Claims] A scanned object having a required tracing pattern is scanned and detected by an optical sensor, and the workpiece and a laser head facing the object are scanned and detected in synchronization with the relative movement between the scanned object and the optical sensor. In a laser processing device that processes a workpiece with a laser beam irradiated from the laser head by moving the laser head relatively, the optical sensor and the laser head are fixed sides, and a plurality of the laser heads are disposed, and the above-mentioned A table is provided corresponding to the optical sensor and the plurality of laser heads, a scanned object and a plurality of workpieces are attached to this table, and furthermore, drive means in at least the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction are provided on this table. Multi-head laser processing equipment.