JPH09271966A - Method and device for operating laser beam machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the running cost by reducing useless idling time. SOLUTION: A laser generator actuating switch is provided in a circuit connecting the power switch of a laser beam machine with a laser generator. With a timer for which a set time is preset based on a time schedule, the following operations are controlled by a controller; operation for starting the laser generator, with the power switch and the laser generator actuating switch both turned on; operation for falling of the laser generator, with the generator actuating switch turned off after the set time of the timer from the starting; operation for starting the laser generator, with the generator actuating switch turned on after the set time of the timer from the falling; and operation for turning off the generator actuating switch after the set time of the timer from the starting, and for turning off the power switch off after the falling of the laser generator. With the laser generator rising before working hours and before the end of intermission, laser machining can be implemented immediately. At the intermission and the end of the working hours, the generator actuating switch is turned off with the power switch turned off.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for operating a laser processing apparatus, and more particularly to laser processing capable of automatically turning on / off a power source of the laser processing apparatus and starting and stopping a laser oscillator. The present invention relates to an operating method and an operating device of an apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a laser processing apparatus, an operator turns on a power switch of the laser processing apparatus to perform laser processing. After the laser processing is completed, an automatic power cutoff device provided in the laser processing apparatus automatically The power of the laser processing device was turned off.

[0003]

By the way, in the conventional laser processing apparatus, even if the operator turns on the power switch of the laser processing apparatus, the laser beam provided in the laser processing apparatus can be laser processed by the laser oscillator. Since it takes time to start up before oscillating, laser processing cannot be performed immediately. Therefore, the operator has to wait until the laser oscillator is started up after the power of the laser processing apparatus is turned on, and the operating time of the laser processing apparatus is lost time. Even if the worker comes to the office early and turns on the power of the laser processing apparatus in order to eliminate the loss time of the operating time of the laser processing apparatus, this is a burden on the operator.

Furthermore, when the power of the laser processing apparatus is turned off to save power during the break time, the power switch must be turned off after turning off the laser oscillator. Because it takes
There is a problem that the worker cannot immediately leave the laser processing apparatus even during the break time. This was a similar problem even at the end of working hours. Also,
After the break time, when operating the laser processing apparatus, it was necessary to wait for the time from turning on the power switch to starting the laser oscillator as described above.

If the power of the laser processing apparatus is kept ON during the break time, the laser oscillator is kept running, so that wasteful laser gas, power, etc. are consumed. was there.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to automatically turn on / off the power of the laser processing apparatus and start / stop the laser oscillator based on a time schedule. The present invention aims to provide an operating method and an operating device for a laser processing apparatus, which can reduce the idling time to reduce the running cost.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for operating a laser processing apparatus according to the present invention, in which a controller sets a preset time by a timer based on a time schedule, and the timer is set. The power supply of the laser processing apparatus is conducted by the circuit and the circuit of the power supply of the laser processing apparatus and the circuit of the laser oscillator for oscillating the laser beam is conducted to start the laser oscillator, and the timer is started after the laser oscillator is started. The control device controls each operation including at least the operation of disconnecting the power supply of the laser processing apparatus and the circuit of the laser oscillator after the setting time by It is characterized by what is done.

Therefore, based on the time schedule, the power switch and the oscillator operating switch are turned on before the start time of work in consideration of the rise time of the laser oscillator, in other words, before the start time of operation of the desired laser processing apparatus.
By setting the set time with the timer in advance to N, the laser processing apparatus can perform laser processing by turning on the power switch and the oscillator operation switch before the work start time to complete the rise of the laser oscillator. As a result, the laser processing is performed immediately without waiting for the worker at the work start time. In addition, based on the time schedule, a preset time is set by a timer so that the oscillator operation switch is turned off at the work end time, in other words, at the desired operation end time of the laser processing apparatus. When the work end time comes, the oscillator switch is automatically turned off and the laser oscillator is shut down. After the shutdown of this laser oscillator is completed, the power switch is automatically turned off. Put it on the way home without waiting for it to turn off.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of operating a laser processing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the laser processing apparatus power source and the laser are set after a preset time by the timer after the laser oscillator is started. The operation of turning off the laser oscillator by disconnecting the circuit with the oscillator, and the time set by the timer after turning off the laser oscillator, the circuit of the power supply of the laser processing apparatus and the laser oscillator is turned on to turn on the laser oscillator. It is characterized in that each operation including at least an operation including a start-up operation is controlled by the control device.

Therefore, in addition to the above-mentioned claim 1, during the break time, based on the time schedule, a preset time is set by a timer so that the oscillator operation switch is turned off at the break time start time. As a result, in the laser processing apparatus, the oscillator operation switch is automatically turned off and the laser oscillator starts up at the break time start time, so that wasteful laser gas, power, etc. by the laser oscillator are not consumed. In addition, based on the time schedule, the laser processing machine can set the rest time by setting the preset time with the timer so that the oscillator operation switch is turned on before the end time of the rest time considering the rise time of the laser oscillator. Since the oscillator operation switch is turned on before the end time to complete the rise of the laser oscillator to be ready for laser processing, the worker can immediately perform laser processing at the end time of the break time without waiting.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of operating a laser processing apparatus in which the timer is set in advance by a control unit based on a periodic time schedule.

Therefore, the timer of the control device is preset with a set time based on a periodic time schedule such as a weekly unit or a monthly unit.
The laser processing apparatus can be operated without wasting in accordance with the actual situation by setting it once instead of setting it frequently.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a driving apparatus for a laser processing apparatus including a power switch for switching ON / OFF of a power source of the laser processing apparatus, a laser oscillator for oscillating a laser beam, and a power supply for the laser processing apparatus. An oscillator operating switch for switching the operation of the laser oscillator to ON / OFF is provided in the circuit connecting the circuit, and a timer for setting a preset time on the basis of a time schedule is provided. An operation of turning on the laser oscillator by turning it on, and an operation of turning off the power supply switch after turning off the laser oscillator by turning off the oscillator operating switch after the time set by the timer after turning on the oscillator. It is characterized in that a control device for controlling is provided.

Therefore, similarly to the first aspect, the laser oscillator of the laser processing apparatus completes the rise and becomes ready for laser processing before the work start time, so that the worker does not wait at the work start time. Laser processing is performed immediately. Also, the oscillator operation switch is automatically turned off at the end of work, and the power switch is automatically turned off after the completion of the shutdown of the laser oscillator. Therefore, it is possible to go home without waiting for the power switch to be turned off. .

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a driving apparatus for a laser processing apparatus according to the present invention, wherein the control apparatus is the control apparatus according to the fourth aspect, wherein after the laser oscillator is started up, a time set by the timer is reached, An operation in which an operation of turning off the oscillator operating switch to turn off the laser oscillator and an operation of turning on the laser oscillator and starting the laser oscillator after turning on the oscillator operating switch after a time set by the timer have been further added It is characterized by controlling.

Therefore, in addition to the above-mentioned claim 4, the oscillator operating switch is automatically turned off and the laser oscillator is turned on during the break time, so that wasteful laser gas, power, etc. by the laser oscillator are consumed. In addition, the oscillator operation switch is turned on before the end time of the break time and the laser oscillator completes the rise and becomes ready for laser processing. Therefore, the worker should wait at the end time of the break time. Laser processing is performed immediately.

[0017]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of an operating method of a laser processing apparatus and an operating apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings by taking a general laser processing apparatus as an example.

Referring to FIG. 5, the laser processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment has a laser oscillator 3 which oscillates a laser beam LB, and the laser beam LB oscillated by the laser oscillator 3 has an intensity adjusting device 5. After that, the laser beam is guided by the processing head 9 provided at the tip of the laser beam guide 7 in the downward vertical direction via the reflecting mirror 11. The laser beam LB is condensed by the focusing lens 13 provided inside the processing head 9. This focused laser beam L
With respect to the optical axis 15 of B, for example, on the work W that has been transferred and positioned by the material transfer positioning device 17 of numerical control,
Laser processing is performed such that the laser beam LB is focused and cut into a desired shape. In addition, since this type of laser processing apparatus 1 is publicly known, a more detailed description will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 4, the laser processing apparatus 1 is provided with a power switch 19 for turning on / off the power of the laser processing apparatus 1. The power switch 19 is electrically connected to the CPU 22 of the control device 21. It is connected to the.
Further, the laser processing apparatus 1 is provided with an oscillator operation switch 23 for starting up and down operations of the laser oscillator 3 in a circuit that connects the power switch 19 and the laser oscillator 3 and operates the oscillator. The switch 23 is electrically connected to the CPU 22.

The control device 21 predetermines a time schedule of the operation time of the laser processing device 1, for example, a time schedule of one week in this embodiment, and sets a time for operating the laser processing device 1 based on this time schedule. Is previously input and stored in the memory 29 using the input device 25 and the display device 27. More specifically, turn on the power switch 19 of the laser processing apparatus 1.
The time to turn on / off and the time to turn on / off the oscillator operation switch 23 are set times as the memory 29.
Has been entered. Further, the laser processing apparatus 1 has a timer 31 built therein, and the power switch 19 and the oscillator operating switch 23 are turned on according to each preset time set in the memory 29 according to the time of the timer 31.
The control is performed so that each of them is turned on / off.

FIG. 1 shows the set times of the operating time zone and the break time zone of the laser processing apparatus 1 based on the time schedule of one week, and displays only Monday in detail,
The other days are omitted because they are set according to their time schedules. 2 shows a flowchart of the operation of the laser processing apparatus 1, and the operation of the laser processing apparatus 1 on Monday will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

In this time schedule, from 7:00 am to 12:00 am in FIG. 1 is the operating time zone of the laser processing apparatus 1, from 12:00 to 13:00 is a break time zone, and at 13:00. From 19:00 to 19:00 is the operating hours.

Therefore, in the memory 29 of the CPU 22, the start-up time TUP of the laser oscillator 3 before 7:00 am is set.
The time corresponding to is previously input as the set time for turning on the oscillator switch 23 at the same time when the power switch 19 is turned on. Therefore, 7:00 am
At time (step S1) corresponding to the start-up time TUP of the laser oscillator 3 before 0, the power switch 19 is automatically turned on (step S2), and the oscillator operation switch 23 is also turned on (step S3). Therefore, after the start-up time T _{UP has} elapsed (step S4), the laser oscillator 3 has already started up so that it can oscillate the laser beam at 7:00 am, so the worker does not have to wait at 7:00 am Laser processing can be started (step S
5).

Further, in the memory 29 of the control device 21,
It is input in advance as a set time for turning off the oscillator operation switch 23 at 12:00 (step S
6). However, no input is made to turn off the power switch 19. Therefore, the worker is 12:00
Even if you leave the laser processing device 1 and enter a break,
The laser processing apparatus 1 automatically turns off the oscillator operation switch 23 by the timer 31 at the time of 12:00.
(Step S8), and the laser oscillator 3 is 12:00
To fall after the lapse of the falling time TDN (step S
9) Therefore, unnecessary laser gas, electric power, etc. are not consumed. After that, the break time is entered with the power switch 19 kept ON (step S10). However, when the laser processing apparatus 1 is performing laser processing at the time of 12:00,
As shown in FIG. 3, the CPU 22 automatically causes the oscillator operation switch 23 to operate after the programmed laser processing is completed.
Is controlled to be turned off (step S7).

Further, the memory 29 of the CPU 22 stores 1
The time corresponding to the startup time TUP of the laser oscillator 3 before 3:00 is input in advance as the set time for turning on the oscillator operation switch 23. Therefore, at the time (step S11) corresponding to the startup time TUP of the laser oscillator 3 before 13:00, the oscillator operating switch 23 is automatically turned on (step S11).
12), so after the start-up time TUP has elapsed (step S1
Since the laser oscillator 3 has already started up at 13:00 in 3) so that the laser beam can be oscillated, the worker can start laser processing without waiting at 13:00 (step S14).

Further, the memory 29 of the CPU 22 stores 1
At 9:00, the oscillator operating switch 23 is turned off, and then the power switch 19 is turned off after the fall time TDN has elapsed.
It is previously input as the set time to be set (step S15). Therefore, even when the worker finishes the laser processing at 19:00 and returns on the way, the laser processing apparatus 1 automatically turns off the oscillator operation switch 23 by the timer 31 at the time of 19:00 (step S
17), and the laser oscillator 3 falls after 19:00 when the fall time TDN has elapsed (step S18). After that, the power switch 19 is turned off (step S1).
9, S20). The operator does not need to wait until the power switch 19 is turned off. However, when the laser processing apparatus 1 is performing the laser processing at 19:00, the controller 21 automatically causes the oscillator operating switch 23 to operate after the programmed laser processing is completed, as shown in FIG.
Is controlled to be turned off (steps S16, S
17). It should be noted that the timer 31 is always in the ON state, and on Tuesday the next day, at the time set based on the time schedule, the power switch 19 is set according to each set time preset in the memory 29 by the time of the timer 31.
The ON / OFF of the oscillator operating switch 23 is executed.
The same applies to other days of the week.

If a rest time zone of the laser processing apparatus 1 is to be provided in addition to the rest time zone set in the example of the above-described embodiment, the time may be input to the memory 29 in advance and set. Alternatively, when no break time zone is provided at all, the power switch 19 is set at the start time and the end time of the working hours as in the above-described embodiment.
The oscillator operating switch 23 may be set to be turned on / off.

[0028]

As can be understood from the above embodiments, according to the invention of claim 1, the power source is set based on the time schedule before the start time of work in consideration of the rise time of the laser oscillator. By setting the set time with a timer in advance so that the switch and the oscillator operation switch are turned on, the laser processing device turns on the power switch and the oscillator operation switch before the work start time.
Since the laser oscillator completes the rise and becomes ready for laser processing, the worker can immediately perform laser processing at the start of work without waiting.

There is no lost time of the apparatus operating time, and the lost time of the operator can be eliminated.

Further, based on the time schedule, the preset time is set by the timer so that the oscillator operation switch is turned off at the work end time.
At the end of work, the laser processing device automatically turns off the oscillator operation switch and shuts down the laser oscillator. The power switch is automatically turned off after the laser oscillator has finished shutting down. The worker can go home without waiting for the power switch to be turned off, and the working hours of the worker can be reduced.

According to the invention of claim 2, the above-mentioned claim 1
In addition to the effect of the above, by setting a preset time with a timer so that the oscillator operation switch will be turned off at the break time start time based on the time schedule, the laser processing device will automatically operate at the break time start time. Since the oscillator operation switch is turned off and the laser oscillator is powered down, unnecessary consumption of laser gas, power, etc. by the laser oscillator can be eliminated. Also, based on the time schedule, the laser processing device can be set to a break time by setting a preset time in advance so that the oscillator operation switch is turned on before the end time of the break time considering the rise time of the laser oscillator. Since the oscillator operation switch is turned on before the end time and the laser oscillator completes the rise and is ready for laser processing, the worker can immediately perform laser processing without waiting at the end time of the break time. it can. Therefore, from the above, it is possible to reduce the idling time and the running cost. In addition, the worker can leave the laser processing device at the same time as the rest time, and can perform the laser processing without waiting after the rest time, which reduces the burden on the worker.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the timer of the control device is preset with a set time based on a periodic time schedule such as a weekly or monthly basis. Therefore, the timer should be set frequently. Instead, the laser processing device can be operated according to the actual situation without waste by only setting once.

According to the invention of claim 4, as in the invention of claim 1, since the laser oscillator is started up before the work start time, the laser processing can be performed immediately without the worker waiting at the work start time. . Also, at the end of work, the oscillator operation switch is automatically turned off and the power switch is turned off after the laser oscillator is turned off. Therefore, it is possible to go home without waiting for the power switch to be turned off. Can reduce the burden of.

According to the invention of claim 5, in addition to the effect of the invention of claim 4, during the break time, the oscillator operating switch is automatically turned off and the laser oscillator is started down. Useless laser gas,
It is possible to eliminate consumption of electric power and the like, and since the oscillator operation switch is turned on and the laser oscillator starts up before the break time end time, laser processing can be performed immediately at the break time end time.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an operating state of a laser processing apparatus based on a periodic time schedule for one week.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a control operation of the laser processing device.

FIG. 3 is a continuation of the flowchart of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a control block diagram.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing an example of a laser processing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Laser Processing Device 3 Laser Oscillator 19 Power Switch 21 Control Device 22 CPU 23 Oscillator Operation Switch 25 Input Device 27 Display Device 29 Memory 31 Timer

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A method for operating a laser processing apparatus, wherein a controller sets a preset time with a timer based on a time schedule in advance, and the laser processing apparatus is electrically connected with the power supply of the laser processing apparatus by the timer. The operation of starting the laser oscillator by conducting a circuit with a laser oscillator that oscillates a laser beam, and after the time set by the timer after starting the laser oscillator, the circuit of the power supply of the laser processing apparatus and the laser oscillator A method of operating a laser processing apparatus, wherein each operation including at least an operation of disconnecting a power source of the laser processing apparatus after the laser oscillator is turned off after the connection is turned off is controlled by a controller. 2. An operation of turning off the laser oscillator by disconnecting the circuit between the power supply of the laser processing apparatus and the laser oscillator after a time set by the timer after turning on the laser oscillator, and an operation of turning off the laser oscillator. After the time set by the timer, each operation including at least the operation of electrically connecting the circuit of the laser processing device and the laser oscillator to start the laser oscillator is controlled by the control device. The method for operating the laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein 3. The method of operating a laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the timer sets a set time in advance by a control device based on a periodic time schedule. 4. A circuit for connecting a laser oscillator that oscillates a laser beam and a power supply of the laser processing apparatus, which is a driving apparatus of the laser processing apparatus, and includes a power switch for switching ON / OFF of a power supply of the laser processing apparatus. Turn on the laser oscillator
An oscillator operation switch for switching to N / OFF is provided, and a timer for setting a preset time based on a time schedule is provided. With this timer, a power switch is turned on and the oscillator operation switch is turned on to start a laser oscillator. A control device for controlling an operation of turning off the power supply switch after turning off the laser oscillator after turning off the laser oscillator after a time set by the timer after turning on the laser oscillator. An operating device for a laser processing device, characterized by: 5. The control device, after a time set by the timer after turning on the laser oscillator, turns off the oscillator operating switch to turn off the laser oscillator, and after turning off the laser oscillator, The operation apparatus of the laser processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the operation further includes an operation of turning on the oscillator operation switch and starting the laser oscillator after a time set by the timer.