Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
  • B23K26/00—Working by laser beam, e.g. welding, cutting or boring
  • B23K26/08—Devices involving relative movement between laser beam and workpiece
  • B23K26/082—Scanning systems, i.e. devices involving movement of the laser beam relative to the laser head
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
  • B23K26/00—Working by laser beam, e.g. welding, cutting or boring
  • B23K26/36—Removing material
  • B23K26/40—Removing material taking account of the properties of the material involved
  • B23K26/402—Removing material taking account of the properties of the material involved involving non-metallic material, e.g. isolators

Definitions

• This disclosure relates to a laser processing apparatus and a laser processing method.
• Patent Document 1 discloses a laser processing device having a laser, a redirection device, and a positioning device.
• the laser processing apparatus disclosed herein processes a workpiece containing sintered diamond or cubic boron nitride by irradiating the workpiece with laser light, and includes a laser irradiation unit, a holding unit, and a control unit.
• the laser irradiation unit irradiates the workpiece with laser light in a first direction.
• the holding unit detachably holds the workpiece while maintaining its orientation, and is capable of moving the workpiece in a direction along the first direction.
• the control unit controls the operation of the laser irradiation unit and the holding unit.
• the laser irradiation unit includes a laser generator, an F ⁇ lens, and a galvanometer mirror.
• the laser generator is switchable between a state in which it generates laser light and a state in which it stops generating laser light.
• the F ⁇ lens is fixed in an orientation that allows it to irradiate laser light in the first direction.
• the galvanometer mirror reflects the laser light generated by the laser generator and changes the position at which it enters the F ⁇ lens, thereby moving the optical axis of the laser light that passes through the F ⁇ lens and is irradiated in a first direction in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction and a third direction that is perpendicular to both the first and second directions.
• the control unit alternately performs a laser light irradiation step and a moving step of moving the gripping unit holding the workpiece in a direction along the first direction while stopping irradiation of the laser light on the workpiece.
• the laser light irradiation step includes a step of irradiating the workpiece with laser light in the first direction while the workpiece is stationary, or a step of moving the optical axis of the laser light in at least one of the second and third directions while irradiating the workpiece with laser light in the first direction while the workpiece is stationary.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective schematic view showing the configuration of a laser processing apparatus according to this embodiment.
• FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the laser processing device according to this embodiment.
• FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the F ⁇ lens.
• FIG. 4 is a flow chart schematically showing the laser processing method according to the first embodiment.
• FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing a state in which the workpiece is attached to the gripping member.
• FIG. 6 is a schematic side view showing the laser beam irradiation step in cylindrical R machining.
• FIG. 7 is a perspective schematic view showing a laser beam irradiation step in cylindrical R machining.
• FIG. 8 is a schematic top view showing the laser light irradiation step in cylindrical R machining.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective schematic view showing the configuration of a laser processing apparatus according to this embodiment.
• FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the laser processing device according to this embodiment.
• FIG. 3
• FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view showing the positional relationship between the F ⁇ lens and the workpiece.
• FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing the laser light irradiation step in the cone R processing.
• FIG. 11 is a perspective schematic view showing the laser beam irradiation step in the cone R machining.
• FIG. 12 is a schematic top view showing the laser light irradiation step in the cone R processing.
• FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a method of supplying the assist gas.
• FIG. 14 is a schematic side view showing the rough processing step.
• FIG. 15 is a schematic side view showing the finishing process.
• FIG. 16 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the blade member after the finishing process.
• Laser processing technology has advanced at an accelerating pace in recent years, and laser processing equipment manufactured by machine tool manufacturers is equipped with oscillators that have high peak powers, such as picoseconds and femtoseconds, and are designed for ablation processing. Furthermore, in this laser processing equipment, technology is applied to synchronize control of five or more axes to create three-dimensional shapes, making advanced processing possible. However, because this advanced technology is used, the unit price of this laser processing equipment is extremely high.
• An object of the present disclosure is to provide a laser processing apparatus and a laser processing method that are easy to control and capable of high-speed processing.
• a laser processing apparatus and a laser processing method that are easy to control and capable of high-speed processing. Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure First, embodiments of the present disclosure (also referred to as the present embodiment) will be listed and described.
• the laser processing apparatus 100 processes a workpiece 7 including sintered diamond or cubic boron nitride by irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B, and includes a laser irradiation unit 50, a gripping unit 70, and a control unit 60.
• the laser irradiation unit 50 irradiates the workpiece 7 with laser light B in a first direction A1.
• the gripping unit 70 detachably grips the workpiece 7 while maintaining the posture of the workpiece 7, and is capable of moving the workpiece 7 in a direction along the first direction A1.
• the control unit 60 controls the operation of the laser irradiation unit 50 and the gripping unit 70.
• the laser irradiation unit 50 includes a laser generator 13, an F ⁇ lens 30, and a galvanometer mirror 10.
• the laser generator 13 is switchable between a state in which it generates laser light B and a state in which it stops generating laser light B.
• the F ⁇ lens 30 is fixed in a position that allows the laser beam B to be irradiated in a first direction A1.
• the galvanometer mirror 10 reflects the laser beam B generated by the laser generator 13 and changes the position at which the laser beam B is incident on the F ⁇ lens 30, thereby moving the optical axis of the laser beam B that passes through the F ⁇ lens 30 and is irradiated in the first direction A1 in a second direction A2 that is perpendicular to the first direction A1 and a third direction A3 that is perpendicular to both the first direction A1 and the second direction A2.
• the control unit 60 alternately performs a laser beam irradiation step and a moving step of moving the gripping unit 70 gripping the workpiece 7 in a direction along the first direction A1 while stopping the irradiation of the laser beam B on the workpiece 7.
• the laser light irradiation process includes a process of irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B in a first direction A1 while the workpiece 7 is stationary, or a process of irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B in the first direction A1 while the workpiece 7 is stationary and moving the optical axis of the laser light B in at least one of the second direction A2 and the third direction A3.
• the laser irradiation unit 50 has a laser generator 13, an F ⁇ lens 30, and a galvanometer mirror 10.
• the laser light B is scanned by the galvanometer mirror 10. Therefore, the laser processing apparatus 100 disclosed herein is capable of high-speed processing compared to laser processing apparatuses in which the laser light is fixed while the workpiece is moved.
• the control unit 60 controls the operation of the laser irradiation unit 50 and the gripping unit 70.
• the control unit 60 alternately performs a laser light irradiation process and a movement process in which the gripping unit 70 gripping the workpiece 7 is moved in a direction along the first direction A1 while the irradiation of the laser light B onto the workpiece 7 is stopped. Therefore, the laser processing apparatus 100 of the present disclosure is easier to control than a laser processing apparatus that synchronously controls five or more axes.
• the maximum width W of the area of the F ⁇ lens 30 that can be irradiated with the laser light B in the first direction A1 may be 30 mm or more. This allows for uniform processing over a wide area.
• the wavelength of the laser light B may be 532 nm or more.
• the cost of the device can be kept low and processing costs can be reduced.
• the gripping unit 70 may have a moving mechanism 45 that moves the workpiece 7 between an attachment/detachment position where the gripping unit 70 attaches/detaches the workpiece 7, and a processing position where the workpiece 7 is irradiated with laser light B to process it. This reduces the total processing time.
• the gripping unit 70 may be capable of rotating the workpiece 7 around a processing rotation axis, which is an axis parallel to the first direction A1, while gripping the workpiece 7.
• the control unit 60 may control the operation of the laser irradiation unit 50 and the gripping unit 70 so that, in the laser light irradiation step, one of the following steps is performed: irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B in the first direction A1 while the workpiece 7 is stationary; irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B in the first direction A1 while the workpiece 7 is stationary while moving the optical axis of the laser light B in at least one of the second direction A2 and the third direction A3; or rotating the workpiece 7 around the processing rotation axis while irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B in the first direction A1.
• This allows cylindrical R processing to be performed on the workpiece 7.
• the gripping unit 70 may be capable of rotating the workpiece 7 around a processing rotation axis, which is an axis tilted with respect to the first direction A1, while gripping the workpiece 7.
• the control unit 60 may control the operation of the laser irradiation unit 50 and the gripping unit 70 so that, in the laser light irradiation step, one of the following steps is performed: irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B in the first direction A1 while the workpiece 7 is stationary; irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B in the first direction A1 while the workpiece 7 is stationary while moving the optical axis of the laser light B in at least one of the second direction A2 and the third direction A3; or rotating the workpiece 7 around the processing rotation axis while irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B in the first direction A1. This allows conical R processing to be performed on the workpiece 7.
• the gripping unit 70 may be capable of changing the distance from the F ⁇ lens 30 to the processing rotation axis as viewed from the first direction A1.
• the gripping unit 70 may be able to tilt the workpiece 7 relative to an imaginary plane perpendicular to the first direction A1 by rotating the workpiece 7 while gripping it around a tilt axis that is an axis perpendicular to the first direction A1.
• the laser processing method disclosed herein is a laser processing method for processing a workpiece 7 including sintered diamond or cubic boron nitride by irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B, and includes a laser light irradiation step and a moving step of moving a holding portion 70 holding the workpiece 7 in a direction along a first direction A1 while irradiating the laser light B to the workpiece 7 is stopped.
• the laser light irradiation step includes a step of irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B in a first direction A1 while the workpiece 7 is stationary, or a step of irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B in the first direction A1 while the workpiece 7 is stationary and moving the optical axis of the laser light B in at least one of a second direction A2 that is perpendicular to the first direction A1 and a third direction A3 that is perpendicular to both the first direction A1 and the second direction A2.
• the laser light irradiation step and a moving step of moving the gripping unit 70 holding the workpiece 7 in a direction along the first direction A1 while halting irradiation of the laser light B onto the workpiece 7 are alternately performed. This allows for simple control and high-speed machining.
• the workpiece 7 in the laser light irradiation step, the workpiece 7 may be irradiated with laser light B generated by the laser generator 13, reflected by the galvanometer mirror 10, and passed through the F ⁇ lens 30.
• the moving step of moving the gripping unit 70 holding the workpiece 7 in a direction along the first direction A1 while the irradiation of the laser light B on the workpiece 7 is stopped the movement of the workpiece 7 in the direction along the first direction A1 may be achieved by moving the gripping unit 70 holding the workpiece 7 in the direction along the first direction A1, and the movement of the optical axis of the laser light B irradiated in the first direction A1 in the second direction A2 and the third direction A3 may be achieved by the galvanometer mirror 10 reflecting the laser light B and changing the position at which it enters the F ⁇ lens 30. This allows the laser light B to be scanned at high speed by the galvanometer mirror 10, enabling even higher-speed processing.
• the workpiece 7 may have a cutting edge 6.
• the area of the F ⁇ lens 30 that can be irradiated with the laser light B in the first direction A1 may surround the cutting edge 6. This allows the entire cutting edge 6 to be machined without moving the workpiece 7 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the F ⁇ lens 30.
• the area of the F ⁇ lens 30 that can be irradiated with the laser light B in the first direction A1, as viewed in the irradiation direction of the laser light B, may surround the workpiece 7. This allows the entire workpiece 7 to be processed without moving the workpiece 7 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the F ⁇ lens 30.
• the wavelength of the laser light B may be 532 nm or more.
• assist gas G may be supplied to the container 80 while the F ⁇ lens 30 and the workpiece 7 are each surrounded by the container 80.
• the laser light irradiation step may include a step of performing rough processing on the workpiece 7 using a laser, and a step of performing finish processing on the workpiece 7 using a laser after the rough processing step.
• the wavelength of the laser used in the rough processing step is longer than the wavelength of the laser used in the finish processing step.
• the wavelength of the laser used in the rough processing step may be 1030 nm or more.
• Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a laser processing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment.
• Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the laser processing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment.
• the laser processing apparatus 100 processes a workpiece 7 by irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B, and mainly includes a laser irradiation unit 50, a gripping unit 70, and a control unit 60.
• the workpiece 7 includes sintered diamond or cubic boron nitride.
• the laser irradiation unit 50 is a part that irradiates the workpiece 7 with laser light B.
• the laser irradiation unit 50 mainly comprises a laser generator 13, an F ⁇ lens 30, a galvanometer mirror 10, and a galvanometer scanner 20.
• the laser generator 13 can switch between a state in which it generates laser light B and a state in which it stops generating laser light B.
• the control unit 60 switches between a state in which it generates laser light B and a state in which it stops generating laser light B.
• the laser generator 13 generates, for example, a YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet) laser or a YVO 4 (yttrium vanadate) laser.
• the wavelength of the laser light B generated from the laser generator 13 is, for example, 1064 nm.
• the wavelength of the laser light B irradiated onto the workpiece 7 may be converted into a harmonic (for example, a second harmonic) using a harmonic converter (not shown).
• the wavelength of the laser light B irradiated onto the workpiece 7 is, for example, 532 nm or longer.
• the galvanometer mirror 10 has a first galvanometer mirror section 11 and a second galvanometer mirror section 12.
• the first galvanometer mirror section 11 reflects the laser light B irradiated from the laser irradiation section 50.
• the second galvanometer mirror section 12 reflects the laser light B reflected by the first galvanometer mirror section 11.
• the second galvanometer mirror section 12 is positioned opposite the first galvanometer mirror section 11.
• the galvanometer scanner 20 has a first galvanometer scanner unit 21 and a second galvanometer scanner unit 22.
• the first galvanometer scanner unit 21 drives the first galvanometer mirror unit 11.
• the orientation of the first galvanometer mirror unit 11 changes in accordance with the rotation of the drive shaft of the first galvanometer scanner unit 21.
• the second galvanometer scanner unit 22 drives the second galvanometer mirror unit 12.
• the orientation of the second galvanometer mirror unit 12 changes in accordance with the rotation of the drive shaft of the second galvanometer scanner unit 22.
• the F ⁇ lens 30 is positioned below the second galvanometer mirror unit 12.
• the laser light B reflected by the second galvanometer mirror unit 12 is incident on the F ⁇ lens 30.
• the F ⁇ lens 30 focuses the laser light B reflected by the galvanometer mirror 10.
• the F ⁇ lens 30 is fixed in a position that allows the laser light B to be irradiated in the first direction A1.
• the laser light B that passes through the F ⁇ lens 30 is irradiated onto the workpiece 7 in the first direction A1.
• the galvanometer mirror 10 reflects the laser light B generated by the laser generator 13 and changes the position at which it enters the F ⁇ lens 30, thereby moving the optical axis of the laser light B, which passes through the F ⁇ lens 30 and is irradiated in the first direction A1, in the second direction A2 and the third direction A3.
• the second direction A2 is perpendicular to the first direction A1.
• the third direction A3 is perpendicular to both the first direction A1 and the second direction A2.
• the gripping unit 70 grips the workpiece 7. Specifically, the gripping unit 70 detachably grips the workpiece 7 while maintaining the orientation of the workpiece 7.
• the gripping unit 70 is capable of moving the workpiece 7 in a direction along the first direction A1.
• the control unit 60 controls the operation of the laser irradiation unit 50 and the gripping unit 70. Specifically, the control unit 60 controls the operation of the laser irradiation unit 50 and the gripping unit 70 so that the laser light irradiation process and the gripping unit 70 movement process are performed alternately. In the gripping unit 70 movement process, the gripping unit 70 gripping the workpiece 7 is moved in a direction along the first direction A1 while the irradiation of the laser light B onto the workpiece 7 is stopped.
• the laser light irradiation process includes a process of irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B in a first direction A1 while the workpiece 7 is stationary, or a process of irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B in the first direction A1 while the workpiece 7 is stationary and moving the optical axis of the laser light B in at least one of the second direction A2 and the third direction A3.
• the laser light irradiation process will be described in detail later.
• the gripping unit 70 may have a gripping member 40 and a moving mechanism 45.
• the gripping member 40 grips the workpiece 7.
• the moving mechanism 45 moves the workpiece 7 gripped by the gripping member 40 between an attachment/detachment position where the gripping unit 70 attaches/detaches the workpiece 7, and a processing position where the workpiece 7 is irradiated with laser light B to perform processing (see FIG. 5).
• Figure 3 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the F ⁇ lens 30.
• the F ⁇ lens 30 has a lens 31 and a holder 32.
• the holder 32 holds the lens 31.
• the holder 32 surrounds the lens 31.
• the maximum width W of the area of the F ⁇ lens 30 that can irradiate the laser light B in the first direction A1 is, for example, 30 mm or more. As shown in Figure 3, when viewed along the central axis of the F ⁇ lens 30, the maximum width W of the area of the F ⁇ lens 30 that can irradiate the laser light B in the first direction A1 is smaller than the width of the lens 31.
• the maximum width W of the area of the F ⁇ lens 30 that can be irradiated with laser light B in the first direction A1 may be, for example, 40 mm or more, 50 mm or more, or 60 mm or more.
• Fig. 4 is a flow chart schematically showing the laser processing method according to the first embodiment.
• the laser processing method according to the first embodiment is a laser processing method in which the workpiece 7 is processed by irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B.
• the laser processing method according to the first embodiment includes a step (S10) of attaching the workpiece 7 to a gripping member 40, a laser light irradiation step (S20), and a movement step (S30).
• FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing the state in which the workpiece 7 is attached to the gripping member 40.
• the step (S10) of attaching the workpiece 7 to the gripping member 40 is carried out.
• the gripping member 40 is positioned at the attachment/detachment position, where the workpiece 7 is attached/detached.
• the gripping member 40 has, for example, a first gripping portion 41 and a second gripping portion 42.
• the second gripping portion 42 is continuous with the first gripping portion 41.
• the first gripping portion 41 is, for example, approximately cylindrical.
• the second gripping portion 42 has, for example, a V-shaped groove 43 formed in a plan view.
• the cutting insert, which is the workpiece 7, is positioned in the V-shaped groove 43.
• the cutting insert which is the workpiece 7, has a blade member 4 and a base 5.
• the blade member 4 is attached to the base 5.
• the blade member 4 is the part involved in cutting.
• the shape of the base 5 in a plan view is not particularly limited, but may be a rhombus, for example.
• the blade member 4 is joined to the corners of the base 5.
• the base 5 is made of, for example, cemented carbide or cermet.
• the cutting insert in this embodiment is formed by joining the blade members 4 to the corners of the base 5, but the entire cutting insert may also be formed from the blade members 4.
• the blade member 4 serving as the workpiece 7 contains sintered diamond or cBN (cubic boron nitride).
• the blade member 4 may contain, for example, 50% or more by volume of sintered diamond.
• the blade member 4 may contain, for example, 50% by volume of cBN.
• the workpiece 7 is moved to a processing position where laser light B is irradiated onto the workpiece 7 to perform processing.
• the gripping member 40 holding the workpiece 7 is moved to the processing position by the movement mechanism 45.
• the workpiece 7 is positioned below the F ⁇ lens 30 of the laser irradiation unit 50 by the movement mechanism 45.
• FIG. 6 is a side view schematic showing the laser light irradiation process in cylindrical R processing.
• laser light B is irradiated onto the workpiece 7 while the workpiece 7 is stationary.
• the irradiation direction of laser light B is a first direction A1.
• the control unit 60 controls the operation of the laser irradiation unit 50 and the gripping unit 70 so that laser light B is irradiated onto the workpiece 7 in the first direction A1 while the workpiece 7 is stationary.
• laser light B is generated by laser generator 13 and reflected by galvanometer mirror 10.
• laser light B reflected by second galvanometer mirror section 12 is incident on F ⁇ lens 30 (see Figure 1).
• F ⁇ lens 30 focuses laser light B reflected by galvanometer mirror 10.
• Laser light B passes through F ⁇ lens 30 and is irradiated onto workpiece 7.
• the wavelength of laser light B is, for example, 532 nm or more.
• the output of laser light B is, for example, 2 W or more.
• Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view showing the laser light irradiation process in cylindrical R machining.
• the laser light B may be irradiated in a first direction A1 onto the workpiece 7 while the optical axis of the laser light B is moved in at least one of the second direction A2 and the third direction A3.
• the second direction A2 is a direction perpendicular to the first direction A1.
• the third direction A3 is a direction perpendicular to both the first direction A1 and the second direction A2.
• the scanning speed of the laser light B is, for example, 300 mm/sec or more and 1000 mm/sec or less. By increasing the scanning speed of the laser light B, the time that the laser light B remains in the same position can be reduced, thereby improving the quality of the machined surface.
• the control unit 60 controls the operation of the laser irradiation unit 50 and the gripping unit 70 so that, while the workpiece 7 is stationary, the laser beam B is irradiated onto the workpiece 7 in the first direction A1, while the optical axis of the laser beam B is moved in at least one of the second direction A2 and the third direction A3.
• the movement of the optical axis of the laser beam B in the second direction A2 and the third direction A3 is achieved, for example, by the galvanometer mirror 10 reflecting the laser beam B and changing the position at which it enters the F ⁇ lens 30.
• Figure 8 is a schematic top view showing the laser light irradiation process in cylindrical R machining.
• the workpiece 7 has a first arc portion 1 and a second arc portion 2.
• the first arc portion 1 is formed by a blade member 4.
• the first arc portion 1 is formed along a first imaginary circle C1.
• the second arc portion 2 is formed by a base 5.
• the second arc portion 2 is formed along a second imaginary circle C2.
• the radius of the first imaginary circle C1 (first radius R1) is substantially the same as the radius of the second imaginary circle C2 (second radius R2).
• the moving step (S30) is performed.
• the gripping unit 70 gripping the workpiece 7 is moved in a direction along the first direction A1.
• the direction along the first direction A1 may be the same direction as the first direction A1, or the opposite direction to the first direction A1 (fourth direction A4).
• the movement of the workpiece 7 in the direction along the first direction A1 is achieved by moving the gripping unit 70 gripping the workpiece 7 in a direction along the first direction A1.
• the gripping unit 70 gripping the workpiece 7 moves in a direction approaching the F ⁇ lens 30 (fourth direction A4) so that the focal position of the laser light B is at the processing position of the workpiece 7.
• the processing position of the workpiece 7 moves in the fourth direction A4 along the first direction A1.
• the laser light irradiation step (S20) and the movement step (S30) are performed alternately. Specifically, after laser processing is performed on a portion of the workpiece 7, irradiation of laser light B is stopped. With irradiation of laser light B on the workpiece 7 stopped, the workpiece 7 moves in a direction along the first direction A1. Next, laser processing irradiation is resumed, and laser processing is performed on a portion of the workpiece 7. As described above, the workpiece 7 is intermittently processed from the top end to the bottom end.
• the gripping unit 70 may be capable of rotating the workpiece 7 around a processing rotation axis (first rotation axis D1) while gripping the workpiece 7.
• the first rotation axis D1 is an axis parallel to the first direction A1. In a direction perpendicular to the first direction A1, the distance between the laser beam B and the first rotation axis D1 corresponds to a first radius R1.
• the control unit 60 controls the operation of the laser irradiation unit 50 and the gripping unit 70 so that the workpiece 7 rotates around the processing rotation axis while irradiating the laser beam B onto the workpiece 7 in the first direction A1.
• the first arc portion 1 constitutes a corner R cutting edge.
• the operation of the gripping unit 70 to rotate the workpiece 7 around the processing rotation axis may be performed not only when processing the first arc portion 1, but also when transitioning from processing a linear cutting edge 6 to processing another adjacent cutting edge 6.
• the operation of the gripping unit 70 to rotate the workpiece 7 around the processing rotation axis may be performed during the transition period between the laser light irradiation step (S20) and the movement step (S30), or in the preparation step that precedes the processing step in which the laser light irradiation step (S20) and the movement step (S30) are performed alternately.
• the gripping unit 70 may be capable of changing the distance from the F ⁇ lens 30 to the processing rotation axis as viewed from the first direction A1.
• the moving mechanism 45 may be capable of moving the gripping unit 70 along a direction perpendicular to the first direction A1.
• the gripping unit 70 may be able to rotate the workpiece 7 while gripping it about an inclination axis that is an axis perpendicular to the first direction A1, thereby tilting the workpiece 7 with respect to an imaginary plane perpendicular to the first direction A1.
• the moving mechanism 45 may be able to rotate the gripping unit 70 about the inclination axis that is an axis perpendicular to the first direction A1.
• FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view showing the positional relationship between the F ⁇ lens 30 and the workpiece 7.
• the area of the F ⁇ lens 30 that can irradiate the laser light B in the first direction A1 may surround the cutting edge 6 of the workpiece 7.
• the maximum width W of the area of the F ⁇ lens 30 that can irradiate the laser light B in the first direction A1 is, for example, 30 mm or more.
• the area of the F ⁇ lens 30 that can irradiate the laser light B in the first direction A1 may surround the workpiece 7.
• the area of the F ⁇ lens 30 that can irradiate the laser light B in the first direction A1 surrounds the entire cutting edge 6 of the workpiece 7, but does not have to surround the entire workpiece 7.
• the gripping unit 70 may not have the moving mechanism 45.
• the workpiece 7 may be manually placed at the processing position where the laser light B is irradiated onto the workpiece 7 to perform processing, without using the moving mechanism 45. Specifically, an operator may attach the workpiece 7 to the gripping member 40 at the attachment/detachment position, and then manually place the workpiece 7 below the F ⁇ lens 30. The attitude of the workpiece 7 may be manually adjusted by the operator. Second Embodiment Next, a laser processing method according to a second embodiment will be described.
• the laser processing method according to the second embodiment differs from the laser processing method according to the first embodiment mainly in that the processing rotation axis is inclined with respect to the first direction A1, but is substantially the same as the laser processing method according to the first embodiment in other respects.
• the following description will focus on the differences from the laser processing method according to the first embodiment.
• FIG 10 is a side schematic diagram showing the laser light irradiation process in cone R machining.
• the gripping unit 70 is capable of rotating the workpiece 7 around the machining rotation axis (second rotation axis D2) while gripping the workpiece 7.
• the second rotation axis D2 is inclined with respect to the first direction A1.
• the control unit 60 controls the operation of the laser irradiation unit 50 and the gripping unit 70 so that the workpiece 7 rotates around the second rotation axis D2 while irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B in the first direction A1.
• Figure 11 is a schematic perspective view showing the laser light irradiation process in cone R machining.
• laser light B is irradiated onto the workpiece 7 in a first direction A1 while the optical axis of laser light B is moved in at least one of the second direction A2 and the third direction A3.
• the control unit 60 controls the operation of the laser irradiation unit 50 and the gripping unit 70 so that while the workpiece 7 is stationary, laser light B is irradiated onto the workpiece 7 in the first direction A1 while the optical axis of laser light B is moved in at least one of the second direction A2 and the third direction A3.
• Figure 12 is a schematic top view showing the laser light irradiation process in cone R machining.
• the workpiece 7 has a first arc portion 1 and a second arc portion 2.
• the first arc portion 1 is formed by a blade member 4.
• the first arc portion 1 is formed along a first imaginary circle C1.
• the second arc portion 2 is formed by a base 5.
• the second arc portion 2 is formed along a second imaginary circle C2.
• the radius of the first imaginary circle C1 (first radius R1) is larger than the radius of the second imaginary circle C2 (second radius R2).
• the control unit 60 controls the operation of the laser irradiation unit 50 and the gripping unit 70 so as to rotate the workpiece 7 around the second rotation axis D2 while irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B in the first direction A1.
• This forms a first arc portion 1 along the first virtual circle C1 and a second arc portion 2 along the second virtual circle C2 (see Figure 11).
• the second rotation axis D2 is inclined with respect to the first direction A1 so that the distance from the laser beam B in the direction perpendicular to the first direction A1 increases with increasing distance from the F ⁇ lens 30.
• the distance from the laser beam B to the second rotation axis D2 in the direction perpendicular to the first direction A1 corresponds to the second radius R2.
• the distance from the laser beam B to the second rotation axis D2 in the direction perpendicular to the first direction A1 corresponds to the first radius R1.
• the laser processing method according to the third embodiment differs from the laser processing methods according to the first and second embodiments mainly in that an assist gas is supplied, but in other respects it is substantially the same as the laser processing methods according to the first and second embodiments.
• the following description will focus on the differences from the laser processing methods according to the first and second embodiments.
• Figure 13 is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram showing a method of supplying assist gas.
• the laser processing device 100 has an F ⁇ lens 30, a gripping unit 70, and a container 80.
• the workpiece 7 is gripped by the gripping unit 70.
• the gripping unit 70 is movable in an upward and downward direction. The upward and downward directions are parallel to the first direction A1.
• the container 80 has, for example, a first connecting member 81, a second connecting member 82, and a main body member 83.
• the main body member 83 is, for example, cylindrical.
• the main body member 83 surrounds each of the F ⁇ lens 30 and the workpiece 7.
• the main body member 83 is attached to the gripping portion 70 by the first connecting member 81.
• the main body member 83 is attached to the F ⁇ lens 30 by the second connecting member 82.
• a sealed space may be formed by the container 80, the F ⁇ lens 30, and the gripping portion 70.
• the container 80 is provided with an assist gas supply hole 91. Assist gas G is supplied into the container 80 through the assist gas supply hole 91.
• the assist gas G is, for example, nitrogen gas.
• the assist gas G suppresses oxidation of the processed surface, for example.
• the container 80 may be provided with an assist gas exhaust hole 92.
• the assist gas G is exhausted to the outside of the container 80 through the assist gas exhaust hole 92.
• a gap 84 may be provided between the container 80 and the F ⁇ lens 30.
• the assist gas G may be exhausted to the outside of the container 80 through the gap 84.
• the container 80 may be provided with either the assist gas exhaust hole 92 or the gap 84, or with both the assist gas exhaust hole 92 and the gap 84.
• the F ⁇ lens 30 and the workpiece 7 are each surrounded by a container 80, and an assist gas G is supplied to the container 80.
• the inside of the container 80 is filled with the assist gas G.
• the assist gas G may be supplied in a direction substantially perpendicular to the irradiation direction of the laser light B.
• the container 80 and the workpiece 7 may move integrally.
• the container 80 and the workpiece 7 may move integrally by moving the gripper 70 upward and downward.
• the container 80 may be spaced apart from the F ⁇ lens 30.
• the workpiece 7 may move upward and downward inside the container 80 while maintaining the same relative position with respect to the F ⁇ lens 30.
• a laser processing method according to a fourth embodiment will be described.
• the laser processing method according to the fourth embodiment differs from the laser processing methods according to the first to third embodiments mainly in that the laser processing is performed separately into rough processing and finish processing, but is substantially the same as the laser processing methods according to the first to third embodiments in other respects. The following description will focus on the differences from the laser processing methods according to the first to third embodiments.
• the laser light irradiation process includes a rough processing process and a finish processing process.
• Figure 14 is a schematic side view showing the rough processing process.
• the blade member 4 is made of, for example, polycrystalline diamond (PCD).
• the blade member 4 has a first region 71, a second region 72, and a third region 73.
• the first region 71 is continuous with the second region 72.
• the second region 72 is continuous with the third region 73.
• the second region 72 is located between the first region 71 and the third region 73.
• a laser is used to perform rough processing on the workpiece.
• a fiber laser for example, can be used for rough processing.
• laser light B is irradiated onto the first region 71 of the blade member 4.
• Laser light B is a fiber laser.
• the fiber laser is used to remove the first region 71 of the blade member 4.
• a thermally altered layer is formed in the second region 72.
• the thermally altered layer is made of graphite, which has low thermal conductivity.
• the wavelength of the laser used in the rough processing step is longer than the wavelength of the laser used in the finish processing step.
• the wavelength of the laser used in the rough processing step is, for example, 1030 nm or longer.
• FIG 15 is a schematic side view showing the finishing process.
• a laser is used to finish the workpiece.
• a green laser for example, can be used for finishing.
• laser light B is irradiated onto the second region 72 of the blade member 4.
• Laser light B is a green laser. The green laser is used to remove the second region 72 of the blade member 4.
• Figure 16 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the blade member after the finishing process.
• a thermally altered layer 74 is formed in part of the third region 73 during the finishing process.
• the second region 72 is made of graphite, which has low thermal conductivity. Therefore, during the finishing process, heat conduction from the second region 72 to the third region 73 is suppressed. As a result, the thickness of the thermally altered layer 74 formed during the finishing process is reduced.
• the laser irradiation unit 50 has a laser generator 13, an F ⁇ lens 30, and a galvanometer mirror 10.
• the laser light B is scanned by the galvanometer mirror 10. Therefore, the laser processing apparatus 100 disclosed herein is capable of high-speed processing compared to laser processing apparatuses in which the laser light is fixed while the workpiece is moved.
• the control unit 60 controls the operation of the laser irradiation unit 50 and the gripping unit 70.
• the control unit 60 alternately performs a laser light irradiation process and a movement process in which the gripping unit 70 gripping the workpiece 7 is moved in a direction along the first direction A1 while the irradiation of the laser light B onto the workpiece 7 is stopped. Therefore, the laser processing apparatus 100 of the present disclosure is easier to control than a laser processing apparatus that synchronously controls five or more axes.
• the maximum width W of the area of the F ⁇ lens 30 that can be irradiated with laser light B in the first direction A1 may be 30 mm or more. This allows for uniform processing over a wide area.
• the wavelength of the laser light B may be 532 nm or more.
• the cost of the apparatus can be kept low and processing costs can be reduced.
• the gripping unit 70 may have a movement mechanism 45 that moves the workpiece 7 between an attachment/detachment position where the gripping unit 70 attaches/detaches the workpiece 7, and a processing position where the workpiece 7 is irradiated with laser light B to process it. This reduces the total processing time.
• the gripping unit 70 may be capable of rotating the workpiece 7 around a processing rotation axis, which is an axis parallel to the first direction A1, while gripping the workpiece 7.
• the control unit 60 may control the operation of the laser irradiation unit 50 and the gripping unit 70 so that, in the laser light irradiation step, one of the following steps is performed: irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B in the first direction A1 while the workpiece 7 is stationary; irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B in the first direction A1 while the workpiece 7 is stationary while moving the optical axis of the laser light B in at least one of the second direction A2 and the third direction A3; or rotating the workpiece 7 around the processing rotation axis while irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B in the first direction A1.
• This allows cylindrical R processing to be performed on the workpiece 7.
• the gripping unit 70 may be capable of rotating the workpiece 7 around a processing rotation axis, which is an axis tilted with respect to the first direction A1, while gripping the workpiece 7.
• the control unit 60 may control the operation of the laser irradiation unit 50 and the gripping unit 70 so that, in the laser light irradiation step, one of the following steps is performed: irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B in the first direction A1 while the workpiece 7 is stationary; irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B in the first direction A1 while the workpiece 7 is stationary while moving the optical axis of the laser light B in at least one of the second direction A2 and the third direction A3; or rotating the workpiece 7 around the processing rotation axis while irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B in the first direction A1.
• This allows conical R processing to be performed on the workpiece 7.
• the laser processing method disclosed herein comprises a laser light irradiation step and a moving step of moving the gripping unit 70 gripping the workpiece 7 in a direction along the first direction A1 while irradiation of the laser light B to the workpiece 7 is stopped.
• the laser light irradiation step includes a step of irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B in the first direction A1 while the workpiece 7 is stationary, or a step of irradiating the workpiece 7 with laser light B in the first direction A1 while the workpiece 7 is stationary while moving the optical axis of the laser light B in at least one of a second direction A2 that is perpendicular to the first direction A1 and a third direction A3 that is perpendicular to both the first direction A1 and the second direction A2.
• the laser light irradiation step and a moving step of moving the gripping unit 70 gripping the workpiece 7 in a direction along the first direction A1 while irradiation of the laser light B to the workpiece 7 is stopped are performed alternately. This allows for simple control and high-speed processing.
• the workpiece 7 in the laser light irradiation step, the workpiece 7 may be irradiated with laser light B generated by the laser generator 13, reflected by the galvanometer mirror 10, and passed through the F ⁇ lens 30.
• the movement step in which the gripping unit 70 holding the workpiece 7 is moved in a direction along the first direction A1 while the irradiation of the laser light B to the workpiece 7 is stopped, the movement of the workpiece 7 in the direction along the first direction A1 may be achieved by moving the gripping unit 70 holding the workpiece 7 in the direction along the first direction A1, and the movement of the optical axis of the laser light B irradiated in the first direction A1 in the second direction A2 and the third direction A3 may be achieved by the galvanometer mirror 10 reflecting the laser light B and changing the position at which it enters the F ⁇ lens 30. This allows the laser light B to be scanned at high speed by the galvanometer mirror 10, enabling even higher-speed processing.
• the workpiece 7 may have a cutting edge 6.
• the area of the F ⁇ lens 30 that can be irradiated with the laser light B in the first direction A1 may surround the cutting edge 6. This allows the entire cutting edge 6 to be machined without moving the workpiece 7 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the F ⁇ lens 30.
• the area of the F ⁇ lens 30 that can be irradiated with the laser light B in the first direction A1, as viewed in the irradiation direction of the laser light B, may surround the workpiece 7. This allows the entire workpiece 7 to be processed without moving the workpiece 7 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the F ⁇ lens 30.
• the wavelength of laser light B may be 532 nm or longer.
• the workpiece 7 is tilted according to the clearance angle, so the distance between the F ⁇ lens 30 and the workpiece 7 needs to be increased to avoid interference with the gripper 70. Therefore, when assist gas G is supplied to the workpiece 7, the supply nozzle for the assist gas G is positioned away from the workpiece 7. In this case, assist gas G needs to be supplied to the workpiece 7 at high pressure. However, increasing the pressure of the assist gas G distorts the laser light B, which may result in a deterioration in the processing quality of the workpiece 7.
• the F ⁇ lens 30 and the workpiece 7 may each be surrounded by a container 80, and assist gas G may be supplied to the container 80.
• This allows the container 80 to be filled with assist gas G.
• assist gas G there is no need to supply assist gas G at high pressure, which can suppress distortion of the laser light B.
• deterioration in the processing quality of the workpiece 7 can be suppressed.
• using nitrogen gas as assist gas G can suppress oxidation of the processing surface and the formation of a thermally altered layer.
• using a container 80 can reduce the amount of assist gas G used and suppress exposure to assist gas G.
• the laser light irradiation step may include a step of performing rough processing on the workpiece 7 using a laser, and a step of performing finish processing on the workpiece 7 using a laser.
• the wavelength of the laser used in the rough processing step is longer than the wavelength of the laser used in the finish processing step.
• the surface layer of the workpiece 7 is transformed into graphite, which has low thermal conductivity. This suppresses heat conduction in the finish processing step. As a result, the thickness of the thermally altered layer after the finish processing step is reduced.

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• 2024
  • 2024-04-30 JP JP2025518582A patent/JPWO2025229727A1/ja active Pending
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• 2025
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