JP6131121B2 - Laser processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a laser processing apparatus in which a laser processing head is movable along laser light that is oscillated from a laser oscillator and directed toward the laser processing head. More specifically, the laser oscillator oscillated from the laser oscillator is configured to include a horizontal reflecting mirror that horizontally reflects the laser light in the direction of the reflecting mirror provided at the top of the laser processing head. The present invention relates to a laser processing apparatus in which an optical path to a reflecting mirror provided on an upper portion of a laser processing head is arranged in the same plane, the number of reflecting mirrors can be reduced, and the optical path can be easily adjusted.

  For example, in a laser processing machine that performs laser processing of a plate-shaped workpiece, the configuration is such that the laser processing head is moved in the X and Y axis directions, or the laser processing head is moved and positioned in the X axis direction or the Y axis direction, so There is a laser processing apparatus configured to move in the axial direction or the X-axis direction. In the laser processing apparatus having the above configuration, the laser processing head is moved in the direction along the laser beam, so that the distance from the laser oscillator to the laser processing head changes and the optical path length of the laser beam changes. Become.

  When the laser optical path length changes, the diameter of the laser light reaching the condenser lens provided in the laser processing head changes. Therefore, in the configuration in which the optical path length of the laser light changes, the laser light incident on the condenser lens is changed. In order to always adjust the diameter to a constant diameter, there is a laser processing apparatus provided with a concave mirror capable of adjusting the curvature in the optical path (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). In addition, in order to adjust the optical axis of the laser beam from the laser oscillator to the condenser lens, a reflecting mirror disposed in the optical path of the laser beam is provided so as to be rotatable around the X and Y axes (for example, (See Patent Document 3).

JP-A-8-318383 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-14945 JP-A-6-112568

  As described in FIG. 1 of Patent Document 3, a laser beam oscillated from a laser oscillator is reflected by a plurality of reflecting mirrors, and a condenser lens provided in a laser processing head (collected in Patent Document 3). If the laser beam is bent at a right angle by a plurality of reflecting mirrors, the optical path of the laser beam can be adjusted relatively easily, but the number of reflecting mirrors increases. There is a problem that the configuration becomes complicated.

  Incidentally, as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, in the configuration in which the concave mirror whose curvature can be adjusted is provided in the optical path of the laser beam, the incident angle of the laser beam with respect to the concave mirror is 45 ° or less due to the optical characteristics of the concave mirror. It is necessary to keep it small. When the reflected light of the concave mirror is reflected to the reflective mirror provided on the upper part of the laser processing head and the laser light is reflected vertically by the reflective mirror, the incident angle of the laser light to the concave mirror is suppressed to be small. In general, it is difficult to adjust the laser beam vertically in the laser processing head because the reflecting mirror provided at the top of the laser processing head is generally fixed at a predetermined inclination angle in advance. There's a problem.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems. The laser processing head is movably provided in a direction parallel to the laser light oscillated from the laser oscillator, and the direction of the reflector provided on the upper portion of the laser processing head is provided. A laser processing apparatus provided with a horizontal reflecting mirror for horizontally reflecting laser light to the laser processing head, wherein the horizontal reflecting mirror is inclined with respect to a first adjustment axis and a vertical axis inclined with respect to a horizontal axis. The second adjustment shaft is provided so as to be rotatable.

  The laser processing apparatus further includes a reflecting mirror that reflects the laser light oscillated from the laser oscillator in the direction of the horizontal reflecting mirror, and is provided above the reflecting mirror, the horizontal reflecting mirror, and the laser processing head. The provided reflecting mirror is provided in the same horizontal plane.

  In the laser processing apparatus, the horizontal reflecting mirror is a concave mirror whose curvature can be adjusted.

  According to the present invention, since the first and second adjustment axes of the horizontal reflecting mirror for adjusting the optical path of the laser light are slightly inclined in advance with respect to the horizontal axis and the vertical axis, the optical axis of the laser light is moved. The direction substantially coincides with the X and Y axis directions of the workpiece, and the adjustment direction of the horizontal reflecting mirror can be easily known. That is, the optical axis of the laser beam in the laser processing head can be easily adjusted vertically.

1 is a perspective explanatory view conceptually and schematically showing a configuration of main parts of a laser processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective explanatory view conceptually and schematically showing a configuration of a laser processing head provided in the laser processing apparatus. It is A arrow explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the horizontal reflecting mirror in the laser processing head seen from the arrow A direction in FIG. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing which shows the problem in the laser processing head of a conventional structure. FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating an operation of the laser machining head that solves the problem illustrated in FIG. 4.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the laser processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The overall configuration of the laser processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is already well known. However, in order to facilitate understanding, the overall configuration of the laser processing apparatus will be schematically described.

  As conceptually and schematically shown in FIG. 1, a laser processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a base frame 3, and a plate-like workpiece (not shown) is provided on the base frame 3. A laser processing region 5 is provided in which a processing pallet (not shown) supported horizontally can freely enter and exit. Further, guide rails 7 that are long in the X-axis direction are provided on both sides of the base frame 3 in the Y-axis direction. The guide rail 7 is guided and supported on both sides of a carriage 9 that is long in the Y-axis direction so as to be movable in the X-axis direction. At one end of the carriage 9 in the Y-axis direction, there is a first reflecting mirror 11 for reflecting the laser beam LB oscillated horizontally in the X-axis direction from a laser oscillator (not shown) horizontally in the Y-axis direction. The reflection direction is adjustable.

  A laser processing head 13 is provided on the carriage 9 so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction (a direction along the laser beam LB after being reflected by the reflecting mirror 11). A condensing lens 15 that condenses LB and irradiates the workpiece is provided. The laser processing head 13 horizontally reflects the laser beam LB horizontally reflected from the reflecting mirror 11 in the Y-axis direction in the direction of the reflecting mirror 17 provided on the upper part of the laser processing head 13. Is provided so that the angle can be adjusted. The horizontal reflecting mirror 19 is constituted by a concave mirror whose curvature can be adjusted in accordance with a change in the optical path length from the laser oscillator to the laser processing head 13.

  As understood from the above configuration, the laser beam LB oscillated in the X-axis direction from the laser oscillator is reflected by the first reflecting mirror 11 horizontally at right angles to the Y-axis direction. The laser beam LB reflected in the Y-axis direction is reflected horizontally in the direction of the reflecting mirror 17 by the horizontal reflecting mirror 19 and is reflected in the vertically downward direction by the reflecting mirror 17. Then, the light is condensed by the condensing lens 15 provided in the laser processing head 13 and irradiated onto the workpiece.

  By the way, the adjustment (adjustment) for reflecting the laser beam LB oscillated horizontally in the X-axis direction from the laser oscillator to the Y-axis direction at right angles to the Y-axis direction is performed by the first reflecting mirror 11. Is rotated around the vertical axis and is also adjusted around the horizontal axis. Therefore, it is easy to adjust so that the laser beam LB is incident on the center of the horizontal reflecting mirror 19, that is, so that the axis of the laser beam LB coincides with the center of the horizontal reflecting mirror 19.

  Since the reflecting mirror 17 provided on the upper side of the laser processing head 13 is configured to reflect the laser beam LB horizontally incident from the horizontal reflecting mirror 19 in the vertical downward direction, the reflecting mirror 17 is configured to reflect the reflecting mirror 17. And a virtual horizontal straight line (corresponding to the straight line LBB in FIG. 2) connecting the center of the horizontal reflector 19 and the center of the horizontal reflecting mirror 19 is inclined by 45 ° in advance around a rotation axis that is orthogonal to the horizontal. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the laser light LBA reflected by the first reflecting mirror 11 in the direction of the horizontal reflecting mirror 19 is reflected horizontally by the horizontal reflecting mirror 19 in the direction of the reflecting mirror 17 to be laser light LBB. It becomes. The laser beam LBB is reflected vertically downward by the reflecting mirror 17 to become laser beam LBC.

  By the way, when the laser beam LB reflected from the horizontal reflecting mirror 19 is incident on the reflecting mirror 17 provided on the upper part of the laser processing head 13, the horizontal reflecting mirror 19 and the reflecting mirror 17 are provided to face each other. There is a need. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the horizontal reflecting mirror 19 needs to be slightly rotated about the vertical axis and slightly inclined with respect to the Y-axis direction. The reflecting mirror 17 is rotated about a vertical axis (Z axis orthogonal to the X and Y axes) so as to face the horizontal reflecting mirror 19 and slightly tilted with respect to the Y-axis direction. In order to reflect the laser beam LB in the vertically downward direction, it is necessary to be inclined by 45 ° with respect to the vertical plane.

  Therefore, in order to facilitate understanding, as shown in FIG. 4, a provisional cross target having orthogonal lines X1, Y1 indicating the X-axis and Y-axis directions is provided at the position of the horizontal reflecting mirror 19. It is assumed that the horizontal reflecting mirror 19 is provided so that the directions of the lines X1 and Y1 coincide with the X and Y axis directions in the laser processing apparatus 1. Then, the cross target is irradiated with, for example, a He—Ne laser beam for adjusting the optical axis. Assuming that the irradiated He—Ne laser light is incident on the reflecting mirror 17 and is reflected vertically downward by the reflecting mirror 17 to project the temporary cross target onto a horizontal plane such as a workpiece. As shown in FIG. 4, the irradiated temporary cross target is moved so that the straight lines X <b> 1 and Y <b> 1 are slightly inclined with respect to the X and Y axis directions in the laser processing apparatus 1.

  The temporary cross target straight angle X1, Y1 projected onto the horizontal surface of the workpiece or the like by adjusting the mounting angle of the temporary cross target with respect to the position of the horizontal reflecting mirror 19 in advance is the X, Y in the laser processing apparatus 1. It is also possible to adopt a configuration that matches the axial direction. However, the center of the reflecting mirror 17 and the center of the horizontal reflecting mirror 19 are rotated around an axis parallel to the lines X1 and Y1 of the temporary cross target so that the center of the horizontal reflecting mirror 19 coincides with the optical axis. When the adjustment (adjustment) is to be performed, the center of the temporary cross target to be projected onto the horizontal surface of the workpiece or the like is displaced (moved) in the direction intersecting the X and Y axis directions. Therefore, when the optical path adjustment (optical axis adjustment) in the laser processing apparatus 1 is performed, the adjustment of the horizontal reflecting mirror 19 is troublesome.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the horizontal reflecting mirror 19 can be easily adjusted when adjusting the optical path. In other words, in order to adjust the optical path, for example, the configuration described in Patent Document 3 can be adopted as the configuration for adjusting the tilt angle with respect to the X and Y axes of the concave mirror provided in the horizontal reflecting mirror 19. is there. That is, the configuration for adjusting the optical path may be a well-known configuration.

  Therefore, a brief description will be given of the configuration for adjusting the optical path in the horizontal reflecting mirror 19. The horizontal reflecting mirror 19 is configured as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the horizontal reflecting mirror 19 includes a housing block 23 that is integrally attached to a machining head housing 21 of the laser machining head 13 with a fixture such as a bolt. A unit base 27 of a mirror unit 25 having a concave mirror is adjustable on the mounting surface (the back surface of the facing surface) opposite to the facing surface where the housing block 23 faces the reflecting mirrors 11, 17. Ready to move).

  More specifically, the unit base 27 is provided so as to be swingable in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 3 with a support 29 for attaching the base unit 27 to the housing block 23 as a fulcrum. And, on a straight line L1 connecting the support tool 29 and the center O of the mirror unit 25, on a position close to the support tool 29 and on a straight line L2 orthogonal to the straight line L1 and passing through the center O, At the same distance from the center O, there is provided pressing urging means 31 such as a coil spring that urges the unit base 27 in a direction away from the housing block 23.

  In order to adjust the inclination angle of the unit base 27 with respect to the X-axis and Y-axis directions, on the straight line L2 and in the vicinity of the corner of the unit base 27, the front end portion penetrates the unit base 27 and the housing block The adjusting screws (pull screws) 33A and 33B screwed to 23 are respectively provided. Fixing screws (tension screws) 35A and 35B for preventing the adjustment screws 33A and 33B from being loosened are provided at positions close to the adjustment screws 33A and 33B.

  A straight line YL connecting the support 29 and the fixing screw 35A constitutes a Y adjustment axis YL when the unit base 27 is rotated and adjusted in the Y-axis direction. It is inclined by an angle θ. A straight line XL connecting the support tool 29 and the fixing screw 35B constitutes an X adjustment axis XL for rotating and adjusting the unit base 27 in the X axis direction, and is orthogonal to the Y adjustment axis YL. It is the structure to do. That is, the X and Y adjustment axes XL and YL are inclined at a predetermined angle θ with respect to the horizontal and vertical directions.

  More specifically, the X and Y adjustment axes YL and XL are the vertical axis and the horizontal axis YV and XH orthogonal to the laser beam LBA at the horizontal incident position of the laser beam LBA with respect to the horizontal reflecting mirror 19, respectively. Is slightly inclined.

  With the above configuration, when the adjustment screw 33A is adjusted in a state where the fixing screws (lock screws) 35A and 35B are loosened, the unit base 27 has the X adjustment axis XL inclined in advance by an angle θ with respect to the horizontal as the rotation center. The angle in the Y-axis direction with respect to the incident laser beam LBA is adjusted. Further, by adjusting the adjustment screw 33B, the unit base 27 is adjusted with respect to the incident laser beam LBA in the X-axis direction around the Y adjustment axis YL.

  Therefore, by adjusting the rotation of the adjusting screws 33A and 33B, the reflection direction of the laser beam LBA incident on the horizontal reflecting mirror 19 can be finely adjusted. In other words, the center of the horizontal reflecting mirror 19 and the center of the reflecting mirror 17 can be adjusted to coincide with each other on the optical axis.

  By the way, the X and Y adjustment axes XL and YL, which are the rotation centers when adjusting the reflection direction of the horizontal reflecting mirror 19, are preliminarily set at a predetermined angle θ with respect to the horizontal and vertical directions, that is, horizontally reflected from the reflecting mirror 11. It is inclined by an angle θ set in advance corresponding to the angle formed between the laser beam LBA incident on the mirror 19 and the reflected laser beam LBB. Therefore, assuming that the provisional cross target is provided at the position of the horizontal reflecting mirror 19, and assuming that the assumed cross target is projected onto the horizontal plane, straight lines X1 and Y1 of the provisional cross target are shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the laser beam is projected onto a horizontal plane such as a workpiece in parallel with the X and Y axis directions in the laser processing apparatus 1.

  In other words, at the position of the horizontal reflecting mirror 19, the temporary cross target straight lines X 1 and Y 1 when temporarily projected onto the workpiece upper surface are attached so as to be parallel to the X and Y axis directions in the laser processing apparatus 1. It will be. Then, when the cross target at the position of the horizontal reflecting mirror 19 is rotated (oscillated) around the X and Y adjustment axes XL and YL, the temporary cross target projected on the horizontal plane is adjusted. The X and Y adjustment axes XL and YL are slightly inclined in advance with respect to the horizontal and vertical directions so that the center (intersection) is adjusted in the X and Y axis directions.

  In the above configuration, by adjusting the adjusting screws 33A and 33B, the laser beam LBA reflected horizontally by the reflecting mirror 11 is incident on the center of the horizontal reflecting mirror 19, and is reflected horizontally by the horizontal reflecting mirror 19. The optical path can be adjusted so that the laser beam LBC reflected vertically downward by the reflecting mirror 17 is incident on the center of the laser processing head 13. At this time, the straight lines X1 and Y1 of the temporary cross target are projected in parallel to the X and Y axis directions in the laser processing apparatus 1, respectively. Then, the X and Y adjustment axes as the first and second adjustment axes, which are the rotation centers when the inclination angle of the horizontal reflecting mirror 19 is finely adjusted by the adjustment screws 35A and 35B, are predetermined in advance with respect to the horizontal and vertical directions. It is inclined at an angle θ.

  Therefore, the adjustment screws 35A and 35B are adjusted, and the optical path is adjusted by moving the optical axis of the laser beam LBC in the X and Y directions on a horizontal plane such as a workpiece. At this time, the optical axis of the laser beam LBC with respect to the intersection of the cross target 14 (see FIG. 1) provided for adjusting the optical axis on the lower side (nozzle side) of the condenser lens 15 in the laser processing head 13. Slightly moves in the X and Y axis directions. Therefore, the adjustment screws 33A and 33B are individually adjusted so that the optical axis can be individually moved and adjusted in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and the optical axis of the laser beam LBC is aligned with the intersection of the cross target 14. Therefore, the optical path of the laser beam can be easily adjusted.

  By the way, in the above description, in order to facilitate understanding, it has been assumed that a temporary target is provided at the position of the horizontal reflecting mirror 19. However, the laser processing head 13 is provided with adjustment of the optical axis so that the optical axis of the laser beam LBC reflected vertically downward by the reflecting mirror 17 coincides with the center of the optical path in the vertical direction of the laser processing head 13. A cross target 14 is provided instead of the condensing lens 15 or below the condensing lens 15. The horizontal reflecting mirror 19 is individually rotated (oscillated) about the X and Y adjustment axes XL and YL so that the intersection of the cross targets and the center (optical axis) of the laser beam LBC coincide. ) To adjust. At this time, the laser beam LBC is finely moved individually in the X and Y axis directions, not in the direction crossing the X and Y axes, and the intersection of the cross target 14 and the optical axis of the laser beam LBC perpendicular to each other are set. In order to make them coincide, the laser beam LBC can be easily adjusted in the X and Y axis directions.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Laser processing apparatus 11 1st reflecting mirror 13 Laser processing head 14 Cross target 15 Condensing lens 17 Reflecting mirror 19 Horizontal reflecting mirror 23 Housing block 25 Mirror unit 27 Unit base 29 Support tool 33A, 33B Adjustment screw 35A, 35B Fixing screw

Claims (3)

  A laser processing head is movably provided in a direction parallel to a laser beam oscillated from a laser oscillator, and a horizontal reflecting mirror that horizontally reflects the laser light toward a reflecting mirror provided on the laser processing head is provided in the laser processing head. The horizontal processing mirror is provided so as to be rotatable about a first adjustment axis inclined with respect to the horizontal axis and a second adjustment axis inclined with respect to the vertical axis. The laser processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned.   The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reflecting mirror that reflects the laser light oscillated from the laser oscillator toward the horizontal reflecting mirror, the reflecting mirror, the horizontal reflecting mirror, and the laser processing head. A laser processing apparatus comprising: a reflecting mirror provided on an upper portion of the laser beam in the same horizontal plane.   3. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal reflecting mirror is a concave mirror capable of adjusting a curvature.

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