JPH06238474A - Laser beam machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To machine thick material by a laser beam oscillator having low output. CONSTITUTION:Since material 6 can be preheated by a TIG welding torch 9 for preheating the material 6 by providing the TIG welding torch 9 for preheating the material 6 ahead in the proceeding direction 8 of a laser beam torch 5, energy of a laser beam 2 is not spent for preheating the material 6 and for that, the thick material 6 can be machined even by the laser beam oscillator having low output.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a laser processing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIGS. 5 and 6 show a conventional laser processing apparatus, in which a laser beam 2 oscillated by a laser oscillator 1 is used.
Is sent to the laser torch 5 after passing through the optical path 3 and having its direction changed by a reflecting mirror 4 or the like, and is irradiated to the material 6 from the tip of the laser torch 5 to melt, weld, pierce or surface the material 6. Used for processing such as reforming.

Reference numeral 7 is a lens provided on the laser torch 5, and reference numeral 30 is a temperature distribution of the material 6.

Since such a laser processing apparatus can obtain high processing accuracy, there is a demand for performing processing (particularly, fusing) on the thick material 6.

[0005]

However, the conventional laser processing apparatus described above has the following problems.

That is, in order to process the thick material 6 with the laser processing apparatus, the laser oscillator 1 having a high output may be used. However, the laser oscillator 1 having a high output is very expensive and the high output laser is used. There is a problem with the durability of optical lenses and the like, which have excellent light transmission and convergence properties, and at present, there is no prospect of widespread use in processing equipment.

In view of the above situation, it is an object of the present invention to provide a laser processing apparatus capable of processing a thick material with a low output laser oscillator.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a laser processing apparatus characterized in that a TIG welding torch, a plasma torch or a gas torch for preheating a material is provided at the front part in the traveling direction of the laser torch. .

[0009]

The operation of the present invention is as follows.

Since the TIG welding torch for preheating the material is provided in the front part of the traveling direction of the laser torch, it becomes possible to preheat the material with the TIG welding torch for preheating the material. The energy of the laser light is not consumed for the preheating, and the thick material can be processed by the low output laser oscillator.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 1 is a laser oscillator, 2 is a laser beam, 3 is an optical path, 4 is a reflecting mirror, 5 is a laser torch, 6 is a material, and 7 is a lens provided on the laser torch 5.

A TIG welding torch 9 for preheating the material 6 is provided at the front of the laser torch 5 in the traveling direction 8.
A temperature detector 10 for detecting the temperature distribution of the material 6 is provided behind the laser torch 5 in the traveling direction 8.

Then, the temperature detection signal 11 detected by the temperature detector 10 and the temperature setting signal 13 set in the temperature setting device 12 are input to the laser oscillator 1 and the TIG welding device 14 to control signals 15, 16 respectively. Controller 17 for sending
To provide.

Further, a laser light output controller 18 for adjusting the output of the laser light 2 to the laser oscillator 1 based on the control signal 15 from the controller 17, and a traveling speed adjusting signal 20 to the moving device 19 of the laser torch 5. A processing speed controller 21 for sending the

Further, the TIG welding device 14 is connected to the control device 1
A TIG output controller 2 that sends an arc output adjustment signal 22 to a TIG welding torch 9 based on a control signal 16 from
3 and torch height adjusting device 24 of TIG welding torch 9
A torch height controller 26 is provided which sends a height adjustment signal 25 to the torch.

In the figure, 27 is an arc from the TIG welding torch 9, 28 is a working line such as a welding line or a fusing line, and 29 is a working line.
Is the temperature distribution of the material 6.

Next, the operation will be described.

Laser light 2 oscillated by laser oscillator 1
However, the process of irradiating the material 6 from the laser torch 5 through the optical path 3 and processing the material 6 is the same as in FIG.

In the present invention, the TIG welding torch 9 for preheating the material 6 provided at the front of the laser torch 5 in the traveling direction 8 preheats the material 6 in the vicinity of the laser light 2 irradiation portion.

By doing so, as shown in FIG. 4, the energy of the arc 27 preheats the vicinity of the portion of the material 6 where the laser beam 2 is irradiated, particularly the front side, to a temperature required for processing, and as shown in FIG. In comparison with the conventional case in which the TIG welding torch 9 for preheating the material 6 is not provided, the energy of the laser light 2 is not consumed for preheating the material 6, so that the material 6 is correspondingly consumed. It is possible to enhance the processing ability for the laser oscillator 1, and it is possible to process the thick material 6 even with the low-power laser oscillator 1.

Moreover, the more the preheating effect of the arc 27 penetrates into the material 6, the thicker the material 6 can be processed.

At this time, by preheating with the arc 27,
Although the thermal influence will be exerted on the vicinity of the portion irradiated with the laser beam 2, in the case of the thick material 6, since the strong restraining force acts on the material 6 itself, the strain due to the thermal influence is unlikely to be large, and Higher processing accuracy can be maintained as compared with the case of processing by the method.

Further, since the energy of the laser light 2 is not consumed for preheating the material 6, the laser light 2 is not consumed.
Machining will be started from the moment of irradiation, and the machining speed can be increased.

As described above, when the processing speed is increased, the running cost can be reduced and the traveling speed of the laser torch 5 can be increased, so that the material 6 is melted at the laser light 2 irradiation portion. It is also possible to prevent the resulting molten metal from being splashed and adhered to the laser torch 5 to damage the laser torch 5.

Further, in the present invention, the temperature detector 10 provided at the rear of the laser torch 5 in the traveling direction 8 detects the temperature distribution of the material 6, and the controller 17 detects the temperature detected by the temperature detector 10. A deviation between the detection signal 11 and the temperature setting signal 13 set in the temperature setting device 12 is taken, and based on the deviation, the control signals 15 and 16 are sent to the laser oscillator 1 and the TIG welding device 14, respectively.

As a result, in the laser oscillator 1, the laser light output controller 18 optimally adjusts the output of the laser light 2 based on the control signal 15 from the controller 17, and at the same time, the processing speed controller 21 is controlled. Moving device 1 for laser torch 5
The traveling speed adjustment signal 20 can be sent to 9 to optimally adjust the traveling speed of the laser torch 5.

Further, in the TIG welding device 14, the control device 1
7 based on the control signal 16 from the TIG output controller 2
3 sends a pulsed arc output adjustment signal 22 to the TIG welding torch 9, and even if the plate thickness changes during processing,
It is always possible to adjust the output of the arc 27 at the peak and at the base so that the material 6 is not melted.

When welding the material 6 with the laser processing apparatus, the output of the arc 27 may be increased to such an extent that the material 6 is melted.

At the same time, in the TIG welding device 14, the torch height control device 26 sends a height adjustment signal 25 to the torch height adjusting device 24 of the TIG welding torch 9 to optimize the torch height of the TIG welding torch 9. Can be adjusted.

As a result, it is possible to eliminate the need to separately provide the laser oscillator 1 with a height detector or a height adjusting device.

Further, a plasma torch may be used in place of the TIG welding torch 9 in the second embodiment, and a gas torch may be used in the third embodiment.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0035]

As described above, according to the laser processing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to obtain an excellent effect that a thick material can be processed by a low output laser oscillator.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall schematic side sectional view of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged sectional view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a control system diagram of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a temperature distribution diagram of a material when FIG. 1 is used.

FIG. 5 is an overall schematic side view of a conventional example.

FIG. 6 is a temperature distribution diagram of a material when FIG. 5 is used.

[Explanation of symbols]

 5 Laser torch 6 Material 8 Direction of travel 9 TIG welding torch

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A laser processing apparatus comprising a TIG welding torch for preheating a material, which is provided at a front portion of a traveling direction of the laser torch. 2. A laser processing apparatus characterized in that a plasma torch for preheating a material is provided at a front portion of a traveling direction of the laser torch. 3. A laser processing apparatus, characterized in that a gas torch for preheating the material is provided at the front part of the direction of travel of the laser torch.