JPH0420718B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a non-contact tracing device for laser processing for maintaining a constant distance between a workpiece and a processing head in a laser processing device.

[Prior Art] A conventional non-contact tracing device for laser processing as described above will be explained with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 6, 1 is a processing head, and a processing lens 3 is provided in the processing head 1 to condense a laser beam 2 oscillated from an oscillator (not shown).
A nozzle 4 is formed at the tip of the processing head 1. By applying the laser beam 2 focused by the processing lens 3 to the workpiece 6 at the focal position 5, laser processing such as cutting and welding is performed on the workpiece 6, and a supply (not shown) is performed on the workpiece 6. Processing gas 7 such as oxygen, nitrogen, or argon sent from the source into the nozzle 4 is blown out from the tip of the nozzle 4 toward the workpiece 6 coaxially with the laser beam 2.
It is promoting the processing of

In such a laser processing device, a distance detector 8 fixed to the processing head 1 is connected to the nozzle 4.
The distance between the workpiece 6 and the machining head 1 is detected by movably connecting a copying contact 9, such as one that fits on the outer periphery of the workpiece, and bringing this contactor 9 into slidable contact with the workpiece 6. However, the distance detector 8 controls the movement of the machining head 1 or the workpiece 6 so that this distance is constant.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The conventional non-contact tracing device for laser processing is configured as described above, so that the contact 9 can be traced to the surface of the workpiece 6 as shown in FIG. contact,
There is a problem in that the contactor 9 damages the high-temperature surface of the workpiece 6, lowering the commercial value of the workpiece.

This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and uses a copying guide that has the same function as a copying contact without contacting the workpiece.
The object of the present invention is to provide a non-contact tracing device for laser machining with a simple structure and at low cost, which prevents scratches on the surface of a workpiece by detecting the distance between the workpiece and a processing head.

[Means for Solving the Problems] A non-contact copying device according to the present invention is a laser processing device as described above, in which a copying guide levitated by spraying processing gas from a nozzle onto a workpiece is connected to a distance detector. It is connected to.

[Function] The non-contact copying device of the present invention causes the copying guide to float above the surface of the workpiece by the processing gas blown from the nozzle toward the workpiece, and in this state, the distance detector detects the processing head. The distance between the machine and the workpiece can be detected, and the copying guide will not damage the surface of the workpiece. Furthermore, since the non-contact copying device of the present invention uses the above-mentioned processing gas, it does not require a separate floating gas for floating the copying guide and a control device for floating the copying guide. , the structure is simple.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of this invention will be shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.
The diagram will be explained.

1 to 3, the same reference numerals as in FIG. 6 indicate the same or equivalent parts, and 10 is a copying guide, and this guide 10 has a ring-shaped floating member 11 inside an intermediate ring 12 with a diameter Pin 13 on top,
The intermediate ring 12 is vertically movably supported in the hole 15a of the support member 15 by pins 14, 14 which are perpendicular to the pins 13, 13 in diameter. A support mechanism 16 having a gimbal structure is constructed, and an arm portion 15b extending diagonally outward and upward from the outer peripheral side of the hole portion 15a is movably connected to a distance detector. Further, the floating member 11 is fitted onto the outer periphery of the nozzle 4 with a gap, and the surface 11a facing the surface 6a of the workpiece 6 is parallel to the surface 6a or in the axial direction such that the inner peripheral side is separated from the surface 6a. is inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to. The configuration of this embodiment other than that described above is the same as that of the conventional copying apparatus shown in FIG.

In the non-contact copying apparatus of the embodiment configured as described above, the floating member 11 floats from the surface 6a of the workpiece 6 due to the flow of the processing gas 7 blown out from the nozzle 4, and the copying guide 10 also floats. That is, in this embodiment, the support mechanism 1 of the gimbal structure described above is
6, the floating member 11 is supported by the support member 15, and the surface 11 of the floating member 11 on the workpiece surface 6a side
Since a can move freely, the surface 6a of the workpiece 6 can move freely, not only when the surface 6a of the workpiece 6 shown in FIG. 2 is horizontal, but also when the surface 6a is inclined as shown in FIG. On the other hand, the floating member 11 is kept parallel and floats. The guide 10 detects the distance between the workpiece 6 and the processing head in this floating state,
The distance detector keeps the distance between the workpiece 6 and the workpiece 1 constant, and the distance between the workpiece 6 and the workpiece 6 is adjusted so that the focal position 5 of the laser beam 2 is always located at a suitable position on the workpiece 6. While moving the workpiece 6, laser processing such as cutting and welding is performed on the workpiece 6 using the laser beam 2, and the laser processing is promoted by the processing gas 7 blown out from the nozzle 4.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the present invention, which is a non-contact copying device in which an integrated copying guide 10 is floated by blowing processing gas 7 onto a workpiece 6. As shown in Figure 4,
When the surface 6a of the workpiece 6 is horizontal, processing is performed with the copying guide 10 floating above the surface 6a of the workpiece 6, similar to what is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 above. You can do it and there is no problem. In the non-contact copying device shown in FIG. 4, when the surface 6a of the workpiece 6 shown in FIG.
a, the focal point 5 may shift, and the guide 10 may slide and damage the surface 6a. However, in the non-contact copying apparatus of the embodiment shown in FIGS. A floating member that floats from the workpiece by blowing processing gas onto the workpiece is supported via a support mechanism that constitutes a gimbal structure so that the surface of the floating member on the workpiece side can move freely. Since the contactor is supported by the member, even if the surface of the workpiece is inclined, the surface and the floating member float parallel to each other, and the focal position of the laser beam hardly deviates from the predetermined direction. This has the effect that good laser processing can be performed and that the guide does not come into contact with the surface of the workpiece and damage the surface.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, the copying guide floats by blowing processing gas onto the workpiece from the nozzle of the processing head, and the guide becomes hot during welding. By not touching the welding part of the workpiece, the guide will not be welded to the workpiece, and since the guide is floating, it will not be dragged by the guide even if the machining head moves. There is no deterioration in machining accuracy, and therefore there is no reduction in the commercial value of the workpiece. Moreover, the non-contact copying device of this invention
Since a gas for floating the guide other than the processing gas and a control device for floating the guide are not required, the structure is simple and inexpensive.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of the main part of a copying guide showing a non-contact copying device for laser processing according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 show a case where the workpiece is horizontal and a case where the workpiece is inclined. The vertical cross-sectional view of the copying guide shown in FIG. 1, FIGS. 4 and 5 show a non-contact copying device for laser processing according to another embodiment of the present invention in which the workpiece of the copying guide is horizontal. FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a conventional copying device for laser processing, and FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-section of the copying contact shown in FIG. 6 when the workpiece is tilted. It is a diagram. 1... Processing head, 2... Laser light, 3... Processing lens, 4... Nozzle, 5... Focus position, 6... Workpiece,
6a...Surface of workpiece, 7...Processing gas, 8...Distance detector, 10...Copying guide, 11...Floating member, 1
1a... Surface on the workpiece side, 12... Intermediate ring, 1
3, 14...pin, 15...support member, 16...support mechanism. In addition, in the figures, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a laser processing device equipped with a processing head having a processing lens that focuses laser light and applies it to the workpiece near the focal position, and a nozzle that blows processing gas toward the workpiece, the processing gas is A non-contact tracing device for laser machining, characterized in that a tracing guide which floats up from the workpiece by spraying onto the workpiece is connected to a distance detector fixed to the machining head.