JP2698376B2 - Laser processing method and apparatus - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a laser processing apparatus, and more particularly, to a laser processing apparatus.
The present invention relates to a laser processing method and a laser processing method in which a processing nozzle attached to a tip of a processing head is prevented from colliding with a detected member located in front of a processing nozzle relative to a workpiece in a traveling direction.

(Prior art) Conventionally, in a laser processing apparatus, a processing head is controlled relative to a workpiece to be processed by an X-ray apparatus under the control of an NC apparatus.
The movement is controlled in the directions of the axis and the Y axis. A processing nozzle is mounted at the tip of the processing head.

When performing laser processing by irradiating a work to be processed from the processing nozzle with a laser beam, the processing nozzle may hit the protrusion and be damaged. In order to prevent the processing nozzle from being damaged, a contact-type sensor is attached to an outer peripheral portion of the processing nozzle.

Therefore, the presence of the protrusion is detected by the contact sensor hitting the protrusion.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) By the way, since the contact type sensor detects by hitting the protrusion, a stop command signal is issued so as to stop the processing nozzle from the detection time by the contact type sensor. . Therefore, there is a problem that it is very difficult to completely prevent damage to the processing nozzle due to coasting.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention has been made in view of the conventional problems as described above, and the first invention has an X-axis and a Y-axis relative to a workpiece to be processed. The image sent by the large number of optical fibers when the processing head that moves in the axial direction and has one end side of a large number of optical fibers arranged on the outer peripheral portion of the processing nozzle attached to the distal end moves in a predetermined traveling direction. When an object to be detected is detected in an advancing direction of the processing nozzle in a detection range determined according to a traveling direction of the processing nozzle and a speed of the processing nozzle, an image processing apparatus connected to the imaging apparatus And a laser processing method in which the speed of the processing head is reduced and stopped by an NC device connected to the image processing apparatus.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing head that is controlled to move in a X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction relative to a work to be processed by an NC device, Nozzle, a plurality of optical fibers having one end disposed on the outer periphery of the processing nozzle, an imaging device for capturing an image sent by the plurality of optical fibers, and image processing of a gift imaged by the imaging device An image processing device, which detects an object to be detected positioned in front of the processing nozzle in the advancing direction of the processing nozzle by an optical fiber in a detection range determined according to the advancing direction of the processing nozzle and the speed of the processing nozzle, and performs the imaging. When an image is taken by the apparatus, a deceleration command signal is output from the image processing apparatus for controlling the speed of the processing nozzle to the NC apparatus, and the control of the NC apparatus is performed. It is made of a configuration for stopping the movement of the machining head.

(Operation) By employing the laser processing method and the laser processing apparatus of the present invention, the relative traveling direction and speed of the processing nozzle mounted on the tip of the processing head on the XY plane are controlled by the NC device. Since one end side of a large number of optical fibers is arranged on the outer peripheral portion of the processing nozzle, the traveling direction and speed of the optical fibers are also controlled.

Further, an image detected and transmitted by the optical fiber is captured by an imaging device. When the processing nozzle advances in the determined advancing direction, and a detected member in front of the advancing direction of the processing nozzle is detected by the optical fiber and captured by the imaging device, the processed member is processed by the image processing device and connected to the image processing device. The NC nozzle is stopped while the speed of the processing nozzle is reduced.

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

Referring to FIG. 4, the laser processing apparatus 1 includes a fixed work table 5 on a base 3, and guides a work W on an XY plane (horizontal plane) on the work table 5.
An XY carriage 7 is provided.

The XY carriage 7 is provided with a clamp device that grips the work W placed on the work table 5 and conveys a position where the work W is to be processed to a position directly below a processing head described later.

A column 9 extending upward from the rear end of the base 3 is erected, and a beam 11 protrudes forward from the column 9. A laser oscillation device 13 is mounted at the rear of the column 9. Z axis direction (vertical direction) at the lower front of beam 11
The processing head 15 is mounted so as to be movable.

Further, a processing nozzle 17 is mounted on the tip of the processing head 15, and one end side of a large number of optical fibers 19 is arranged on an outer peripheral portion of the processing nozzle 17. The other ends of the plurality of optical fibers 19 are arranged to face an imaging device 23 such as a CCD camera attached to the frame 21.

The imaging device 23 is connected to an image processing device 25, and the image processing device 25 is connected to an NC device 27 that numerically controls the XY carriage 7.

The laser oscillating device 13 oscillates a carbon dioxide laser beam LB for processing and oscillates a visible light laser lb such as He-Ne at the time of adjusting the focus of the laser beam LB so that the optical axis is not formed.

The work table 5 is provided with a hole 29 for transmitting the laser beam LB or the visible light laser lb. Also,
The work W is provided with a reference hole 31.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the NC device 27 controls the relative direction and speed of the processing nozzle 17 relative to the workpiece. 1 and 2, if the processing nozzle 17 relatively advances at a speed vector F as indicated by an arrow, the coordinates of the X and Y axes on the XY plane become speed vectors Fx and Fy, and The traveling direction of the processing nozzle 17 proceeds at an angle θ = tan ⁻¹ (Fy / Fx) from tan θ = Fy / Fx.

A large number of optical fibers
The detection range 19 is specified by a detection length consisting of a width along the outer shape of the processing nozzle 17. The maximum detection length Lmax is Lmax
Set by -F · α. (However, α is a constant of the detection area)
The minimum detection length Lmin is set to a predetermined length from the outer diameter of the processing nozzle 17. Thus, the detection range of the large number of optical fibers 19 is determined according to the speed of the processing nozzle 17.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, as there is a projection W _T of the work W as the detection member in front of the traveling direction of the processing nozzle 17, processing nozzle 17 progresses at a speed vector F,
When the maximum detection length Lmax of many optical fibers 19 is detected across the protrusion WT, the speed of the processing nozzle 17 is reduced,
Further processing nozzle 17 is advanced, minimum detectable length Lmin of a number of optical fibers 19 is stopped and the processing nozzle 17 to be detected across a projection W _T, processing nozzle 17 to collide with the projection W _T Is to be prevented.

The processing image projection W _T close to the nozzle 17 is sent to the imaging apparatus 23 side through the plurality of optical fibers 19 the imaging apparatus
The image is captured by 23 and the image is processed by an image processing device 25 connected to the imaging device 23.

As shown in FIG. 3, the image processing device 25 includes a binarization circuit 33, a frame memory 35, a CPU 37, a ROM 3
9, a RAM 41, and an input / output device 43.

The binarization circuit 33 converts the analog video signal to 1,
The digital signal is digitized into 0 code, and the digital signal is stored in the frame memory 35 as image data. Frame memory
35 stores a 1,0 signal in each pixel corresponding to the black and white portion of the image. The physical coordinates of the frame memory 35
XY. These coordinates XY are the coordinates of the work table 5
The coordinates (x0, y0) correspond to the mounting positions (X0, Y0) of X and Y,
In relation to the displacement amount, there is a relation of X = Kx · x and Y = ky · y. Kx and Ky are constants determined by the equivalent distance per pixel and the magnification of the imaging device 23. The maximum and minimum detection lengths Lmax and Lmin are, of course, processed in accordance with the coordinates X and Y in the frame memory 35.

The ROM 39 stores a program for performing arithmetic processing described later. The input / output device 43 is connected to the bus 45 of the image processing device 25 and the input / output device inside the NC device 27, and serves to transmit a start signal from the NC device 27 and a data signal to the NC device 27. To do.

In the RAM 41, the speed vector F of the processing nozzle 17
The maximum detection length Lmax determined by the equation max = F · α and the preset minimum detection length Lmin are stored.

According to the above configuration, the relative traveling direction of the processing nozzle 17 with respect to the workpiece W to be processed by the NC device 27 is represented by the velocity vector F in the traveling direction inclined by the angle θ with respect to the X axis according to the above-described formula. It proceeds in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. As there is a projection W _T of the work W as the detected member to the front in the relative moving direction of the processing nozzle 17, and proceeds the processing nozzle 17, the tip of the maximum detection length Lmax of a number of optical fibers 19 by but to cross the projection W _T, the image projection W _T sent is detected by a number of optical fibers 19 is imaged by the imaging device 23, the second image processing apparatus 25
It is stored in the frame memory 35 via the value conversion circuit 33,
And a deceleration command signal is issued to reduce the speed of the processing nozzle 17. The deceleration command signal is sent to the NC device 27 via the I / O 43, and the processing nozzle 17 is decelerated to a speed lower than the speed vector F.

Furthermore, decelerated processing nozzle 17 progresses, by the tip of the minimum detectable length Lmin of a number of optical fibers 19 across the projections W _T, is imaged by the imaging device 23 in the same manner as described above, the process in the manner described above Then, a stop command signal is issued. The stop command signal is sent to the NC device 27 via the I / O 43, and the processing nozzle 17 is stopped.

Therefore, the processing even when projection W _T, for example the work W as the detected member to the front in the traveling direction of the nozzle 17, the number of optical fibers 19 that processing nozzle 17 is attached to the outer peripheral portion of the processing nozzle when progressed Maximum and minimum detection length Lm
By detecting the protrusion WT with ax and Lmin, the processing nozzle 17 can be stopped while reducing the speed.

Thus, even if there is a detected member in front of the processing nozzle 17 in the traveling direction, the detected member is detected by the large number of optical fibers 19, and can be stopped while reducing the speed of the processing nozzle 17, It is possible to prevent the processing nozzle 17 from colliding with the detected member.

The detection range of many optical fibers 19 is the processing nozzle
Since it is determined according to the speed of the processing nozzle 17, it is possible to prevent the processing nozzle 17 from colliding with the detected member regardless of the speed of the processing nozzle 17.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be embodied in other modes by making appropriate changes.

[Effects of the Invention] As can be understood from the above description of the embodiment, according to the present invention, the processing direction and the speed on the XY plane of the processing nozzle mounted on the tip of the processing head are controlled by the NC device. Is relatively controlled. Since many optical fibers are attached to the outer periphery of the processing nozzle,
The traveling direction and speed of the optical fiber are controlled together with the processing nozzle.

In addition, an obstacle located on the front side in the relative traveling direction is detected by a large number of optical fibers, and an image sent to the ends of the large number of optical fibers is captured by an imaging device. Then, the processing nozzle advances in the determined advancing direction by the NC device, and a detected member in front of the advancing direction of the processing nozzle is detected by a large number of optical fibers. And NC
A deceleration command signal is output to the device, and the speed of the processing nozzle can be reduced and stopped under the control of the NC device. Thus, it is possible to prevent the processing nozzle from colliding with the detected member.

In addition, since the detection range of a large number of optical fibers is set to a range determined according to the speed of the processing nozzle, it is possible to prevent the processing nozzle from colliding with the detected member regardless of the speed of the processing nozzle. be able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view for explaining the relationship between a processing nozzle and an optical fiber, which are main parts of the present invention, and a projection of a workpiece as a member to be detected, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. It is. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration in which an image processing device processes a detection value when an object to be detected is detected by an imaging device via an optical fiber, and FIG. 4 is a laser processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of. 1 ... Laser processing device, 7 ... XY carriage, 15 ... Processing head 17 ... Processing nozzle, 19 ... Optical fiber, 23 ... Imaging device 25 ... Image processing device, 27 ... NC device

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A machining head which moves in the X-axis and Y-axis directions relative to a workpiece to be machined and has one end side of a large number of optical fibers arranged on an outer peripheral portion of a machining nozzle attached to a tip end portion. When moving in the determined traveling direction, the image sent by the plurality of optical fibers is captured by an imaging device, and the traveling direction of the processing nozzle in the detection range determined according to the traveling direction of the processing nozzle and the speed of the processing nozzle. When a detected member is detected, the processing is performed by an image processing device connected to the imaging device, and the speed of the processing head is reduced and stopped by an NC device connected to the image processing device. Laser processing method. 2. A processing head that is controlled to move by an NC device relative to a workpiece to be processed in the X-axis and Y-axis directions;
A processing nozzle mounted on the tip of the processing head and irradiating a laser beam to the work to be processed, and a number of optical fibers having one end arranged on an outer peripheral portion of the processing nozzle,
An image pickup device that picks up an image sent by the large number of optical fibers, and an image processing device that performs image processing on the image picked up by the image pickup device, and are determined according to the traveling direction of the processing nozzle and the speed of the processing nozzle. From the image processing device to the NC device in order to control the speed of the processing nozzle when detecting the member to be detected positioned in front of the processing nozzle by the optical fiber in the detection range and capturing the image with the imaging device. Outputs the deceleration command signal and outputs the NC
A laser processing apparatus, wherein the movement of the processing head is stopped by controlling the apparatus.