JPH0218678B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a cooling device for a laser processing machine that processes a workpiece by laser cutting, welding, etc.

<Conventional technology> Carbon dioxide gas trims the workpiece using the extremely large thermal energy of a laser beam that uses a solid crystal.
A laser processing machine that performs drilling, cutting, welding, and surface treatment is equipped with a processing head that has a rotating section that rotates at multiple locations at different rotation axes so that the laser torch is directed perpendicularly to the processing surface of workpieces of various shapes. . Therefore, in order to guide the laser optical axis from the laser oscillator to the laser torch through the beam path, a mirror is disposed at each rotating section to refract and reflect the laser beam at the rotating section.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> In order to prevent overheating due to the thermal energy of the laser, the mirror that refracts and reflects the laser optical axis is
A cooling pocket is provided on the back side of each mirror, and cooling water is injected into and discharged from the cooling pocket. on the other hand,
To prevent dust and smoke from entering the beam passage from outside,
Dry air is pumped in to prevent condensation on the mirror surface. Therefore, in order to cool the mirror, a cooling water injection pipe and a cooling water discharge pipe must be connected to each cooling pocket on the back side of the mirror, and each cooling pocket must have a waterproof structure. Furthermore, it is necessary to connect a supply pipe for sending dry air into the beam passage, resulting in a large number of piping configurations, which are difficult to manage and have a complicated structure.

<Means for Solving the Problems> The present invention has a plurality of turning parts that turn around different turning axes, and a mirror that refracts and reflects the laser optical axis is fixed to each of the turning parts. In a laser processing machine using a processing head equipped with a laser torch in one of its parts, a chamber is formed on the back surface of the mirror that communicates with the laser beam passage and also communicates with the atmosphere, and a fin in contact with the back surface of the mirror is provided in this chamber. An air supply pipe is connected to the laser beam path.

<Function> The above-mentioned present invention not only cools each mirror, but also has the effect of cooling only the air supplied into the beam path.
This prevents dust and smoke from entering the beam path and prevents condensation on the mirror.

<Examples> Examples of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a transfer device for moving a processing head 27, which will be described later, in the horizontal direction of the X and Y coordinates and in the vertical direction of the Z direction in a horizontal plane, and its configuration is as follows. Reference numeral 10 denotes a bed, and pillars 11 are erected at the four corners of its upper surface. A pair of X-direction guide rails 12 are spanned in parallel between the columns 11, and a first linear motion part 13 is movably guided.

A Y-direction guide rail 17 is provided on the first linear motion section 13 and is perpendicular to the X-direction guide rail 12, and the second translation section 23 is movably guided by the Y-direction guide rail 17. 19 is a ball screw for the Y direction provided along the Y direction guide rail 17;
It is rotated in forward and reverse directions by a servo motor 20 for the Y direction. The second linear motion part 23 is attached to this ball screw 19.
A nut 21 integrated with the ball screw 19 is screwed together with the ball screw 19.
The second linear motion part 23 is moved in the Y direction by the rotation of the second linear motion part 23.

Further, a third linear motion section 18 in the Z direction is guided by the second translation section 23 so as to be movable D in the Z direction, and a laser processing head 27 is provided on this third translation section 18 to move the bed 10. A workpiece W set above is processed by a torch 31.

As shown in FIG. 2, the machining head 27 is composed of, for example, three rotating parts, and is configured to control the rotation of the torch 31 so that it always faces at right angles as the workpiece W moves on the machining surface.

41 is a laser oscillator, and the oscillated laser beam is guided to the processing head 27 via a refraction and reflection mechanism, which will be described later.

The structure of the processing head 27 will be explained with reference to FIG. A first rotating section 28 that rotates around a vertical axis is provided at the lower end of the third linear motion section 18, and this first rotating section 28
The second rotating section 29 is provided with a second rotating section 29 so as to rotate around a horizontal axis, and the third rotating section 30 is provided on this second rotating section 29 so as to rotate around an axis perpendicular to the horizontal axis. A torch 31 is provided in the third rotating section 30.

The first turning section 28 includes a first beam path 50a for a laser beam guided by a laser beam refraction/reflection mechanism to be described later, and a second turning section 29 for refraction/reflection of the laser beam guided by the first beam path 50a. A second beam path 50b is provided between the first rotating section 28 and the second rotating section 29 through which the laser beam refracted and reflected by the mirror 42 passes. A mirror 43 that refracts and reflects the laser beam from the mirror 42 to the third rotating section 30 is provided, and the second rotating section 29 and the third rotating section 30
A third beam path 50c is provided between the mirror 43 and the third beam path 50c through which the laser beam refracted and reflected by the mirror 43 passes.

The mirrors 42, 43, 44 provided in each of the first to third rotating parts 28, 29, 30 are fixed to a rotating base 60, as shown in FIG. The mirror 42 is connected to the inner diameter of the sleeve 61 fixed to 28, 29, and 30 through the swivel base 60 by means of an adjustment screw 62 that is screwed into the swivel base 60 and is in contact with the end of the sleeve 61. ，
The angles of 43 and 44 are adjustable.

Furthermore, a chamber 52 is formed on the back surface of each mirror 42, 43, 44 by a cover 51 fixed to each of the first to third rotating parts 28, 29, 30.
and the first, second and third beam passages 50a, 50b, 50
c are in communication with each other via an air passage 55 provided in the swivel base 60. Further, the chamber 52 and the atmosphere are connected to the cover 5.
It communicates with the air outlet 53 opened at 2. A fin 54 is fixed to the swivel base 60,
The fins 54 are in contact with the back surfaces of the mirrors 42, 43, and 44. 56 is an air supply port communicating with the first beam passage 50a, and the air supply pipe 5 is connected to this port.
7 is connected. In the illustrated example, the first turning section 28
Although the air supply pipe 57 is connected to the air supply pipe 57, it may be connected to other rotating parts or may be provided at a plurality of locations.

A refraction and reflection mechanism for guiding the laser beam oscillated from the laser oscillator 41 to the processing head 27 will be explained with reference to FIG.

A first beam tube 70 bent at right angles is rotatably supported by a support member 71 fixed to the second linear motion section 23 . This first beam tube 70 allows the laser beam A from the laser oscillator 41 to pass therethrough, and a mirror 74 is disposed at its bent portion. 73 is the third
This is a second beam tube fixed to the linear motion section 18, and is used to pass the laser beam that has passed through the first beam tube 70 to the processing head 27 in the direction of arrow B. One end of the second beam tube 73 and the support member 71 are connected by a telescopic cover 72, and mirrors 75 and 76 are arranged at both ends of the second beam tube 73. These mirrors 74, 75, 76 are also the mirrors 4 disposed in the first to third rotating parts 28, 29, 30.
Similar to Nos. 2, 43, and 44, it is provided with an angle adjustment mechanism, and is further provided with a cooling mechanism consisting of a cover 51, a chamber 52, an air outlet 53, fins 54, and an air passage 55.

Since the present invention is configured as described above, the air supplied from the air supply port 56 is supplied to the processing head 27.
The beam is guided to the first to third beam passages 50a to 50c, passes through an air passage 55 at each mirror 42, 43, and 44, contacts the fin 54, exchanges heat, enters the chamber 52, and enters the cover 51. The air is discharged to the atmosphere through the opened air discharge port 53.

On the other hand, air is also guided from the first beam passage 50a to the second and first beam tubes 73, 70 shown in FIG. 4, and the mirrors 76, 75, 74 are also air-cooled in the same manner as described above.

<Effects of the Invention> As described above, the present invention supplies air to the laser beam path, introduces it to the back surface of each mirror, brings it into contact with the fins in contact with the back surface of the mirror, exchanges heat, and releases the air through the chamber into the atmosphere. Since the cooling of the mirror, prevention of dew condensation, and prevention of dust intrusion into the laser beam path are all achieved by air, the number of piping is reduced, and the waterproof structure of the cooling pocket is not required, unlike water cooling. This has the effect of simplifying the structure.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a front view of the laser processing machine, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a processing head equipped with the device of the present invention, Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the lines of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a view taken from the arrow in Fig. 1. FIG. 27... Processing head, 28... First rotating part, 29...
Second rotating part, 30... Third rotating part, 31... Torch,
42, 43, 44...Mirror, 50a...Beam passage, 50b...Second beam passage, 50c...Third beam passage, 51...Cover, 52...Chamber, 53...Air outlet, 54...Fin, 55...Air passage, 56...Air supply port, 57...Air supply pipe.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Laser processing by a processing head that has rotating parts that rotate around different rotation axes at multiple locations, a mirror that refracts and reflects the laser optical axis is fixed to each of these rotating parts, and one of the rotating parts is equipped with a laser torch. The processing machine is characterized in that a chamber is formed on the back surface of the mirror and communicates with the laser beam path and communicates with the atmosphere, a fin is provided in this chamber in contact with the back surface of the mirror, and an air supply pipe is connected to the laser beam path. Cooling device for laser processing machines.