JPH05305471A - Method for automatically adjusting focus position in laser beam machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate the manual handling and carry out automatic adjustment by arranging the data base at the time of changing a lens and an actuator for adjusting focal distance. CONSTITUTION:An adjuster ring is normally/reversely rotated in synchronizing with the normal/reverse rotation of a motor 9 and a nozzle holding part 6 is vertically moved so as to make the distance E between the lens 1 and the tip part of the nozzle 2 adjustable. An encorder 9a is fitted to the motor 9, and the distance E, i.e., the distance C between the tip part of the nozzle 2 and the point corresponding to the focal distance E of the lens 1 is adjustable. Therefore, by executing the four rules arithmetic calculation between the numeric value data on this distance C and the focal distance D peculiar to each lens 1 beforehand subjected to the data base operation in an NC device, the suitable distance E between the lens 1 and the tip part of the nozzle 2 is obtd. to execute the positioning control.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for adjusting a distance of a nozzle tip to a focal position of a lens used in a laser processing machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a laser processing machine, a lens unit itself is moved up and down by a focus adjusting knob or screw to adjust a distance of a tip of a processing nozzle with respect to a focal position of a lens, a lens or a processing machine. A method is known in which a sliding cylinder having a fixed nozzle is moved up and down for adjustment.

That is, in the processing by the laser processing machine, as shown in FIG. 2, the focal position F of the lens 1 to be used with respect to the work W depending on the material and plate thickness of the work W to be processed.
It is necessary to adjust the distance A up to and the distance B between the tip of the processing nozzle 2 and the work W to the optimum positions.
In the prior art, as an example, after adjusting the distance C of the tip of the processing nozzle 2 to the focus position F, the distance B between the tip of the nozzle 2 and the work W is NC (numerical control, the same applies hereinafter).
Since the positioning is performed by a command, the distance C to the focus position F at the tip of the nozzle 2 is
The adjustment work of (1) requires the operator to manually adjust the knob and the screw, and thus there is a problem in that the adjustment requires time and effort. Also, in laser processing machines other than the above, when trying to automatically adjust the focal position with respect to the nozzle, the focal length peculiar to the lens is unknown, the distance between the lens and the tip of the nozzle is unknown, and an actuator for positioning is used. It was difficult to easily make automatic adjustments due to reasons such as none.

On the other hand, in the processing by the laser processing machine, it is necessary to properly use the lenses 1 having different focal lengths and thicknesses depending on the material of the work W to be processed, the plate thickness, and the finished state. The numerical value of the focal length D is different from each other. Therefore, the distance C of the focal position F to the tip of the nozzle 2 must be adjusted after performing a test cut or the like every time the lens is replaced to grasp the focal length D of the lens to be used. In addition, such adjustment requires a lot of time and effort.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to automatically adjust the focal position in a laser processing machine which can save the labor of the operator manually as described above. To provide a method.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the structure of the present invention has a numerical control database for data indicating the focal length peculiar to each lens to be used interchangeably. -While it is set in advance, a remote-controllable actuator such as a motor is connected to the positioning mechanism for adjusting the distance between the exchanged lens and the tip of the processing nozzle, and the numerical control data is set. Automatically adjusting the distance to the focal position of the nozzle tip by operating the actuator based on the data selected from the data of the focal length peculiar to each lens set in the base. It is characterized by.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an example of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front sectional view showing an example of a processing torch portion in a laser processing machine. Then, the laser beam LB emitted from the laser oscillator (not shown) is guided to the processing torch T of FIG. 1 via a reflecting mirror (not shown) and the like. The light is focused by the lens 1 in the nozzle T, and is irradiated to the work W from the tip of the nozzle 2 to perform processing such as cutting.

The processing torch T is formed by screwing and joining the lens holding portion 4 and the nozzle holding portion 6 to each other in the main body. The lens 1 is attached to the lens holder-3, and the lens holder-3 is detachably attached to the lens holding portion 4 via a screwing mechanism or the like for lens replacement. In addition, this lens holding unit 4
An adjuster ring 5 is rotatably fitted to the outer periphery of the upper part of the. On the other hand, the nozzle 2 is detachably attached to the lower end side of the nozzle holding portion 6 via a screwing mechanism or the like.

The adjuster ring 5 is restricted from moving up and down by a plate 7 fixed to the upper part of the lens holding part 4, and at the same time, at the lower end side of the ring 5 with the upper end side of the nozzle holding part 6. It is screwed. A long groove 6a is vertically provided on the upper side surface of the nozzle holding portion 6, and a head of a guide pin 8 fixed to the outer surface of the lens holding portion 4 is inserted into the long groove 6a. The nozzle holding portion 6 is adjusted by the guide pin 8 to adjuster ring 5.
Lens holder 4 that can only be moved up and down by forward and reverse rotation
Is supported and guided by the long groove 6a.
Is regulated within the length of.

A motor 9 for rotating the adjuster ring 5 is attached to the plate 7 via a motor bracket 10, and a drive shaft is attached to the output shaft of the motor 9. The reel 11 is mounted by the key 12 so that the rotation synchronized with the motor 9 can be obtained. On the other hand, a follower pulley 13 is attached to the adjuster ring 5 and is connected to the drive pulley 11 by a timing belt 14.

With the above-described structure, the adjuster ring 5 is rotated in the forward and reverse directions in synchronization with the forward and reverse rotations of the motor 9. The adjuster ring 5 rotates in the forward and reverse directions. 6 is moved up and down, lens 1
The distance E between the nozzle 2 and the tip of the nozzle 2 can be adjusted, that is, the distance C between the tip of the nozzle 2 and the focus position F of the lens 1 can be adjusted. In addition, the motor 9 is
The encoder 9a is attached, and the distance E between the lens 1 and the tip of the nozzle 2 can be grasped by the output signal of the encoder 9a.

Therefore, when the distance C to the focal point F with respect to the tip of the nozzle 2 is set and input to the NC device, the numerical data of this distance C and the characteristic of each lens 1 which has been data-based in advance are peculiar. The focal length D of and the four arithmetic operations are performed in the NC device,
By this calculation, the proper distance E between the lens 1 and the tip of the nozzle 2 can be obtained. Therefore, by the NC command, the nozzle E is adjusted so that the distance E between the lens 1 and the tip of the nozzle 2 becomes a proper distance. The positioning control of 2 can be performed.

In the above embodiment, the distance C to the focal point F of the tip of the nozzle 2 is input to the NC device. However, this distance C is data-based in the NC device. The distance C obtained by calculating the distance A and the distance B may be used, or the distance C previously converted into a database.
May be used.

[0014]

The present invention is as described above, and in order to automatically position the distance between the lens and the nozzle tip,
By attaching a remote-controllable actuator to the vertical movement mechanism of the nozzle and presetting the numerical data of the focal length peculiar to each lens used for replacement in the NC database. When a lens registered in the database is attached to the processing torch, the focal point position with respect to the nozzle tip can be always grasped by the NC device, and the nozzle tip can be positioned at a predetermined position.
Even when the work to be machined is changed or the lens is exchanged, it is not necessary for the operator to manually adjust the focal position of the lens to be used with respect to the tip of the nozzle.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of an example of a processing torch in a laser processing machine.

FIG. 2 is a front view for explaining the relationship between the lens and the tip of the nozzle.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 lens 2 nozzle 5 adjuster ring 6 nozzle holding part 6a long groove 8 pin 9 motor

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A numerical control data base is preset with data indicating a focal length specific to each lens to be exchanged and used, while a distance between the exchanged lens and a processing nozzle tip is adjusted. A remote-controllable actuator such as a motor is connected to the positioning mechanism for controlling the numerical control data.
Automatically adjusting the distance to the focal position of the nozzle tip by operating the actuator based on the data selected from the data of the focal length peculiar to each lens set in the base. A method for automatically adjusting the focus position of a laser processing machine, characterized by: 2. In addition to data indicating a focal length peculiar to each lens, a data-based distance between a nozzle tip and a focal position, or a distance from a focal position to a work and a nozzle A method for automatically adjusting the focal position of a laser processing machine according to claim 1, wherein the data indicating the distance to the work is preset in the numerical control database.