JPH10156562A - Program preparing device of laser beam machine, and nozzle copying control method of laser beam machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a sensor and a nozzle from being dropped by providing a calculating means of the shape and arrangement of a hole part in a plate, a calculating means of a sensor moving route, a means to stop the copying operation in a section where the sensor passes the hole part and to perform the copying operation in a section where the sensor does not pass the hole part, and a preparing means of the NC data for the copying operation. SOLUTION: A nozzle 3 machines the groove while moving in an opening 2 so that a lens holder 30 is not interfered by a plate 1 in machining the groove. When a sensor is at the other opening position during the machining, the copying operation is stopped, and the nozzle 3 is kept at the copying operation stop position to continue the machining. If a contact piece 100 is already positioned when the groove machining is started, the nozzle is moved until the contact piece 100 is brought into contact with the plate 1 to perform the copying operation, and stopped by setting the nozzle height, and a control device stores the Z-axis position. When the machining is started at the next time, the machining is performed at the stored Z-axis position.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for creating a machining program consisting of NC data for driving a laser beam machine, and a sensor output value for detecting a distance between a nozzle of the laser beam machine and a plate. And a method for performing scanning control of the nozzle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a laser processing machine, a workpiece is placed on a processing table, and processing is performed with a nozzle configured to move in the Z-axis direction facing downward. A capacitance sensor or a touch sensor is attached to the position, and when cutting the plate material, the elevation control of the nozzle is performed based on these sensor output values so that the distance between the nozzle and the surface of the plate material becomes constant. The operation of the nozzle at this time is called a copying operation. However, usually, since a large number of shapes are processed on a plate material, during the processing of another shape after the processing of one or more shapes, or the processing of another shape after the processing of one or more shapes At the stage,
There may be a hole cut off by a cutting process in the movement path of the sensor. In such a case, if the above-described copying operation based on the detection value of the sensor is performed, the sensor and the nozzle drop downward because the plate cannot be detected when the sensor passes through the position of the hole, and the sensor is placed on the plate. Or the nozzle may collide, and the sensor, the nozzle, or the plate may be damaged. As described above, such inconvenience may occur during processing of one shape or in a movement path of the sensor from the processed hole to the processed hole. In addition to this, there is also a possibility that the processing shape is a shape in which groove processing is to be performed. FIG. 12 shows a shape for performing groove processing. In this example, three sides 43a, 43b, and 43c indicated by hatching of a trapezoidal processing shape 43 formed on a plate material are groove processing lines. When performing the groove processing on the groove processing line, opening windows indicated by 40 to 42 in FIG. 12 are formed on the plate material prior to the groove processing. This opening window 40-4
Reference numeral 2 denotes an opening window for cutting the nozzle 3 while inclining the nozzle 3 when performing groove processing. In this case, the nozzle 3 does not interfere with the plate material. Such an opening window 40
Are formed, for example, the groove processing line 43
When the nozzle is moved in the direction of arrow A with respect to b to carry out groove processing, the passing path of the sensor attached to the nozzle and offset at a predetermined position is indicated by a dotted line in the figure. Proceed along path 44. Then, in the area a at the start of processing and the area b at the end of processing of the same sensor movement path 44, the sensor passes through the opening windows 42, 41 and the opening window 40, respectively, so that the sensor does not detect the plate material. When a scanning operation in the scanning axis direction (Z-axis direction) of the nozzle 3 is performed in these areas, the nozzle 3
In addition, the sensor suddenly drops in the direction in which the plate material is detected and interferes with the plate material, so that the nozzle 3, the sensor, and the plate material are damaged.

Therefore, conventionally, when the sensor comes to the position of the hole during the movement of the nozzle, the operator turns off the copying operation with a switch and raises the nozzle so as not to interfere with the plate material. An operator determines the position where the nozzle and the sensor fall, and corrects the NC data.

[0004]

However, the on / off control of the sensor and the raising / lowering of the nozzle by the switch based on the judgment of the operator deteriorate the workability and move the nozzle. There is a problem that the processing efficiency is reduced because the operation takes a long time, and the method of correcting the NC data by the operator causes a correction error due to incorrect setting of the drop range of the sensor or the nozzle. There was a possibility.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a laser beam machine capable of automatically generating NC data in which the sensor and the nozzle do not fall based on a section in which the sensor passes through the hole in advance by calculation. An object of the present invention is to provide a program creation device and a nozzle copying control method for a laser beam machine.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sensor which is attached to a position close to a nozzle and detects a distance from a plate, and a nozzle and a plate based on a detection value of the sensor. Control means for controlling the position of the nozzle in the scanning axis direction by the copying operation of the nozzle so as to keep the distance between the nozzles constant. First means for calculating the shape and arrangement of the holes to be formed, second means for calculating the movement path of the sensor, and the sensor of the sensor based on the results calculated by the first and second means. A third means for calculating a section in which the sensor passes through the hole in the movement path as a copying operation stop section of the sensor and a section in which the sensor does not pass through the hole as a copying operation section of the nozzle; And characterized in that it comprises a fourth means for creating NC data for the start and stop of the copying operation, the.

In this program creation device, if there is a hole in the plate, a section where the sensor and the nozzle fall is detected based on the shape of the hole and the movement path of the sensor, and the section is copied by the nozzle. Since the NC data for stopping the copying operation of the nozzle is created as the operation stop section, the sensor and the nozzle do not drop when the machining program is executed.

The invention according to claim 2 of the present application sets the copying position of the sensor when the sensor is in the copying operation stop section at the start of machining to the copying position when the next copying operation section is started. Characterized by comprising means for performing

In the invention according to claim 3 of the present application, the shape to be machined on the plate material is a shape in which a groove is machined by inclining the nozzle, and the hole is formed in the nozzle. Is an opening window formed so as not to interfere with the plate material during processing.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, NC data for controlling the sensor and the nozzle so as not to drop when the groove processing is performed is automatically created.

[0011]

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural view of a processing head 31 of a laser processing machine. A processing head 31 for guiding a laser beam and an assist gas is movably mounted on a machine frame (not shown) above the plate 1, and the processing head 31 is provided at a lens holder 30 having a lens inside and a tip portion thereof. It is configured integrally with the nozzle 3. The processing head 31 is attached to a rotating cylinder 33 that is rotatable with respect to the optical path introducing tube 32. A link mechanism 11 that swings at four points is connected to the periphery of the rotary cylinder 33, and even when the rotary cylinder 33 rotates, the sensor 12 attached to the tip of the link mechanism 11 is attached to the surface to be processed. On the other hand, they always face the same direction. This structure is described in detail in Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 7-134413, but the outline of its operation is as follows. In other words, the lens holder 31 is rotated by the rotation of the rotary cylinder 33, and the four-point link mechanism is also operated.
2 is corrected so as to maintain the vertical direction as shown. As a result, only the vertical and horizontal movement amounts of the nozzle 3 due to the rotation of the lens holder 31 are transmitted to the sensor 12 by the operation of the four-point link mechanism, and the rotation of the sensor 12 via the four-point link mechanism is prevented. Can come off.

A contact piece 100 is provided at the tip of the arm 10 of the sensor 12, and the distance t2 between the contact piece 100 and the center of the tip of the nozzle 3 is adjusted in advance by the link mechanism 11 so as to be a constant value. . Sensor 12 and nozzle 3
Can be moved up and down integrally in the Z-axis direction, and when they are not being machined, they are held in a state where they are lifted upward as shown in FIG. During processing, both move downward, and the sensor 12
State in which the contact piece 100 is kept in contact with the material surface of the material to be processed, that is, the Z-axis is controlled such that the distance in the Z-axis direction between the material surface and the nozzle 3 is constant. Is processed. The operation of the sensor 12 at this time is called a copying operation, and the Z axis is a copying axis. During this processing, the nozzle 3 is moved (elevated) in the scanning axis direction in accordance with the movement of the contact piece 100 in the scanning axis direction, so that the tip of the nozzle 3 and the bottom surface of the contact piece 100, that is, the surface of the processing material. Is always kept constant.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which a groove processing is performed on the plate material 1 by the laser beam machine shown in FIG. As shown in FIG.
The opening window 2 is formed so that does not interfere with the plate material 1. That is, the nozzle 3 performs the groove processing while moving in the opening window 2. At the time of beveling, nozzle 3 and sensor 1
Reference numeral 2 is operated by the position control in the scanning axis direction. As will be described later, if the sensor 12 comes to the position of another opening window during the groove processing, the copying operation is stopped at that time. Then, the processing is continued while the sensor 12 and the nozzle 3 are held at the stop position of the copying operation. If the contact piece 100 is already located in another opening window when the groove processing is started, the sensor 12 and the nozzle 3 are connected to the plate material 1.
Is moved once to a position where the contact piece 100 comes into contact with, and a copying operation is performed at that position, and the height of the nozzle 3 is adjusted to the distance t1.
The scanning is stopped after being adjusted to
Store the axis position. Next, the nozzle 3 moves to the position where processing is started, and starts processing at the position where the Z-axis height is previously stored. The movement of the nozzle 3 due to the stop of the copying operation is performed until the contact piece 100 passes through the opening window. When the contact piece 100 passes through the opening window and moves to a position where it comes into contact with the plate material 1 again while the copying operation is stopped, the copying operation is started, and the sensor 12 and the nozzle 3 are moved up and down again. Control is started.

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of the program creating apparatus.

The program creation device includes a device main body 20,
A display device 21, a keyboard 22, an auxiliary storage device driving unit 2 such as a floppy disk drive or the like as an external device.
3, a mouse 24, and a printer 25. The apparatus main body 20 has a CPU 20a for performing calculations, a ROM 20b for storing programs, a RAM 20 to which a work area and the like are allocated and an intersection list described later is stored.
c, a hard disk (HD) 20d for storing various programs, CAD data, and NC data, and an interface (I / F) for connecting to the external device.

In the above configuration, the CPU 20a allows the operator to operate the HD 20d by the keyboard 22 and the mouse 24.
, A nesting program for efficiently arranging a large number of machining shapes on one plate material, or an NC data creation program for creating NC data is selected and activated. Processing according to the program is performed.

An NC for controlling the scanning of the nozzle will now be described.
The data creation procedure will be described with reference to FIG.
Since the nozzle 3 and the sensor 12 are integrated, the sensor 12 is similarly moved up and down by the scanning control of the nozzle 3.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an NC data creation preparation process for stopping the copying operation.

First, in step ST1, data on the shape of a part to be machined (machined shape) is obtained. HD2
Nesting diagram data in which each machining shape is appropriately arranged on one plate material is stored in 0d, and in ST1, machining target component shape data is acquired from this nesting diagram. Then, in ST2, the part shape data to be processed is stored (registered) in the memory of the RAM 20c.

Next, in ST3, an inspection of the element to be processed is performed. The processing target element refers to an inspection as to whether a straight line or an arc forming the shape of the processing target component is an element that requires groove processing. If an element is a groove processing target element, there is a possibility that an opening window is formed at that part. Therefore, in ST4, it is determined whether an opening window is formed in the processing target element. . If there is an opening window, the shape of the opening window and the position where it is arranged are registered in the RAM 20c in ST5.

The above-described NC data creation preparation processing is performed for all the elements to be processed, and the shapes and positions of all the aperture windows existing on one plate material are registered.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the sensor drop determination processing during groove processing. The term “sensor drop” refers to a state in which the sensor 12 faces the opening window, and the contact piece 100 of the sensor 12 cannot detect the plate material 1 and drops toward the plate material.

In step ST10, the part shape registered in step ST1 is read out from the area of the RAM 20c in which the part shape is stored, and a processing target element is obtained. Next, it is determined whether or not the processing target element is a target for which the groove processing is performed (ST11). In ST12, the movement path of the sensor at the time of performing the groove processing is acquired. Since the contact piece 100 is located at a distance t2 from the tip of the nozzle portion, the offset amount t
By adding 2 and the direction of the nozzle, the movement path of the sensor 10 can be obtained. Next, in ST13, R
The shape and arrangement data of the opening window are obtained from the area storing the window shape and arrangement of the AM 20c. This data is shown in FIG.
Registered in ST5. In ST14, it is determined whether the inspection has been completed for all the open windows, and if not, the process proceeds to ST15. In ST15, an intersection check between the first opening window and the sensor movement path is performed. This intersection check is a process of determining whether there is an intersection between the opening window and the sensor movement path (ST16). If there is an intersection, the intersection is registered in the intersection list memory set in the RAM 20c in ST17. Then, ST18
Then, a drop test of the sensor is performed based on the intersection list.
The intersection registration processing and the sensor drop inspection processing in ST17 and ST18 will be described in detail below.

Now, as shown in FIG. 6, it is assumed that the shape and arrangement data of the opening windows obtained in ST13 are 40 to 42. As shown in FIG. 7, the processing shape in which the opening windows 40 to 42 are formed is 43, and each of the opening windows 40 to 4 is formed.
It is assumed that groove processing lines 43a to 43c are set corresponding to 2. Here, assuming that the element selected in ST11 is the bottom of the processing shape 43, the groove processing line 43b is set at the bottom, and the sensor movement path acquired in ST12 is indicated by 44 in FIG. It will be the route shown. Note that the arrow A indicates the traveling direction of the nozzle 3.

In the example shown in FIG. 6 and FIG.
In the intersection check in, the presence or absence of an intersection between the sensor movement path 44 and each of the opening windows 40 to 42 is determined. In the example shown in the drawing, the intersection is obtained at two points P1 and P2. Since the interval between the contact piece 100 and the tip of the noise 3 is fixed as the offset amount t2 as shown in FIG. 1, the coordinate value of the nozzle is calculated by subtracting the offset amount t2 for convenience when creating the intersection list. Register as That is,
In the example shown in FIG. 7, the positions of 46 and 47 are registered as corresponding to the intersections P1 and P2. In the intersection list memory, each position of 45 as a processing start point and 48 as a processing end point is also registered. As a result, the intersection list is as shown in FIG. In this list, the X point and Y point coordinate values of each of the intersections 45 to 48, the attributes (start point, intersection or end point) of each intersection, and the falling state are stored. At the stage of intersection registration in ST17 of FIG. 5, since the sensor drop test has not been performed yet, the falling state of each intersection is undecided on the intersection list as shown in FIG. Since the intersection 48 is the end point, the falling state is registered as the end point.

In the sensor drop test at ST18, the sensor movement path 44 is cut at each intersection, and it is determined whether each line segment obtained by cutting is included in the window shape of the opening window. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the line segment is divided into four segments 49 to 52, but the segments included in the window shape are 49 and 50.
And 52. The portions 49, 50, and 52 are determined to be sensor drops. Since the start point of each line segment with respect to the traveling direction is set as the determination position of the falling state, in this example, the intersection 45
And 47 are determined as a falling state, and the intersection 46 is determined as a non-falling state. As a result, an intersection list as shown in FIG. 9 is created.

Next, a method of creating an NC code for stopping the copying operation based on the intersection list created as described above will be described. FIG. 10 shows the copying operation stop C
It is a flowchart which shows a code output processing procedure.

First, in ST20, the intersection list is
Called from M20c. In the list, it is next determined whether or not the nozzle is in a state of dropping at the starting point of the cutting processing at the time of the groove processing. In the example of the processing shape shown in FIG. 7, the process proceeds to ST22 because the starting point is in a state of falling as shown in FIG. This step ST22 is a step of generating and outputting preliminary copying data. Preliminary copying means that when it is determined that the contact piece 100 is not located on the plate 1 at the start of processing, the contact piece 100 moves to a position where the plate 1 is present in advance and performs a copying operation. That is, in order to determine the height position of the nozzle when the contact piece 100 moves on the opening window at the start of processing, the contact piece 100
Is moved on the sensor movement path 6 to determine a scanning position when the robot reaches a position where the elevation control can be performed by sensing, and this position is used as the position of the nozzle in the Z-axis direction in the scanning operation stop section. .

In the example shown in FIG. 7, the sensor moves to P1 at which the plate material can be detected to start the copying operation, and NC data indicating the sensor position in the copying axis direction determined at that time is set as pre-copying data. Create with. In other words, the sensor is temporarily moved to P1 at a fixed height based on the preliminary copying data, where the copying is performed to determine the sensor position in the copying axis direction, and then the copying operation is stopped to hold the nozzle position. . Then, after returning to the processing start point as it is, the processing is started from 45 in the nozzle advancing direction A. Then, when the sensor processes the sensor movement route 49 and 50 to the trace 46, the copying operation is started assuming that the sensor has entered the copying operation section, and normal copying control is performed in the section of the line segment 51. ST23 is ST24
It is determined whether the following operation has been completed for each element of all the processed shapes.

In step ST24 of FIG. 10, the position where the state changes from the non-falling state to the falling state in processing the element to be checked is detected. In ST26, a position at which the state changes from the falling state to the non-falling state is detected. FIG.
In P1 shown in FIG. 9, since the intersection list shown in FIG. 9 changes from the falling state to the non-falling state, the data is created in ST27 so that the copying start data is output at the timing of passing this P1. At the position P2, which ends the copying operation section of the line segment 51 and enters the copying operation stop section of the line segment 52, the sensor changes from the non-falling state to the falling state. Stop the copying operation. That is, copying is stopped at the position P2, and Z
NC data for holding the nozzle position in the axial direction at the Z-axis control position that was controlled immediately before the copying operation was stopped (ST27).

ST28 is not involved in dropping the sensor.
This is a step of creating normal NC data for performing groove processing.

By performing the above-described processing on all the machining shapes, the advance copying data at the start of machining, the copying operation stop data in the copying operation stop section after the start of machining, and the copying operation start data in the copying operation section are obtained. Automatically created and N
It can be included in C programs. Then, by performing the machining control based on the NC data, the sensor 12 is controlled by the preliminary copying data and the copying stop data in the copying stop section at the start of the machining, during the machining, and before the machining is completed.
In addition, the copying control of the nozzle 3 can be accurately performed.

FIG. 11 shows a case where the processing shape is different from the above. In this example, 60 and 61 are opening windows.
Now, considering a groove processing line 62 corresponding to the opening window 61, the movement path 63 of the contact piece 100 of the sensor is P
3, the window 60 is crossed at P4, and the intersections 64 to 67 are registered in the intersection list memory. In this example, since the sensor drops at the point P3 and the point P4 in the middle of the processing, the scanning stop for stopping the Z-axis control is performed in the scanning operation stop section between P3 and P4, which is the section where copying is impossible. Data is created and output in ST25 of FIG. Therefore, in this example, in terms of the nozzle movement path, 6
Processing is performed while performing the copying operation from 2 to 65, then the copying operation is stopped, processing is performed up to 66 in that state, and then the copying operation is restarted at 66 and processing is performed up to 67. .

In the above embodiment, the shape to be grooved is shown as the processing shape. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It is possible to create NC data for stopping the copying operation at times.

[0035]

According to the present invention, the NC data is automatically created such that the nozzle and the sensor do not drop even if a hole such as an opening window exists during the processing. In addition, there is an advantage that the sensor and the nozzle do not fall and are damaged during the processing, the time for checking the drop by hand is unnecessary, and the mistake of the drop check is eliminated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a main part configuration of a laser processing machine to which a program creation device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state when a groove processing is performed by the laser processing machine.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a program creation device.

FIG.

FIG.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an operation of a part of the program creating apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a view showing the shape and arrangement of opening windows.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a sensor drop determination process.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an intersection list created before a fall determination process.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of an intersection list after a fall determination.

FIG. 11 is a view for explaining the operation when the processing shapes are different.

FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically illustrating a nozzle elevation control operation.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A sensor attached to a position close to a nozzle for detecting a distance from a plate, and a copying operation of the nozzle based on a detection value of the sensor to keep a distance between the nozzle and the plate constant. A program creating apparatus for creating a machining program for a laser beam machine, comprising: a control means for controlling a position of a nozzle in a scanning axis direction; a first means for calculating a shape and an arrangement of a hole formed on the plate material A second means for calculating a movement path of the sensor; and a section in which the sensor passes through the hole in the movement path of the sensor, based on a result calculated by the first and second means. A third means for calculating a section that does not pass through the hole as a copying operation stop section of the sensor as a copying operation section of the nozzle, and NC data for stopping and starting the copying operation. A program creating device for a laser beam machine, comprising: a fourth means for creating. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for setting a scanning position of the sensor when the sensor at the start of machining is in the copying operation stop section to a copying position at the start of the next copying operation section. 2. A program creating device for a laser beam machine according to claim 1. 3. A shape to be processed on the plate material is a shape in which a groove is formed by inclining the nozzle, and the hole is formed so that the nozzle does not interfere with the plate material during processing. The program creation device for a laser beam machine according to any one of claims 1 to 2, which is an opening window to be used. 4. A method according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the nozzle and the plate is detected by a sensor attached at a position close to the nozzle, and based on the detected value, the distance between the nozzle and the plate in the scanning axis direction is kept constant. In a nozzle copying control method for a laser processing machine that performs axial position control, a first step of calculating a shape and an arrangement of a hole formed on the plate material, and a second step of calculating a movement path of the sensor Based on the results calculated in the first and second steps, a section in which the sensor passes through the hole in the movement path of the sensor is defined as a section in which the copying operation of the nozzle is stopped. A third step of calculating a section that does not pass as a copying operation section, and a fourth step of creating NC data for stopping and starting the copying operation. A nozzle copying control method for laser processing machines.