JPH0417990A - Adjusting device for laser beam axis - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To adjust a laser beam axis with high accuracy and in a short time by providing a quartering type detector receiving laser beam converged by a condenser on the outgoing side of a condensing part and preparing a drive part to adjust a mounting posture of a condensing lens from an operated result of an output signal of this quartering type detector. CONSTITUTION:The position and angle of a beam splitter 2C and the mounting angle of the condensing lens 3 are adjusted by an arithmetic processing unit 6 in which signals in the directions of X, Y detected by the quartering type detector 5A are inputted and adjusted results of the beam axis are displayed on a position display 7, therefore, an operator confirms that the laser beam axis is adjusted at prescribed position and with prescribed accuracy.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Purpose of the invention] (Industrial application field) The present invention relates to a laser optical axis adjustment device.

(Prior Art) In a laser processing machine that transmits laser light emitted from a laser oscillator to irradiate a workpiece, the laser beam must be transmitted with a predetermined precision in order to process the workpiece with a predetermined precision.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) For this reason, in the conventional laser optical axis adjustment device, He-Ne
A method is adopted in which visible laser light such as a laser is emitted from a laser oscillator and it is visually confirmed whether the visible laser light is being transmitted along a predetermined optical axis.

Another method is to instantaneously irradiate an acrylic resin plate with a CO□ laser beam emitted with a reduced output, and from the traces (burn pattern) left after being vaporized by this irradiation, the laser beam There is also a method to confirm the position of the optical axis.

However, in the former case, not only is the positional accuracy not achieved due to visual inspection, but the measurement results also vary depending on the skill and attentiveness of the measurer.

In addition, the latter requires time and effort to attach and detach the acrylic resin plate and measure the burn pattern, and the accuracy is insufficient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to obtain a laser optical axis adjustment device that can adjust the optical axis of a laser beam transmitted through a laser transmission line with high precision and in a short time.

[Structure of the invention]

(Means and Effects for Solving the Problems) The present invention provides a laser optical axis adjustment device for adjusting the optical axis of a laser beam transmitted through a laser transmission line and focused by a condenser lens in a condenser. A 4-segment type detector is provided on the output side of the 4-segment type detector to receive the laser beam focused by the condensing lens, and a drive unit adjusts the attitude of the mounting part of the condensing lens based on the calculation result of the output signal of this 4-segment type detector. By providing this, the laser optical axis adjustment device is capable of adjusting the optical axis of the laser beam with high precision and in a short time, regardless of the level of skill or attentiveness of the measurer.

(Example) Hereinafter, one example of the laser optical axis adjustment device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, total reflection mirrors 2A and 2B are sequentially provided on a transmission path (not shown) that transmits laser light emitted from a laser oscillator (not shown), and a transmission path (not shown) downstream of total reflection mirror 2B is provided with , beam splitter 2C
and an optical axis device 19, which will be described in detail later, are provided in this order.

On the other hand, below the beam splitter 2C, a condensing lens 3 whose installation angle can be adjusted freely by a drive mechanism 8 (details omitted) is housed in the laser nozzle 4 at the laser transmission end.
Below the laser nozzle 4, a photoelectric detector divided into four parts (hereinafter referred to as four
5A (referred to as a split type detector) is mounted with the light receiving surface 5a facing upward.

Furthermore, a separate arithmetic processing unit 6 is provided adjacent to the laser transmission path, and on the input side of this arithmetic processing unit 6, four
The four output signal lines of the split type detector 5A are connected via a switch (not shown), and the output side of the arithmetic processing unit 6 is connected to a drive mechanism 8 (details omitted) inside the laser nozzle 4, and further connected to a position described later. A display device 7 is connected.

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the optical axis adjustment device 9. On the optical axis of the laser beam transmitted through the beam splitter 2C, condenser lenses 11, . A beam splitter 12 and a four-split detector 5B are housed, and a position detector 10 that receives light with a silicon diode is provided in the optical path of the laser beam reflected by the beam splitter 12.

Next, the operation of the laser optical axis adjusting device configured as described above will be explained.

In order to adjust the optical axis of the laser beam 1 transmitted by the reflecting mirrors 2A and 2B and the beam splitter 2C in FIGS. 1 and 2, the optical axis is first adjusted as follows in FIG.

In FIG. 2, when the laser beam for optical axis adjustment enters with an angle deviation from the predetermined optical axis shown by the solid line as shown by the dashed line in the same figure, it is detected by the position detector 10. An arithmetic processing unit to which signals in the X and Y directions of the position detector 10 are input, calculates the amount of deviation (
Δd) is calculated using the following formula.

Δd=J(x2+y2)...■x,
, x2. Y2 is the reflection mirror 2 to which the calculation result is input when the signal is received from each of the four divided light-receiving surfaces.
A, 2B and the drive mechanism of the beam splitter 12 are driven to adjust the optical axis of the laser beam parallel to a predetermined optical axis.

Next, when the parallel decentered laser beam enters the quadrant detector 5B, the X of the quadrant detector 5B.

The arithmetic processing unit to which the signal in the Y direction is input calculates the amount of deviation of the laser beam in the order of equations (2), (2), and (3) above, and drives the drive mechanism of the reflection mirrors 2A and 2B in the same manner as described above. Thus, the optical axis of the laser beam is adjusted to a predetermined optical axis.

Finally, in FIG. 1, the arithmetic processing unit to which the signals in the X and Y directions detected by the 4-split type detector 5A are inputted, calculates the position and angle of the beam splitter 2C and the mounting angle of the condenser lens 3. is adjusted, position detector 10° 4-split detector 5B
As in the case of adjustment, the optical axis adjustment result is displayed on the position display 7, so that the operator can confirm that the laser optical axis has been adjusted at a predetermined position and accuracy.

In the above embodiment, the reflection mirrors 2A and 2B and the beam splitter 2C are automatically adjusted based on the calculation results of the calculation processing device 6.
, 12 has been described, but the drive mechanism may be manually moved while watching the display on the position detector 7.

In addition, although the example in which the position detector 10 is used only on the reflection side of the beam splitter 12 has been described, all the position detectors may be of the same shape, and depending on the required accuracy, all the position detectors may be divided into four parts. You may also do so.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, in a laser optical axis adjustment device that adjusts the optical axis of a laser beam transmitted through a laser transmission path and focused by a condenser lens of a condenser, the condenser lens is provided on the output side of the condenser. A four-segment detector is installed to receive the focused laser beam, and a drive unit is installed to adjust the installation posture of the condenser lens based on the calculation result of the power signal of this four-segment detector. It is possible to obtain a laser optical axis adjustment device that can adjust the laser optical axis with high precision and in a short time regardless of the level of skill or attentiveness of the operator.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the laser optical axis adjusting device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partially detailed view of the laser optical axis adjusting device of the present invention. 1... Laser light 3... Condensing lens 4... Condensing section 5A, 5B... Quadrant type detector 6...
... Arithmetic processing unit 8 ... Drive unit (8733)
Agent: Patent Attorney Yoshiaki Inomata (and 1 other person) 2nd
figure

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A laser optical axis adjustment device that adjusts the optical axis of a laser beam transmitted through a laser transmission path and focused by a condensing lens of a condensing section, further comprising the condensing lens on the output side of the condensing section. A four-segment type detector is provided to receive the laser beam focused by the four-segment type detector, and a drive unit is provided for adjusting the mounting attitude of the condensing lens based on the calculation result of the output signal of the four-segment type detector. Laser optical axis adjustment device.