JPS59107787A - Laser working machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a laser working machine which preheats partially the required part of an object to be worked to decrease residual stress by adding a heater to a nozzle for blowing an auxiliary gas to the object. CONSTITUTION:A heating source 8 consisting of an electric heater or the like is provided to a nozzle 7 installed between an object 9 to be worked and a condenser lens 3. An auxiliary gas 12 is released under pressure from a gas source 5. The gas 12 is heated as it passes the tip part of the nozzle 7 from which it is blown to the object 9, thereby heating the object. The gas 12 is not heated in the stage of passing the neighborhood of the lens 3 and therefore the temp. elevation of the lens 3, a condenser lens case 4, etc. is obviated. The peripheral edge part at the working point of the object 9 is heated by the radiation 13 from the tip surface of the nozzle 7. Working is started by irradiating a laser output 11 to the preheated object 9, whereby the working with lessened strain is accomplished.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a laser processing machine, and particularly to a laser processing machine that has been improved so as to be able to perform processing with less distortion.

Laser processing has the advantage of not being affected by the hardness of the material, so it is particularly suitable for processing materials such as ceramics and glass, compared to Ike's processing method.

Fast and economical processing is possible. However, these materials are susceptible to thermal shock, and since laser processing is essentially thermal processing, the thermal strain generated during processing can cause the target workpiece to be destroyed or embrittled, causing sufficient sub-heating to occur during laser processing. Thermal shock can be reduced.

From this point of view, the present invention adds a simple heating device to a nozzle for spraying so-called auxiliary gas onto the target workpiece during machining, thereby partially preheating the required parts of the target workpiece.

The purpose of this is to obtain a laser processing machine with less residual distortion.

Generally, when performing laser processing, a gas called auxiliary gas is often blown onto the processing area at high speed. This is because scattered substances generated during machining can be quickly removed from the machining point to promote machining, and at the same time, by selecting the type of gas, it can also be expected to have the secondary effect of accelerating machining through chemical reactions.

Here, if the auxiliary gas to be blown is heated, the target workpiece can be preheated. It is particularly preferable to heat the auxiliary gas immediately before the gas is injected, that is, near the tip of the nozzle. This way, the heated gas will be released to the outside.

Parts that are not desirable to be heated, such as the condenser lens, are not heated. Of course, in order to sufficiently perform the necessary preheating, only gas may be blown before laser emission.

Furthermore, since the nozzle tip is arranged very close to the target workpiece, the target workpiece is preheated by radiation from the heated portion.

In order to expand this effect near the processing area, the heating tip may be expanded into a disk shape.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the invention. 1 is a laser,
2 is a reflector that guides the laser output 11 to the condensing lens 3; 4 houses the condensing lens; and auxiliary gas 12 is directed to the nozzle 7.
5 is a pressurized auxiliary gas source, 8 is a heat source such as an electric heater for heating the nozzle 7, and 6 is a heat insulating portion for preventing the heat of the nozzle 7 from being transmitted to the container 4.

9 is a target workpiece, and 10 is a means for moving the target workpiece 9.

First, prior to processing, the auxiliary gas 12 is released under pressure from the gas source 5. When the gas 12 passes through the tip of the nozzle 7 heated by the heat source 8, it is heated and blown onto the workpiece 9 to preheat it. Since the gas 12 is not heated when it passes near the lens 3, the gas 12 is not heated when passing near the lens 3. There is no temperature rise in the container 4, etc., and on the contrary, it can also have the function of cooling them.

As shown, the surface of the tip of the nozzle 7 is enlarged parallel to the target workpiece 9, and the workpiece 9 is further heated around the processing point by the radiation 13 from there.

After being sufficiently preheated at the processing start point in this manner, the target workpiece 9 is irradiated with the laser output 11 and processing is started. The target workpiece 9 is sequentially processed by moving it in a desired direction by the moving means 10. At this time, since preheating is performed in advance by the enlarged portion of the nozzle tip in either direction, the desired processing with less thermal distortion can be performed. The size of the nozzle enlarged portion is determined by the required preheating temperature and moving speed, and if the moving speed is sufficiently small, there is no need to enlarge the nozzle tip as in this embodiment.

In FIG. 2, the tip of the nozzle has a concave shape. This is in addition to the radiation effect mentioned above.

By creating the effect that heated gas is sealed between the nozzle tip and the target workpiece, the workpiece can be preheated more effectively over the necessary range. The present invention is not limited to the configuration described above, and includes all laser processing machines that heat the nozzle tip.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the invention, particularly regarding the nozzle tip portion. 1...Laser, 2...Reflector, 3...Condensing lens. 4... Condensing lens storage container, 5... Pressurized auxiliary gas. 6... Heat insulation part, 7... Nozzle, 8... Heat source, 9
...Target workpiece, 10...Transportation means.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A laser and a lens that focuses its output. A nozzle is installed between the target workpiece to be placed near the focal point and the condenser lens, and the tip thereof having a pore for passing light is directed toward the target workpiece, and the pore of the nozzle is A laser processing machine comprising a gas source for spraying auxiliary gas onto the target workpiece, characterized in that a heating source is installed near the tip of the nozzle.