WO2024142404A1

WO2024142404A1 - Multi-tasking processing machine and multi-tasking processing method

Info

Publication number: WO2024142404A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/048679
Authority: WO
Inventors: 直隆岩本; 昌洋本田
Original assignee: ファナック株式会社
Priority date: 2022-12-28
Filing date: 2022-12-28
Publication date: 2024-07-04

Abstract

This multi-tasking processing machine comprises: a workpiece holding mechanism that holds a workpiece and moves the workpiece within a predetermined plane; a laser irradiation mechanism that irradiates the workpiece with a laser beam to perform laser processing; a marking mechanism that sprays ink onto the workpiece to perform marking processing; and a main control device that controls operations of the respective mechanisms. The main control device includes an on/off calculation unit that calculates on/off timing of the laser irradiation mechanism or the marking mechanism on the basis of a synthetic movement velocity of the workpiece within the plane, and outputs an on/off command signal. A laser oscillator of the laser irradiation mechanism further includes an interface unit having a counter circuit that converts the on/off command signal into a drive pulse signal. The interface unit is connected to the marking mechanism, and an ink supply mechanism controls supply of ink on the basis of the drive pulse signal.

Description

Multi-tasking machine and multi-tasking method

This disclosure relates to a combined laser and marking technology, and in particular to a combined processing machine and combined processing method that performs laser processing and marking processing separately on the same workpiece.

In some cases, combined machining is performed in which a laser beam is irradiated onto a workpiece while the workpiece is moved within the XY plane, and a marking process is performed by spraying ink onto the workpiece. This type of combined machining is used, for example, in cases where an identification mark is to be applied to a workpiece that has been subjected to sheet metal processing.

As an example of an apparatus for performing such composite processing, Patent Document 1 discloses a processed part printing device that includes an X-axis and Y-axis moving table that holds the workpiece to be processed and moves it in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, a processing means that performs turret punch processing, laser processing, etc., a printing means that performs marking processing such as an inkjet printer, a data storage means that stores processing data and printing data, and a control unit that controls processing and printing operations based on the various data stored in the data storage means. With this device, when processing multiple processed parts into the workpiece, it is possible to print marks such as character strings to identify the processed parts.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-210945

As described above, when performing predetermined sheet metal processing and marking processing on a workpiece held on the same moving table, the marking processing may be performed in synchronization with the moving speed of the workpiece held on the moving table. For example, in the device disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, an encoder is attached to the NC motor (driving means) that moves the moving table in the X-axis direction, and the rotation speed of the NC motor is detected by the encoder and converted into the moving speed of the moving table or workpiece in the X-axis direction, and ink is sprayed from the printing means in synchronization with this moving speed to perform the marking processing.

In conventional multi-processing devices, when printing characters or barcodes, the pulse signal from the motor's speed detection unit (encoder, etc.) was used directly for synchronous control, so detection was only performed in one direction, either the X-axis or Y-axis. For this reason, it was difficult to perform laser processing or marking on the workpiece along complex shapes such as arcs and curves by only detecting the speed in the X-axis or Y-axis direction.

In light of these circumstances, there is a demand for multi-tasking machines that can perform laser processing and marking on a complex trajectory, including arcs and curves, on a workpiece moving within a specified plane.

A multi-tasking machine according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a work holding mechanism that holds a work and moves it within a predetermined plane, a laser irradiation mechanism that irradiates a laser beam onto the work to perform laser processing, a marking mechanism that sprays ink onto the work to perform marking processing, and a main control device that controls the operation of each mechanism, and the main control device includes a program analysis unit that analyzes command blocks of a processing program for performing laser processing and marking processing, and an on/off calculation unit that calculates the on/off timing of the laser irradiation mechanism or the marking mechanism based on the combined moving speed of the work within the above-mentioned plane and outputs an on/off command signal, The laser irradiation mechanism includes a laser oscillator that emits a laser beam and a focusing mechanism that focuses the laser beam while adjusting the focal position of the laser beam on the workpiece. The marking mechanism includes an ink tank that stores ink, an ink nozzle that ejects ink, and an ink supply mechanism that supplies ink from the ink tank to the ink nozzle. The laser oscillator further includes a laser oscillation source and an interface unit that has a counter circuit that converts an on/off command signal into a drive pulse signal. The interface unit is connected to the marking mechanism, and the ink supply mechanism controls the supply of ink based on the drive pulse signal.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a multi-tasking machine according to a first embodiment; 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a specific configuration of a main control device shown in FIG. 1 and a relationship between the main control device and each component of the multi-function machine; 2 is a partial top view showing an example of a machining path in a multi-axis machining method executed by the multi-axis machining apparatus according to the first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a partial side view showing an example of a positional relationship between a workpiece and a machining point in the multi-tasking machine according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing an example of a time history of various detection values and various signals in the combined machining method according to the first embodiment. 4 is a timing chart showing an example of a time history of various detection values and various signals in the combined machining method according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a multi-tasking machine according to a modified example of the first embodiment. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of a specific configuration of a main control device included in a multi-purpose machine according to a second embodiment, and a relationship between the main control device and each component of the multi-purpose machine. FIG. 10 is a timing chart showing an example of a time history of various detection values and various signals in the combined machining method according to the second embodiment. 10 is a timing chart showing an example of a time history of various detection values and various signals in the combined machining method according to the second embodiment.

Below, an embodiment of a laser irradiation mechanism and a laser processing method according to a representative example of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment
Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a multi-tasking machine according to a first embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a specific configuration of a main control device shown in Fig. 1 and the relationship between the main control device and each component of the multi-tasking machine.

As shown in FIG. 1, the multi-tasking machine 100, as an example, includes a work holding mechanism 120 that holds a workpiece W and moves it within a predetermined plane, a laser irradiation mechanism 130 that irradiates the workpiece W with a laser beam LB to perform laser processing, a marking mechanism 140 that sprays ink onto the workpiece W to perform marking processing, and a main control device 110 that controls the operation of each of the above-mentioned mechanisms. One of the features of this multi-tasking machine 100 is that the work holding mechanism 120, which mainly moves the workpiece W relative to the laser irradiation mechanism 130 and the marking mechanism 140, is shared between the laser irradiation mechanism 130 and the marking mechanism 140.

2, the main control device 110 includes a main control unit 112 that controls the overall operation of the main control device 110 and is connected to the control devices of each controlled object to output various operation command signals, a program analysis unit 114 that analyzes command blocks of the processing program for performing laser processing and marking processing, an on/off calculation unit 116 that calculates the on/off timing of the laser irradiation mechanism 130 or the marking mechanism 140 based on the combined moving speed Vc of the workpiece W moved by the workpiece holding mechanism 120 described below and outputs an on/off command signal, and a display unit 118 that displays operation information such as various parameters during the processing operation. Here, the display unit 118 may be, for example, a touch panel type display that allows information to be input.

The program analysis unit 114 analyzes the contents of the command blocks written in the processing program, and sends position control data for the workpiece W for laser processing or marking processing, laser oscillation data such as the output of the laser beam LB in laser processing, and marking data such as the amount of ink sprayed in marking processing to the main control unit 112 and the on/off calculation unit 116. Here, the processing program may be configured as an integrated program that combines laser processing and marking processing, or the program for laser processing and the program for marking may be configured separately and read in separately.

The on/off calculation unit 116 calculates the on/off timing of the laser beam LB in laser processing, or the ink ejection timing in marking processing, based on various data from the program analysis unit 114 and position information of the XY table 124 detected by the work holding mechanism 120 described below, and outputs an on/off command signal including these timings to the laser control device 138 of the laser irradiation mechanism 130 together with an operation command signal via the main control unit 112. Here, the main control unit 112 is configured to also output a processing identification signal that indicates whether the processing to be performed is laser processing or marking processing when outputting the above on/off command signal and operation command signal.

1 and 2, the work holding mechanism 120 includes a base member 122 incorporating a work position control device 128, and an XY table 124 equipped with a chuck mechanism (not shown) for mounting the work W and moving in the X and Y directions while gripping the work W. The XY table 124 is attached to a mechanism (neither shown) that converts the rotation of an X-axis motor 126x and a Y-axis motor 126y into axial movement, and an X-position sensor 127x and a Y-position sensor 127y are attached to the X-axis motor 126x and the Y-axis motor 126y, respectively, to detect the X-direction position and the Y-direction position of the XY table 124.

The work position control device 128 outputs a work movement command signal to the X-axis motor 126x and the Y-axis motor 126y based on an operation command signal based on a machining program from the main control device 110. The X-position sensor 127x and the Y-position sensor 127y are composed of, for example, an encoder, convert the rotation of the X-axis motor 126x and the Y-axis motor 126y into position, and output the detected values to the main control device 110 as position information.

As an example, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the laser irradiation mechanism 130 includes a laser oscillator 132 equipped with a laser oscillation source 134 that oscillates a laser beam LB for processing, a focusing mechanism (processing head) 135 that focuses the laser beam LB on the workpiece W while adjusting the focusing point (focal position) FP of the laser beam LB on the workpiece W, a height adjustment mechanism 136 that adjusts the height position of the focusing mechanism 135 relative to the workpiece holding mechanism 120, and a laser control device 138 that controls the laser processing operation on the workpiece W based on an operation command signal from the main control device 110.

2, the laser oscillator 132 includes an oscillation control unit 132a that controls the supply of drive power to the laser oscillation source 134 based on an oscillation command signal from the laser control device 138, and an interface unit 133 that transmits the oscillation command signal from the oscillation control unit 132a to the laser oscillation source 134. The laser oscillation source 134 includes, as an example, an amplifier that generates and amplifies the laser beam LB, and a drive power supply that receives the oscillation command signal from the oscillation control unit 132a and the drive pulse signal from the interface unit 133 and supplies drive power to the amplifier (both not shown).

Here, the laser oscillation source 134 is one that emits a laser beam LB with a wavelength that has a high absorption rate depending on the material of the workpiece W to be processed. Examples of such a laser oscillation source 134 include a gas laser oscillator that uses a laser gas such as _CO2 gas as a laser medium, a solid-state laser oscillator that uses a solid medium such as a YAG rod, a fiber laser oscillator, or a laser diode (LD). The laser beam LB emitted from the laser oscillation source 134 is transmitted to the focusing mechanism 135 via an arbitrary transmission path 135a shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, the laser control device 138 receives an operation command signal, an on-off command signal, and a processing identification signal from the main control device 110, and transfers them to the oscillation control unit 132a of the laser oscillator 132. Based on the operation command signal, the laser control device 138 also outputs a height command signal to the height adjustment mechanism 136 to adjust the height position of the focusing mechanism 135.

The oscillation control unit 132a receives an on/off command signal and a processing identification signal from the laser control device 138, and transfers them to the interface unit 133. The oscillation control unit 132a also has the function of outputting an oscillation command signal to the laser oscillation source 134 when the processing identification signal is "laser processing", and not outputting an oscillation command signal when the processing identification signal is "marking processing".

2, the interface unit 133 includes a counter circuit 133a that generates a drive pulse signal including an operation ON section and an operation OFF section of the laser oscillation source 134 or the ink supply mechanism 144 described below, based on an ON/OFF command signal generated by the ON/OFF calculation unit 116 of the main control device 110. The counter circuit 133a of the interface unit 133 is connected to the laser oscillation source 134 and the marking control device 148, respectively, and outputs the generated drive pulse signal to both simultaneously.

The counter circuit 133a converts the on/off command signal, which is simply a time history of on and off states, into a drive pulse signal that has a predetermined value in the on section and is zero in the off section. The counter circuit 133a then simultaneously outputs the generated drive pulse signal to the laser oscillation source 134 and the marking control device 148.

When the laser oscillation source 134 receives an oscillation command signal and a drive pulse signal from the interface unit 133, the drive power supply outputs drive power to the amplifier to oscillate a predetermined output based on the oscillation command signal during the on-section of the drive pulse signal. This causes the laser beam LB to be emitted for a period of time corresponding to the on-section of the drive pulse signal.

As an example of the focusing mechanism 135, as shown in FIG. 1, a laser beam LB is introduced from an introduction part on one end (upper end) and is emitted from a nozzle on the other end (lower end) towards the workpiece W. The focusing mechanism 135 has a focusing lens (not shown) disposed between the introduction part and the nozzle for focusing the laser beam LB at a focusing point FP. As an example, the height adjustment mechanism 136 has the focusing mechanism 135 attached to one end, and is configured to adjust the height of the focusing point FP of the laser beam LB in the Z direction by relatively moving the focusing mechanism 135 in the Z direction as shown.

As an example, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the marking mechanism 140 includes an ink tank 142 that stores ink to be sprayed to print characters, figures, etc. on the surface of the workpiece W, an ink supply mechanism 144 that supplies ink to an ink nozzle 145 that ejects the ink, a nozzle holding mechanism 146 that holds the ink nozzle 145 facing the workpiece holding mechanism 120, and a marking control device 148 that controls the marking processing operation on the workpiece W based on an operation command signal from the main control device 110.

The ink tank 142 is configured as a container for temporarily storing the ink used in the marking process, and is preferably configured to be removable and replaceable. In addition, multiple ink tanks 142 may be provided for different types and colors of ink.

The ink supply mechanism 144 is configured as, for example, a pump, and takes out (pumps up) ink from the ink tank 142 and supplies it to the supply path 145a while applying a predetermined internal pressure. The ink supplied from the supply path 145a to the ink nozzle 145 is then sprayed from the nozzle portion of the ink nozzle 145 as an ink flow (inkjet) IJ toward the workpiece W.

The nozzle holding mechanism 146 is configured as a device that holds the ink nozzle 145 so that the nozzle portion of the ink nozzle 145 faces the workpiece W. The nozzle holding mechanism 146 may be provided with a function that allows the position of the ink nozzle 145 in the Z direction relative to the workpiece W (i.e., the height of the ink nozzle 145).

When the processing identification signal from the main control device 110 is "marking processing", the marking control device 148 outputs an ink supply command signal to the ink supply mechanism 144 based on the drive pulse signal received from the counter circuit 133a of the laser oscillator 132. In other words, the marking control device 148 operates to output an ink supply command to instruct the ink supply mechanism 144 to supply ink at the timing of the rising or falling edge of the drive pulse signal.

As explained above, the multi-purpose machining center disclosed above is characterized in that the irradiation timing of the laser beam LB in the laser irradiation mechanism 130 and the ejection timing of the ink stream IJ in the marking mechanism 140 are controlled based on the same drive pulse signal. That is, in the multi-purpose machining center according to the first embodiment, the laser irradiation mechanism 130 and the marking mechanism 140 are both configured to irradiate or eject the laser beam LB or inkjet IJ using, as a common timing signal, a drive pulse signal converted from an on-off command signal calculated based on the composite movement speed Vc in the XY plane of the workpiece W held by the workpiece holding mechanism 120.

Next, a specific example of the operation of the multi-tasking machine according to the first embodiment will be described using Figures 3 to 6.

FIG. 3 is a partial top view showing an example of a machining path in a composite machining method performed by a composite machining center according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a partial side view showing an example of the positional relationship between a workpiece and a machining point in a composite machining center according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are timing charts showing an example of the time history of various detection values and various signals in the composite machining method according to the first embodiment. Furthermore, FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a composite machining center according to a modified example of the first embodiment.

In explaining the operation of the combined machining method according to the first embodiment, as an example, a case where laser machining or marking machining is performed along a machining path as shown in Figure 3 will be explained. That is, as a specific operation of the combined machining method according to the first embodiment, a case where machining is performed along two paths, a first path R1 that connects the machining start point Ps to the machining end point Pe in a straight line, and a second path R2 that leads from the machining start point Ps to the machining end point Pe via the turning point Pt, will be explained.

More specifically, in the case of the first route R1, seven processing points WP1 (including the processing start point Ps and the processing end point Pe) are formed at equal intervals every distance D1 from the processing start point Ps to the processing end point Pe. Similarly, in the case of the second route R2, nine processing points WP2 (including the processing start point Ps, the turning point Pt, and the processing end point Pe) are formed at equal intervals every distance D2 from the processing start point Ps to the processing end point Pe.

Here, as a premise for explaining the composite machining method according to the first embodiment, we will explain the positional relationship in which the machining point WP is formed on the workpiece W.

In the combined processing method according to the first embodiment, the laser processing and marking processing form processing points WP by the laser beam LB or the ink flow IJ at equal intervals for each processing pitch D. In particular, in the marking processing, forming processing points WP at equal intervals on the processing path enables uniform printing without ink spots.

In the composite machining method according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the following relationship exists between the moving speed F (mm/sec) of the light collecting mechanism 135 for laser machining or the ink nozzle 145 for marking, the interval (pitch) D (mm) of the machining points WP formed on the workpiece W, and the frequency M (Hz) of the irradiation of the laser beam LB or the jetting of the ink flow IJ:
"D = F / M" ... (Formula 1)
Therefore, as described above, in order to make the interval D between the processing points WP constant (equidistant), the frequency M of irradiation of the laser beam LB or the ejection of the ink flow IJ is controlled in accordance with the change in the moving speed F of the light collecting mechanism 135 or the ink nozzle 145.

In this case, in the multi-tasking machine 100 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the relative movement between the workpiece W and the light collecting mechanism 135 or the ink nozzle 145 is performed by moving the XY table 124 that holds the workpiece W. Therefore, the above-mentioned "movement speed F of the light collecting mechanism 135 or the ink nozzle 145" can be read as "movement speed F of the workpiece W relative to the light collecting mechanism 135 or the ink nozzle 145."

Taking the above premise into consideration and referring to FIG. 5A, when performing laser processing or marking processing on the first path R1, the main control unit 112 of the main control device 110 acquires detection values from the X-position sensor 127x and the Y-position sensor 127y of the work holding mechanism 120 for each period Tc of a predetermined capture period (clock pulse CP) for the position information. The main control unit 112 then sends the position information of the work W (the amount of change in the X-direction position Px and the Y-direction position Py) for each acquired period Tc to the on/off calculation unit 116.

The on/off calculation unit 116 receives position information of the workpiece W for each period Tc from the main control unit 112 and calculates the composite moving speed Vc of the workpiece W for each unit time Tc based on the amount of change in the X-direction position Px and the Y-direction position Py per unit time (one period Tc of the clock pulse CP). As shown in FIG. 5A, in the case of machining the first path R1, a time history of the composite moving speed Vc is obtained, which gradually accelerates from the machining start point Ps and gradually decelerates toward the machining end point Pe after passing the intermediate portion. At this time, the direction of the composite moving speed Vc is included in the workpiece movement command when the machining program is analyzed by the program analysis unit 114, and the on/off calculation unit 116 calculates only the absolute value of the composite moving speed Vc.

The ON/OFF calculation unit 116 further calculates the frequency M of the irradiation of the laser beam LB or the ejection of the ink flow IJ from the calculated composite movement speed Vc using the relational expression in Equation 1 above, and determines an ON/OFF command signal including the timing of the ON section To of the laser beam LB or the ejection timing of the ink flow IJ from the frequency M. The ON/OFF calculation unit 116 then outputs the ON/OFF command signal to the laser oscillator 132 of the laser irradiation mechanism 130 via the main control unit 112.

At this time, based on the relational expression of Equation 1, the ON/OFF calculation unit 116 outputs a calculation result such that as the composite movement speed Vc of the workpiece W increases, the interval Tp (i.e., the OFF interval) between adjacent ON intervals To decreases, and as the composite movement speed Vc of the workpiece W decreases, the interval Tp between adjacent ON intervals To increases.

Then, the laser oscillator 132, which has received the on/off command signal, converts the on/off command signal into a drive pulse signal DP in the counter circuit 133a of the interface unit 133 and outputs it. As a result, in the case of processing along the first path R1, the drive pulse signal DP output to the laser oscillation source 134 or the marking control device 148 has a timing distribution such that the on sections To are dense in sections where the composite moving speed Vc of the workpiece W is large, and the on sections To are sparse in sections where the composite moving speed Vc is small, as shown in FIG. 5A.

On the other hand, when performing laser processing or marking processing on the second path R2, referring to FIG. 5B, the main control unit 112 of the main control device 110 acquires detection values from the X-position sensor 127x and the Y-position sensor 127y of the work holding mechanism 120 for each period Tc of the predetermined capture cycle, as in the case shown in FIG. 5A. Then, the main control unit 112 sends the position information of the work W (the amount of change in the X-direction position Px and the Y-direction position Py) for each acquired period Tc to the on/off calculation unit 116.

The on/off calculation unit 116 receives position information of the workpiece W for each period Tc from the main control unit 112 and calculates the composite moving speed Vc of the workpiece W for each unit time Tc based on the amount of change in the X-direction position Px and the Y-direction position Py per unit time (one period Tc of the import period). As shown in FIG. 5B, in the case of machining the second path R2, a time history of the composite moving speed Vc is obtained that is divided into two sections: a section in which the speed gradually accelerates from the machining start point Ps and gradually decelerates toward the turning point Pt after passing the intermediate portion, and a section in which the speed gradually accelerates from the turning point Pt and gradually decelerates toward the machining end point Pe.

At this time, in the section from the machining start point Ps to the turning point Pt, the workpiece W moves along the X-axis, so detection values are received only from the X-position sensor 127x, and the detection value of the Y-position sensor 127y is zero. Similarly, in the section from the turning point Pt to the machining end point Pe, the workpiece W moves along the Y-axis, so detection values are received only from the Y-position sensor 127y, and the detection value of the X-position sensor 127x is zero.

Then, the on/off calculation unit 116 further calculates the frequency M of the irradiation of the laser beam LB or the ejection of the ink flow IJ from the calculated composite movement speed Vc using the relational expression in Equation 1 above, and determines the timing of the on section To of the laser beam LB or the ejection timing of the ink flow IJ from the frequency M, and outputs it as an on/off command signal to the laser oscillator 132 of the laser irradiation mechanism 130 via the main control unit 112.

At this time, based on the relational expression of Equation 1, the ON/OFF calculation unit 116 outputs a calculation result such that as the composite movement speed Vc of the workpiece W increases, the interval Tp between adjacent ON sections To decreases, and as the composite movement speed Vc of the workpiece W decreases, the interval Tp between adjacent ON sections To increases.

Next, similar to the case shown in Figure 5A, the laser oscillator 132 that receives the on/off command signal converts the on/off command signal into a drive pulse signal DP in the counter circuit 133a of the interface unit 133 and outputs it. As a result, in the case of processing by the second path R2, the drive pulse signal DP output to the laser oscillation source 134 or the marking control device 148 has a timing distribution such that the on sections To are dense in the sections where the composite moving speed Vc of the workpiece W is high and the on sections To are sparse in the sections where the composite moving speed Vc is low, as shown in Figure 5B, in the sections from the processing start point Ps to the direction change point Pt and from the direction change point Pt to the processing end point Pe.

As explained above, in the multi-tasking machine according to the first embodiment and the multi-tasking method executed by the multi-tasking machine, a composite movement speed Vc in two dimensions (within the XY plane) of the workpiece W held on the XY table 124 is calculated based on the detection values from the X position sensor 127x and the Y position sensor 127y of the workpiece holding mechanism 120. Then, by further calculating an on-off command signal and a drive pulse signal based on the calculated composite movement speed Vc, machining at a constant pitch becomes possible not only when a straight line but also when a curved machining path is drawn.

Next, an overview of a multi-tasking machine according to a modification of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6. In the multi-tasking machine 100 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a height adjustment mechanism 136 for holding a focusing mechanism 135 is provided in the laser irradiation mechanism 130, and a nozzle holding mechanism 146 for holding an ink nozzle 145 is provided in the marking mechanism 140, for the workpiece holding mechanism 120. However, the multi-tasking machine 100 according to the modification of the first embodiment differs in that a common holding mechanism 150 is provided for holding the focusing mechanism 135 and the ink nozzle 145 as a unit.

In other words, the multi-function machine 100 shown in FIG. 6 shows, as an example, a case in which a multi-joint robot is applied to the common holding mechanism 150. Note that instead of a multi-joint robot, a configuration similar to the height adjustment mechanism 136 or nozzle holding mechanism 146 shown in FIG. 1 may be applied.

Also, as a modified example of the first embodiment, for example, when the ON/OFF calculation unit 116 generates an ON/OFF command signal, the composite movement speed Vc of the workpiece W is calculated based on the X-position sensor 127x and the Y-position sensor 127y of the workpiece holding mechanism 120, but instead, a movement command value for the XY table 124 obtained by analyzing the machining program in the program analysis unit 114 may be input to the ON/OFF calculation unit 116 as simulated position information of the workpiece W for calculation. This makes it possible to omit the X-position sensor 127x and the Y-position sensor 127y of the workpiece holding mechanism 120.

With the above-mentioned configuration, the multi-tasking machine and multi-tasking method according to the first embodiment calculates the on/off timing of the laser irradiation mechanism or marking mechanism based on the composite moving speed of the workpiece in the XY plane to generate an on/off command signal, converts the on/off command signal into a drive pulse signal, and applies it to the timing control of the laser beam irradiation and ink ejection, making it possible to perform laser processing and marking processing on a workpiece moving in a specified plane along a complex trajectory including arcs and curves.

Second Embodiment
Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of a specific configuration of a main control device included in a multi-tasking machine according to the second embodiment, and the relationship between the main control device and each component of the multi-tasking machine. Figs. 8A and 8B are timing charts showing an example of a time history of various detection values and various signals in the multi-tasking method according to the second embodiment. Here, Fig. 8A shows a case where the processing identification signal is "laser processing", and Fig. 8B shows a case where the processing identification signal is "marking processing".

In the second embodiment, in the schematic diagrams shown in Figures 1 to 6, components that are the same as or in common with the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and repeated explanations of these components are omitted.

As shown in FIG. 7, the multi-purpose machine according to the second embodiment differs in configuration from the multi-purpose machine according to the first embodiment in that the main control device further includes an output information generation unit that breaks down the output of the laser beam analyzed by the program analysis unit into two output command values, a high part (high output value part) and a low part (low output value part) of the pulse, and generates two digital output information signals associated with the passage of time during processing, and the interface unit included in the laser oscillator further includes a D/A conversion unit that converts the two output information signals into two analog laser output command signals including a high value command signal P1 and a low value command signal P2, and a switch circuit that switches the output value of the laser drive signal in response to the high value command signal P1 and the low value command signal P2 based on the drive pulse signal and the laser output command signal.

Here, if the output of the laser beam LB is a continuous wave rather than a pulsed one, the off time calculated by the on/off calculation unit 216 is set to zero, so that only the high value command signal P1 of the laser output signal is output from the switch circuit 233c (described later), thereby realizing laser oscillation in a continuous wave. Also, both the high value command signal P1 and the low value command signal P2 can take on various values over time, not just zero.

That is, in the multi-function machining center 200 according to the second embodiment, the main control device 210 includes, as an example, a main control unit 212, a program analysis unit 214, an on/off calculation unit 216, an output information generation unit 217 that generates the output of the laser beam LB analyzed by the program analysis unit 214 as an output information signal associated with the elapsed time of processing, and a display unit 218. Here, the configurations and operations of the main control unit 212, the program analysis unit 214, the on/off calculation unit 216, and the display unit 218 are similar to those of the main control unit 112, the program analysis unit 114, the on/off calculation unit 116, and the display unit 118 described in the first embodiment.

The output information generating unit 217 generates an output information signal by relating the output command value of the laser beam LB specified for each command block of the processing program to the passage of time regarding the progress of processing. Furthermore, when the processing identification signal is "marking processing", the output information generating unit 217 further has the function of matching the output command value of the High portion of the pulse of the output information signal with the output command value of the Low portion at all times. The output information signal generated by the output information generating unit 217 is then sent to the main control unit 212 and transferred to the laser control device 238 via the main control unit 212.

The laser oscillator 232 includes, as an example, an oscillation control unit 232a, an interface unit 233, and a laser oscillation source 234. As shown in Fig. 7, the interface unit 233 includes a counter circuit 233a, a D/A conversion unit 233b that converts a digital output information signal from the main control device 210 into an analog laser output command signal including a high value command signal P1 and a low value command signal P2, and a switch circuit 233c that outputs to the laser oscillation source 234 a laser drive signal that has been switched so that the output value corresponds to the high value command signal P1 when the drive pulse signal DP generated by the counter circuit is in a high state and the output value corresponds to the low value command signal P2 when the drive pulse signal DP is in a low state. Here, the configuration and operation of the oscillation control unit 232a, the interface unit 233 including the counter circuit 233a, and the laser control device 238 are similar to those of the oscillation control unit 132a, the interface unit 133, the counter circuit 133a, and the laser control device 138 described in the first embodiment.

In the composite machining method according to the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the on/off calculation unit 216 generates an on/off command signal for the timing of the on section To of the laser beam LB or the ink ejection timing, and the output information generation unit 217 generates an output information signal that associates the output command value of the laser beam LB specified in the machining program with the passage of time. Then, the D/A conversion unit 233b included in the interface unit 233 of the laser oscillator 232 converts the digital output information signal into an analog laser output command signal that commands the output of the laser beam LB for laser machining, and outputs it to the laser oscillation source 234.

In other words, as shown in FIG. 8A, for example, when laser processing is performed along the first route R1 shown in FIG. 3 (when the processing identification signal is "laser processing"), a time history of a composite moving speed Vc that gradually accelerates from the processing start point Ps and gradually decelerates after passing the intermediate portion toward the processing end point Pe can be obtained, and a time history of control is also obtained in which the output of the laser beam LB is higher in an area including the intermediate portion where the composite moving speed Vc of the workpiece W is high than in other areas.

Here, the interface unit 233 of the laser oscillator 232 uses the drive pulse signal DP converted by the counter circuit 233a to switch the output command value of the laser output command signal (High value command signal P1 and Low value command signal P2) converted by the D/A conversion unit 233b in the switch circuit 233c, and outputs it as a laser drive signal DL to the laser oscillation source 234. Then, upon receiving the laser drive signal DL, the laser oscillation source 234 outputs a laser beam LB with the on/off timing and output value specified by the laser drive signal DL.

This makes it possible to control the driving of the laser oscillation source 234 with output information included in individual pulses based on the laser driving signal DL, which is the driving pulse signal DP superimposed with the command value for the output of the laser beam LB based on the laser output command signal.

As an example, the laser oscillation source 234 has a predetermined threshold value TH for the output value (magnitude) of the laser drive signal DL, and is configured to output the laser beam LB only when the command output exceeds the threshold value TH. That is, as shown in FIG. 8A, by setting the high value command signal P1 to be greater than the threshold value TH and the low value command signal P2 to be slightly smaller than the threshold value TH, the laser beam LB is output only in the section corresponding to the high value command signal P1, and in the section corresponding to the low value command signal P2, the laser oscillation source 234 is put into a standby state without being completely stopped, thereby improving the responsiveness of the high portion of the pulse of the laser beam LB.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8B, when marking is performed on the first path R1 (when the processing identification signal is "marking"), as described above, the output information generating unit 217 of the main control unit 210 outputs to the laser control unit 238 a signal in which the output command value of the output information signal is equal to the output command value of the high portion of the pulse at all times, and therefore the laser output command signal output from the D/A conversion unit 233b is also a signal in which the high value command signal P1 is equal to the low value command signal P2. After that, the switch circuit 233c combines this with the drive pulse signal DP from the counter circuit 233a to generate the laser drive signal DL. As a result, the laser drive signal DL output from the interface unit 233 has the same waveform as the low value command signal P2 at all times when it is sent to the laser oscillation source 234.

At this time, the marking control device 148 receives the marking drive signal DM (drive pulse signal DP) from the counter circuit 233a of the laser oscillator 232.
As a result, similarly to the first embodiment, by further calculating the on/off command signal and the drive pulse signal based on the composite moving speed Vc of the work W in two dimensions (within the XY plane), marking processing at a constant pitch becomes possible.

By performing such an operation, it becomes possible to stop the emission of the laser beam LB from the laser irradiation mechanism 130 while the marking mechanism 140 is performing the marking process, without providing a physical blocking mechanism such as a shutter or damper. In particular, when performing the marking process, the output information generating unit 217 of the main control device 210 performs an operation to match the output command value of the high portion of the pulse with the output command value of the low portion at all times, so that the output of the laser drive signal DL sent to the laser oscillation source 234 can be set to the low value command signal P2 in all sections, thereby suppressing the output of the laser beam LB without stopping the operation of the drive power supply of the laser oscillation source 234.

By being equipped with the above-mentioned configuration, the multi-tasking machine and multi-tasking method according to the second embodiment can, in addition to the effects obtained in the first embodiment, control the driving of the laser oscillation source by superimposing the command value of the laser beam output on the driving pulse signal and incorporating output information in individual pulses. Also, it is possible to prevent the laser beam from accidentally being irradiated onto the workpiece during marking processing without the need for a physical blocking mechanism or stopping the driving of the laser oscillation source.

Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, the present disclosure is not limited to the individual embodiments described above. Various additions, substitutions, modifications, partial deletions, etc. are possible to these embodiments without departing from the gist of the present disclosure, or without departing from the gist of the present disclosure derived from the contents described in the claims and their equivalents. These embodiments can also be implemented in combination. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiments, the order of each operation and the order of each process are shown as examples, and are not limited to these. The same applies when numerical values or formulas are used to explain the above-mentioned embodiments.

For example, in the configurations shown in Figures 2 and 7, the laser irradiation mechanism is independently controlled by a laser control device, but the laser control device may be omitted and the control operation of the laser control device may be performed by the main control device of the multi-function machine. Similarly, the marking control device may be omitted for the marking mechanism, and the control operation of the marking control device may be performed by the main control device of the multi-function machine.

The following notes are further provided with respect to the above embodiments and variations.

(Appendix 1)
The present invention comprises a workpiece holding mechanism that holds a workpiece and moves it within a predetermined plane, a laser irradiation mechanism that irradiates a laser beam onto the workpiece to perform laser processing, a marking mechanism that sprays ink onto the workpiece to perform marking processing, and a main control device that controls the operation of each mechanism,
The main control device includes a program analysis unit that analyzes a command block of a processing program for performing the laser processing and the marking processing, and an on/off calculation unit that calculates the on/off timing of the laser irradiation mechanism or the marking mechanism based on a composite moving speed of the workpiece within the plane and outputs an on/off command signal,
The laser irradiation mechanism includes a laser oscillator that emits the laser beam, and a focusing mechanism that focuses the laser beam while adjusting a focal position of the laser beam with respect to the workpiece,
the marking mechanism includes an ink tank that stores the ink, an ink nozzle that ejects the ink, and an ink supply mechanism that supplies the ink from the ink tank to the ink nozzle;
the laser oscillator further includes a laser oscillation source and an interface unit including a counter circuit that converts the on/off command signal into a drive pulse signal;
the interface unit is connected to the marking mechanism, and the ink supply mechanism controls the supply of the ink based on the drive pulse signal;
Multi-tasking machine.
(Appendix 2)
The on/off calculation unit calculates the composite moving speed from position data detected from the work holding mechanism to generate the on/off command signal.
2. The multitasking machine according to claim 1 .
(Appendix 3)
The on/off calculation unit calculates the composite moving speed based on a position command value of the workpiece in the command block analyzed by the program analysis unit, and generates the on/off command signal.
2. The multitasking machine according to claim 1 .
(Appendix 4)
The main control device further includes an output information generating unit that generates the output of the laser beam analyzed by the program analyzing unit as a digital output information signal associated with the elapsed time of processing,
The interface unit further includes a D/A conversion unit that converts the output information signal into an analog laser output command signal including a High value command signal and a Low value command signal, and a switch circuit that generates a laser drive signal based on the drive pulse signal and the laser output command signal.
The multitasking machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
(Appendix 5)
the output information generating unit further has a function of making an output command value of a High portion of a pulse of the output information signal coincide with an output command value of a Low portion at all times while the marking mechanism is in operation.
5. The multitasking machine according to claim 4.
(Appendix 6)
When a workpiece is held and moved within a predetermined plane, and a laser beam is irradiated onto the workpiece to perform laser processing, or ink is sprayed onto the workpiece to perform marking processing,
A step of analyzing a command block of a processing program for performing the laser processing and the marking processing;
A step of calculating an on/off timing of the laser processing or the marking processing based on a resultant moving speed of the workpiece in the plane and outputting an on/off command signal;
converting the on-off command signal into a drive pulse signal;
a step of controlling an oscillation timing of the laser beam based on the drive pulse signal, or a step of controlling a supply timing of the ink based on the drive pulse signal;
Execute
Composite processing method.
(Appendix 7)
The on-off command signal is generated based on the composite moving speed calculated from position data detected from a work holding mechanism.
The composite processing method described in Appendix 6 above.
(Appendix 8)
The on-off command signal is generated based on the composite moving speed calculated from a position command value of the workpiece in the command block obtained by analyzing the machining program.
The composite processing method described in Appendix 6 above.
(Appendix 9)
generating a digital output information signal corresponding to the output of the laser beam obtained by analyzing the processing program and associated with a time lapse of processing;
converting the output information signal into an analog laser output command signal including a high value command signal and a low value command signal;
generating a laser drive signal based on the drive pulse signal and the laser output command signal;
Further execute
The composite processing method according to any one of claims 6 to 8.
(Appendix 10)
During the marking process, an output command value of a High portion of a pulse of the output information signal is adjusted to coincide with an output command value of a Low portion at all times.
The composite processing method described in Appendix 9 above.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 Multi-tasking machine 110 Main control device 112 Main control unit 114 Program analysis unit 116 On/off calculation unit 118 Display unit 120 Workpiece holding mechanism 122 Base member 124 XY table 126x X-axis motor 126y Y-axis motor 127x X-position sensor 127y Y-position sensor 128 Workpiece position control device 130 Laser irradiation mechanism 132 Laser oscillator 132a Oscillation control unit 133 Interface unit 133a Counter circuit 134 Laser oscillation source 135 Focusing mechanism 135a Transmission path 136 Height adjustment mechanism 138 Laser control device 140 Marking mechanism 142 Ink tank 144 Ink supply mechanism 145 Ink nozzle 145a Supply path 146 Nozzle holding mechanism 148 Marking control device 150 Common holding mechanism 200 Multi-tasking machine 210 Main control device 212 Main control section 214 Program analysis section 216 On/off calculation section 217 Output information generation section 218 Display section 232 Laser oscillator 232a Oscillation control section 233 Interface unit 233a Counter circuit 233b D/A conversion section 233c Switch circuit 234 Laser oscillation source 238 Laser control device D Interval (pitch) of machining points
DL Laser drive signal DM Marking drive signal DP Drive pulse signal IJ Ink flow F Ink nozzle moving speed FP Focus point LB Laser beam M Ink jet frequency P1 High value command signal P2 Low value command signal Vc Composite moving speed W Workpiece WP Processing point

Claims

The present invention comprises a workpiece holding mechanism that holds a workpiece and moves it within a predetermined plane, a laser irradiation mechanism that irradiates a laser beam onto the workpiece to perform laser processing, a marking mechanism that sprays ink onto the workpiece to perform marking processing, and a main control device that controls the operation of each mechanism,
The main control device includes a program analysis unit that analyzes a command block of a processing program for performing the laser processing and the marking processing, and an on/off calculation unit that calculates the on/off timing of the laser irradiation mechanism or the marking mechanism based on a composite moving speed of the workpiece within the plane and outputs an on/off command signal,
The laser irradiation mechanism includes a laser oscillator that emits the laser beam, and a focusing mechanism that focuses the laser beam while adjusting a focal position of the laser beam with respect to the workpiece,
the marking mechanism includes an ink tank that stores the ink, an ink nozzle that ejects the ink, and an ink supply mechanism that supplies the ink from the ink tank to the ink nozzle;
the laser oscillator further includes a laser oscillation source and an interface unit including a counter circuit that converts the on/off command signal into a drive pulse signal;
the interface unit is connected to the marking mechanism, and the ink supply mechanism controls the supply of the ink based on the drive pulse signal;
Multi-tasking machine.
The on/off calculation unit calculates the composite moving speed from position data detected from the work holding mechanism to generate the on/off command signal.
The multi-tasking machine according to claim 1.
The on/off calculation unit calculates the composite moving speed based on a position command value of the workpiece in the command block analyzed by the program analysis unit, and generates the on/off command signal.
The multi-tasking machine according to claim 1.
The main control device further includes an output information generating unit that generates the output of the laser beam analyzed by the program analyzing unit as a digital output information signal associated with the elapsed time of processing,
The interface unit further includes a D/A conversion unit that converts the output information signal into an analog laser output command signal including a High value command signal and a Low value command signal, and a switch circuit that generates a laser drive signal based on the drive pulse signal and the laser output command signal.
The multi-tasking machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
the output information generating unit further has a function of making an output command value of a High portion of a pulse of the output information signal coincide with an output command value of a Low portion at all times while the marking mechanism is in operation.
The multi-tasking machine according to claim 4.
When a workpiece is held and moved within a predetermined plane, and a laser beam is irradiated onto the workpiece to perform laser processing, or ink is sprayed onto the workpiece to perform marking processing,
A step of analyzing a command block of a processing program for performing the laser processing and the marking processing;
A step of calculating an on/off timing of the laser processing or the marking processing based on a resultant moving speed of the workpiece in the plane and outputting an on/off command signal;
converting the on-off command signal into a drive pulse signal;
a step of controlling an oscillation timing of the laser beam based on the drive pulse signal, or a step of controlling a supply timing of the ink based on the drive pulse signal;
Execute
Composite processing method.
The on-off command signal is generated based on the composite moving speed calculated from position data detected from a work holding mechanism.
The composite processing method according to claim 6.
The on-off command signal is generated based on the composite moving speed calculated from a position command value of the workpiece in the command block obtained by analyzing the machining program.
The composite processing method according to claim 6.
generating a digital output information signal corresponding to the output of the laser beam obtained by analyzing the processing program and associated with a time lapse of processing;
converting the output information signal into an analog laser output command signal including a high value command signal and a low value command signal;
generating a laser drive signal based on the drive pulse signal and the laser output command signal;
Further execute
The composite processing method according to any one of claims 6 to 8.
During the marking process, an output command value of a High portion of a pulse of the output information signal is adjusted to coincide with an output command value of a Low portion at all times.
The composite processing method according to claim 9.