JPH08290282A - Laser welding machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide an efficient equipment layout which improves productivity of a laser welding equipment. CONSTITUTION: In order to dividedly process welding and comparatively time- required positioning by separate stations. welding is performed in offline separately from the line (S1 to S2 to S3 to S4 ) that moves a work W by delivery devices 10, 11. In addition, the work W delivered is loaded on a jig 12 online, which is then moved with the work W loaded on it from the line to the welding stages S22 , S32 for welding. Plural welding stations S2 , S3 are arranged parallelly to the delivery line so that, while welding is performed at one welding station, it is also performed at other welding stations as well. With plural machining heads 8a, 8b provided, when an operation is completed at one welding stage S22 /S32 , another welding is immediately commenced at other welding stage S32 /S22 with a separate machining head by switching an optical path.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a welding apparatus for joining two or more plate-shaped materials (hereinafter referred to as "workpieces") with at least one welding line using a laser beam.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the case of joining works by a laser welding apparatus, conventionally, as shown in FIG. 2, while moving the works on one line, the work is carried in, prepared, positioned, welded and carried out. Was the main. Therefore, all the works move in synchronization, or even if the work is completed earlier in the former stage, it is inevitable to wait until the process in the latter stage is completed. Further, when a plurality of welding jigs are arranged in order to shorten the production takt time and improve the productivity, it is necessary to devise a method for feeding the material into the jigs.

[0003]

In laser welding, since the energy density of the beam is high, the welding itself can be processed in a short time as compared with other welding methods. Therefore, when considering the design of a laser welding machine, it is necessary to consider an efficient processing process that takes advantage of the short time.

However, in laser welding, it is required to accurately perform work such as positioning and alignment of materials before welding and positioning of a welding head, and the time for this cannot be ignored even if compared with welding time, and the whole welding machine is required. Looking at, the production was not always efficient.

Further, since the price of the laser oscillator is not yet low at present, it is desired to shorten the waiting time of the oscillator as much as possible.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to devise an efficient apparatus layout to improve the productivity which cannot be achieved by the conventional laser welding machine.

[0007]

In the layout of a conventional laser welding machine, all processes such as work input, positioning, welding, and discharge are arranged in a straight line. Therefore, the workpieces put into the welding machine are sequentially discharged one after another after finishing the welding.

On the other hand, the present invention is characterized in that the carried-in work is welded in an off-line process not on the line but on a welding stage placed at a nearby position (Claim 1). Here, the term "welding" includes not only the case where only the work is welded but also the case where the work is performed after the work is positioned. A transfer stage is installed on the transfer line at a position corresponding to the welding stage, and these are combined to form one station.

Although only the work may be conveyed from the line to the welding stage, the work may be set on a jig placed on the conveyance line and moved to the welding stage together with the jig pallet. ).

It is also possible to provide a plurality of welding stages in parallel with the transfer line and prepare a transfer stage, a jig, a jig pallet, etc. for each of them. In this case, it is desirable to independently control the loading of the work or jig pallet on each stage. By having multiple welding stages, while welding is being performed on one stage, the work or jig is put on the welding stage at another stage, the work is accurately positioned, or the welding stage for the workpiece after welding. Can be discharged from. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the entire working time (claim 3).

Further, when there are a plurality of heads for welding, the head which has completed the welding work on one stage immediately moves to the next stage and stands by at the welding start point. The time required for moving the machining head between stages and positioning at the welding start point can also be saved from the overall working time. In this case, the beam from the laser oscillator can be assigned to the welding head in a short time by using an optical path switch or the like (claim 4).

[0012]

The apparatus layout of the present invention enables efficient joining of plate materials such as those used in the body structure of the automobile industry.

A plurality of welding machines including a plurality of workpieces having different shapes, types, and plate thicknesses, and further, the types of welding are butt welding and lap welding, or both. However, the same effect can be obtained. Also, from the viewpoint of production efficiency, it is desirable to set the same type and same type of work on the jigs of exactly the same shape for multiple welding stages in order to improve the production efficiency. Since output and the like can be controlled by a program, it is possible to perform a plurality of different welding operations in parallel at each stage by, for example, considering the supply of the work.

Further, the number of laser oscillators may be one for each welding device or two or more laser oscillators. However, in the case of having a plurality of laser oscillators, it is possible to assign one stage only to a specific laser oscillator, but such a layout does not necessarily exert the effect of the present invention, In that case, after welding is completed in a short time with beams from multiple laser oscillators using multiple welding processing heads on the stage where the workpiece has been input and positioning has been completed, the workpiece set on the next stage is similarly welded. Is preferable.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is an apparatus for butt welding a work (W) composed of, for example, three thin plates. Although the case where two welding stations are provided is illustrated in this figure, it is also possible to have three or more welding stations, and the effect may be greater than the case where only two welding stations are provided. Although not shown in the figure, pretreatment such as shearing cutting of a thin plate, post-treatment such as welding bead grinding, punching or inspection, or plate cleaning may be accompanied in the line.

The laser light emitted from the laser oscillator (1) travels inside the optical path tube (2) equipped with the folding mirror (3), and the X-axis frame I ( 5a) or the X-axis frame II (5b), and then the processing heads I, II (8a, 8a, 6a, 6b) and Z-axis frames (7a, 7b).
8b).

In FIG. 1 (plan view), the Z-axis frames (7a, 7b) extend perpendicularly to the paper surface, and the processing head I (8a) and the processing head II are located below the Z-axis frames (7a, 7b).
(8b) is located. The X-axis frame (5a, 5b), the Y-axis frame (6a, 6b), and the Z-axis frame (7a, 7b) each have a built-in optical path tube. The Z-axis frame (7a, 7b) is movable along the Y-axis frame (6a, 6b), and the Y-axis frame (6a, 6b) is movable along the X-axis frame (5a, 5b).

X-axis frames I and II extending parallel to each other
Arrange the carrier frame (9) in parallel with (5a, 5b),
The carriers I and II (10, 11) are replaced with the carrier frame (9)
It is provided so as to be movable along. Carrier I, II (10, 1
1) is for carrying in / out of the work (W), and one carrier I (10) is from the carry-in station (S ₁ ) to the welding station I (S ₂ ) or welding station II (S ₃ ).
Carrying in the work (W) to the other carrier II
(11) is responsible for carrying out the welded work (W) from the welding station I (S ₂ ) or the welding station II (S ₃ ) to the carry-out station (S ₄ ). As the carrier, for example, a one-beam arm type using a vacuum chuck can be used, but another type such as a roller type can also be adopted.

The welding station I (S ₂ ) and the welding station II (S ₃ ) are respectively a transport stage I (S ₂₁ ) and a transport stage II (S ₃₁ ) that participate in transport, and a welding stage I (S) that performs welding. ₂₂ ) and welding stage
II (S ₃₂ ) and the jig pallet (1
2) can move freely.
The movement of the work (W) between the stages of each station may be performed by moving the jig pallet (12) as in the embodiment, or by moving only the work (W).

The work (W) is carried in at the loading station (S ₁ ) →
Welding Station I (S ₂ ) or Welding Station II
(S ₃ ) → Proceed as in the unloading station (S ₄ ). As shown by the chain double-dashed line, for example, a work (W) from the previous step is loaded onto the loading pallet (13) of the loading station (S ₁ ).

The work (W) placed on the carry-in pallet (13) is then picked up by the carrier (10) one by one for each type, and the welding station I (S ₂ ) or welding station II (S ₃ ). Carried to.

The work (W) put on the jig pallet (12) in the transfer stage (S ₂₁ , S ₃₁ ) moves to the corresponding welding stage (S ₂₂ , S ₃₂ ) together with the jig pallet (12). To do. Then, the work (W) put into the welding stage (S ₂₂ , S ₃₂ ) is accurately positioned on the jig pallet (12) and then welded. In some cases, the positioning is not performed on the welding stage (S ₂₂ , S ₃₂ ), but is performed on the transfer stage (S ₂₁ , S ₃₁ ), and then the welding stage (S ₂₂ ,
You may make it move to S ₃₂ ).

Although only one laser oscillator (1) is used in this embodiment, a plurality of lasers are used when the welding line length is long or when one welding length is short but the number of welding lines is large. A combination of oscillators can also be used. Also, the arrangement of the laser oscillator can be changed. Further, in the present embodiment, since it is assumed that the CO ₂ laser oscillator happens to be used, energy is transmitted by a general folding mirror, but the beam from the laser oscillator (1) is transmitted through an optical fiber or an optical fiber. It can also be transmitted by a wave tube or the like, and at that time, the effects of the present invention are not impaired.

[0024] to one of the welding station (S ₂₎ of the welding stage (S ₂₂₎ the other welding station (S ₃₎ The new work-up and jigs during welding of the workpiece (W) is being carried out by The setting, the movement of the jig pallet (12) to the welding stage (S ₃₂ ) and the positioning are performed.

At the welding station (S ₂ or S ₃ ) where welding has been completed, the welded work is returned to the transfer stage (S ₂₁ , S ₃₁ ) together with the jig pallet (12) and then transferred by the transfer machine (11). It is transported to the unloading station (S ₄ ) and waits for the next work to be input. Meanwhile, welding will start at another welding station (S ₃ or S ₂ ).

A feature of the apparatus layout described above is that the relatively time-consuming positioning and welding processes are distributed to different stations for processing. In the embodiment, the case where the work (two-dot chain line) composed of three thin plates is joined by using the two welding heads has been exemplified, but in this case, the following operation of the head can be further considered. .
For example, if sharing is the end of the welding stage I processing head I to the workpiece (W) in (S ₂₂₎ (8a), the processing head II (8b) is joined to the rest of the welding wire in the welding stage I (S ₂₂₎ Welding head II (8a) while welding stage II
Move to the welding start point in (S ₃₂ ),
Immediately after the work of the welding stage I (S ₂₂ ) by the II (8b) is completed, the optical path is switched and the welding work is started by the processing head I (8a) at the welding stage II (S ₃₂ ).

Unlike the example, even if the work is composed of two thin plates and a single welding line, the welding stage I (S
₂₂ ), while the processing head I (8a) is welding, the processing head II (8b) waits at the welding start point of the welding stage II (S ₃₂ ) to complete the welding of the processing head I (8a). The optical path can be immediately switched to the processing head II (8b) later. Since the operation at this time only needs to move the optical path switching mirror, there is an advantage that the moving time can be significantly shortened compared to moving one heavy processing head between multiple welding stages. is there.

[0028]

The apparatus layout of the present invention enables the efficient joining of thin plates such as those used in car body construction in the automobile industry.

In this case, the same effect can be obtained even if the shapes, types, and plate thicknesses of the workpieces are different, and whether the type of welding is butt welding or lap welding. Originally, it is desirable to set the same plate on the same jig for multiple welding stages and perform the same welding work, but the movement of the welding head and the output of the laser oscillator can be program-controlled. Therefore, for example, a plurality of different welding operations can be simultaneously performed by adjusting the supply of the work.

The number of laser oscillators may be one or two or more. However, even if a plurality of laser oscillators are provided, it is possible to assign one stage to a specific laser oscillator, but such a layout does not necessarily exert the effects of the present invention, and if possible, It is desirable that welding be performed in a short time by laser beams from a plurality of oscillators on the stage where the work has been input and positioning has been completed, and after the work has been completed, the work set on the next stage is similarly welded.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a device layout diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a device layout diagram showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Laser Oscillator 2 Optical Path Tube 3 Folding Mirror 4 Optical Path Switcher (also Folding Mirror) 5a, 5b X-axis Frame 6a, 6b Y-axis Frame 7a, 6b Z-axis Frame 8a, 8b Processing Head 9 Carrier Frame 10, 11 Transport Machine 12 Jig pallet 13 Transfer pallet S ₁ Loading station S ₂ Welding station I S ₃ Welding station II S ₄ Unloading station

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A laser welding apparatus for welding a plurality of plate-shaped works by using a laser beam, wherein the welding is performed off-line separately from a line for moving the works by a transfer device. 2. The conveyed work is mounted on a jig on a line, and when welding is performed, the work is moved from the line to the welding stage while being mounted on the jig. 1 laser welding equipment. 3. A plurality of welding stations are arranged in parallel with the transfer line, and while one welding station is performing welding, the jig pallet is carried in and out and positioned at another welding station. The laser welding device according to claim 1. 4. A welding head having a plurality of welding processing heads, and when the work at one welding stage is completed, the welding at another stage is started by another processing head immediately by switching the optical path. Laser welding equipment.