JP7240885B2 - laser processing machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a laser processing machine that performs laser processing such as laser cutting or laser welding on a workpiece.

A converging lens for converging laser light is provided inside the processing head of the laser processing machine, and the converging lens is expensive. In order to prevent spatters and fumes generated during laser processing from adhering to the focusing lens, a protective glass for protecting the focusing lens is usually provided on the light exit side of the focusing lens inside the processing head. Here, during laser processing, the laser light directed to the work material, the laser light reflected from the work material, or the light generated by the work material and directed to the focusing lens may be trapped inside the protective glass due to dirt adhering to the surface of the protective glass. Diffuse reflection.

On the other hand, when the degree of contamination of the protective glass increases, processing defects occur due to the influence of the contamination. Therefore, the intensity of scattered light that is diffusely reflected inside the protective glass is detected, and based on the result, it is determined whether or not the protective glass needs to be replaced (see Patent Document 1). Then, when it is determined that the protective glass needs to be replaced, an alarm is generated to notify that effect.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-509889

By the way, when an alarm occurs during laser processing, it is necessary for the operator to temporarily interrupt the laser processing and manually replace or clean the protective glass. In addition, it takes a lot of time and effort to replace the protective glass manually by the operator. Therefore, there is a problem that the interruption time of the laser processing due to the replacement of the protective glass becomes long, and it is not easy to improve the productivity of the laser processing machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a laser processing machine having a novel configuration that can automatically replace protective glass.

A laser processing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a processing head that irradiates a laser beam toward a workpiece, a focusing lens provided in the processing head that focuses the laser beam, and the focusing lens and the workpiece. a protective glass that protects the focusing lens between them; a movable clamp that is provided on the processing head so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the processing head and holds the protective glass; A photodetector for detecting the intensity of scattered light reflected diffusely inside, a recovery box for recovering the protective glass after use, and a storage rack for storing the protective glass before use are provided. The movable clamp moves in the orthogonal direction to a protection position where the protection glass is positioned on the optical axis of the focusing lens, a recovery position (delivery position) where the protection glass is delivered to the recovery box, and It is configured to be positionable between a receiving position for receiving the protective glass from the storage rack. The protective glass is held at the protective position by the movable clamp during laser processing, and the photodetector is close to the outer peripheral surface of the protective glass positioned at the protective position.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, when the protective glass is replaced, the movable clamp is moved from the protective position to one side in the orthogonal direction by driving the actuator, and is positioned at the recovery position. . Then, the holding state of the protective glass by the movable clamp is released. Thereby, the protective glass can be transferred from the movable clamp to the collection box for collection.

After that, the actuator is driven to move the movable clamp from the recovery position to one side in the orthogonal direction and position it at the receiving position. Then, the protective glass delivered from the storage rack is held by the movable clamp. This allows the movable clamp to receive the protective glass from the storage rack.

Finally, by driving the actuator, the movable clamp is moved from the receiving position to the other side in the orthogonal direction and positioned at the protecting position. Thereby, the protective glass can be positioned at the protective position, and the replacement of the protective glass is completed.

That is, the protective glass can be automatically replaced by providing the laser processing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention with the movable clamp, the recovery box, and the storage rack configured as described above. As a result, it is possible to save time and labor for manually replacing the protective glass as required, and to replace the protective glass in a short period of time.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the collection box and the storage rack may each be provided on the processing head. Moreover, the recovery box and the storage rack may be provided at positions separated from the processing head.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the movable clamp may have a pair of clamp arms that can move toward and away from each other, and a locking tool that is provided on each clamp arm and that locks onto the peripheral edge of the protective glass. The storage rack may also have a holding clamp on its underside for holding the protective glass before use.

A laser processing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention may include an actuator that moves the movable clamp in the orthogonal direction. In this case, the actuator may be a rodless cylinder having a mover connected to the movable clamp and movable in the orthogonal direction. Then, the laser processing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a photodetector for detecting the intensity of scattered light diffusely reflected inside the protective glass positioned at the protective position during laser processing; and a replacement determination unit that determines whether or not replacement of the protective glass is necessary based on the detection result. Further, in the laser processing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention, when it is determined that the protective glass needs to be replaced, the movable clamp is moved from the protective position to one side in the orthogonal direction to The actuator is controlled to position at the collection position (delivery position), the movable clamp is controlled to release the holding state of the protective glass, and then the movable clamp is moved from the collection position in the orthogonal direction. controlling the actuator to move to one side and position it at the receiving position; controlling the movable clamp to receive the protective glass from the storage rack; and finally moving the movable clamp from the receiving position to the receiving position. A replacement control unit may be provided for controlling the actuator so as to move it to the other side in the orthogonal direction and position it at the protection position.

According to the present invention, the replacement of the protective glass can be unmanned (automated), the interruption time of laser processing accompanying the replacement of the protective glass can be shortened, and the productivity of the laser processing machine can be improved.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a laser processing machine according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a processing head and its surroundings according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is an enlarged view of FIG. 3(b). FIG. 3(a) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 3(b). FIG. 3(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the processing head and its surroundings according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the movable clamp is positioned at the protective position. FIG. 4(a) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 4(b). FIG. 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the processing head and its surroundings according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the movable clamp is positioned at the recovery position. FIG. 5(a) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 5(b). FIG. 5(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the processing head and its surroundings according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the movable clamp is positioned at the receiving position. FIG. 6 is a control block diagram of the laser processing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a flow chart diagram explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 8B. FIG. 8B is a schematic cross-sectional view of a processing head and its surroundings according to a modification of the embodiment of the present invention, showing a state before the first split replacement case is connected to the second split replacement case. FIG. 9(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 9(a). FIG. 9(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the processing head and its surroundings according to a modification of the embodiment of the present invention, showing a state after the first split replacement case is connected to the second split replacement case. ing.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. It is meant to include being provided indirectly through. The “X-axis direction” refers to the left-right direction, which is one of the horizontal directions, the “Y-axis direction” refers to the front-rear direction, which is one of the horizontal directions, and the “Z-axis direction” refers to the horizontal direction. refers to the up-down direction (vertical direction). The term "and/or" is intended to include either one or both of the two. In the drawings, "FF" indicates forward, "FR" indicates rearward, "L" indicates left, "R" indicates right, "U" indicates upward, and "D" indicates downward.

As shown in FIG. 1, a laser processing machine 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a processing machine that performs laser cutting as laser processing on a plate-shaped work material (metal work material) W. As shown in FIG. A specific configuration of the laser processing machine 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is as follows.

A laser processing machine 10 includes a bed 12 extending in the X-axis direction. The bed 12 is provided with a processing table 14 that supports the workpiece W, and the processing table 14 extends in the X-axis direction. The processing table 14 has a plurality of support plates (skid plates) 16 spaced apart in the X-axis direction. Each support plate 16 extends in the Y-axis direction, and on the top of each support plate 16, a plurality of mountain-shaped projections 16a for supporting the workpiece W in point contact are spaced apart in the Y-axis direction. formed.

A gate-shaped movable frame 18 is provided on the bed 12 so as to be movable in the X-axis direction, and the movable frame 18 extends in the Y-axis direction so as to straddle the processing table 14 . The movable frame 18 is driven by an X-axis motor 20 provided at an appropriate position on the bed 12 to move in the X-axis direction. A carriage 22 is provided on the horizontal portion 18a of the movable frame 18 so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction. The carriage 22 is driven by a Y-axis motor 24 provided at an appropriate position on the movable frame 18 to move in the Y-axis direction.

A fiber laser oscillator 26 is provided near the bed 12 as a laser oscillator that outputs (oscillates) laser light. As the laser oscillator, instead of the fiber laser oscillator 26, a _CO2 laser oscillator, a YAG laser oscillator, a disk laser oscillator, a direct diode laser oscillator (DDL oscillator), or the like may be used.

The carriage 22 is provided with a cylindrical processing head 28 that is movable in the Z-axis direction and emits a laser beam while injecting an assist gas toward the work material W. As shown in FIG. The processing head 28 has a nozzle 30 on its tip side. The machining head 28 is moved in the Z-axis direction by driving a Z-axis motor 32 provided at an appropriate position on the carriage 22 . The machining head 28 is driven by the Z-axis motor 32 to move in the Z-axis direction. When driven, it moves together with the carriage 22 in the Y-axis direction.

Processing head 28 is optically connected to fiber laser oscillator 26 via process fiber 34 . The nozzle 30 side inside the processing head 28 is connected via a pipe (not shown) to an assist gas supply source (not shown) for supplying an assist gas such as oxygen or nitrogen. A collimator lens 36 is provided inside the processing head 28 to collimate the laser beam emitted from the exit end of the process fiber 34 . Further, a converging lens 38 for converging the laser light toward the work material W is provided on the light emitting side (lower side) of the collimating lens 36 inside the processing head 28 .

With the above-described configuration, while the workpiece W is supported on the machining table 14, the X-axis motor 20 and the Y-axis motor 24 drive the machining head 28 with respect to the workpiece W in the X-axis direction and/or the Y-axis direction. can be positioned. Then, while positioning the processing head 28, the laser beam is irradiated while injecting an assist gas from the processing head 28 toward the workpiece W. As shown in FIG. As a result, the workpiece W can be subjected to laser cutting as laser processing.

Next, the characterizing portion of the laser processing machine 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 (a) and (b), the processing head 28 has a replacement case 40 between the focusing lens 38 and the nozzle 30. The replacement case 40 is a part of the processing head 28. It extends in the Y-axis direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the axis (the optical axis of the laser beam). A movable clamp 44 holding a protective glass 42 is provided inside the exchange case 40 so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction. A circular first upper opening 40a through which the laser beam passes is formed in the upper surface of the exchange case 40 on one end side, and a circular first upper opening 40a through which the laser beam passes is formed on the lower surface of the exchange case 40 on the one end side. A lower opening 40b is formed, and the first lower opening 40b is positioned vertically below the first upper opening 40a. A circular second lower opening 40c through which the protective glass 42 passes is formed in the lower surface of the intermediate side of the replacement case 40. The inner diameter of the second lower opening 40c is equal to that of the first lower opening 40b. larger than the inner diameter of A circular second upper opening 40d is formed in the upper surface of the exchange case 40 on the other end side, and the inner diameter of the second upper opening 40d is larger than the inner diameter of the first upper opening 40a. . A slit 40e extending in the Y-axis direction is formed in the left side surface of the exchange case 40, and the slit 40e is a gap that allows the connecting member 74 connected to the movable clamp 44 to slide.

Although not shown, the replacement case 40, which is a part of the processing head 28, is provided with a dustproof means for preventing dust from entering inside.

The protective glass 42 is glass for protecting the focusing lens 38 from spatters and fumes, and has a protective glass holder 42a made of metal such as aluminum on the peripheral edge (the peripheral edge of the protective glass 42). The movable clamp 44 includes a pair of clamp arms 46 that can move toward and away from each other, and a locking tool (locking claw) 48 provided at the tip of each clamp arm 46 and locked to the protective glass 42 (protective glass holder 42a). and The pair of locking tools 48 is configured to switch between a state in which it can be locked to the protective glass 42 and a state in which it cannot be locked by the pair of clamp arms 46 approaching and separating. The protective glass holder 42a may be made of resin.

Below the second lower opening 40c of the replacement case 40, a collection box 50 is provided for collecting the protective glass 42 after use. The recovery box 50 has a cylindrical box body 52 joined to the periphery of the second lower opening 40c of the replacement case 40, and a lower lid 54 detachably provided at the lower end of the box body 52. ing. The lower lid 54 is configured to be attachable/detachable to or openable from the box body 52 in order to remove the protective glass 42 after use from the box body 52 .

A storage rack 56 for storing the protective glass 42 before use is provided above the second upper opening 40 d of the replacement case 40 . The storage rack 56 has a cylindrical rack body 58 joined to the periphery of the second upper opening 40 d of the exchange case 40 and an upper lid 60 provided on the upper end of the rack body 58 . The upper lid 60 is configured to be attachable/detachable or openable/closable with respect to the rack body 58 in order to take the protective glass 42 into the rack body 58 before use.

The storage rack 56 has a holding clamp (fixing clamp) 62 on its underside for holding the protective glass 42 before use. The holding clamp 62 has a pair of clamp arms 64 that can move toward and away from each other, and a locking tool 66 provided at the tip of each clamp arm 64 and locked to the protective glass 42 (protective glass holder 42a). there is The pair of locking tools 66 are configured to switch between a state in which they can be locked to the protective glass 42 and a state in which they cannot be locked by the approach and separation of the pair of clamp arms 64 .

The storage rack 56 has a plurality of supports (supporting claws) 68 for supporting the protective glass 42 (protective glass holder 42 a ) before transferring the protective glass 42 to the holding clamp 62 before use. Each support member 68 is movable in the radial direction of the rack body 58 and is configured to switch between a state in which the protective glass 42 can be supported and a state in which the protection glass 42 cannot be supported according to the radial movement of the rack body 58 .

The movable clamp 44 is configured to be positioned between a protection position, a recovery position (delivery position) and a receiving position by movement in the Y-axis direction. The protective position is a normal position where the protective glass 42 is positioned on the optical axis of the condenser lens 38, as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b). As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the recovery position (delivery position) is a position shifted to one side (rear direction) in the Y direction from the protection position, where the used protective glass 42 is placed in the recovery box. It is the position to pass to 50. As shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the receiving position is a position shifted to one side in the Y direction from the receiving position and a position where the protective glass 42 before use is received from the storage rack 56. be. A pneumatic rodless cylinder 70 is provided on the left side of the replacement case 40 as an actuator for moving the movable clamp 44 between the protection position, the recovery position, and the reception position in the Y-axis direction. The rodless cylinder 70 also has a movable element 72 that is movable in the Y-axis direction, and the movable element 72 is connected to the movable clamp 44 via a connecting member 74 . In other words, the movable clamp 44 is provided on the replacement case 40 via the mover 72 and the connecting member 74 of the rodless cylinder 70 .

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3(a) and (b), a photodetector 76 for detecting the intensity (amount of received light) of scattered light diffusely reflected inside the protective glass 42 is provided at an appropriate position in the replacement case 40. is provided. The scattered light inside the protective glass 42 is the laser light directed toward the work material W, the reflected laser light from the work material W, or the light generated in the work material W and directed toward the converging lens 38. This is light that is diffusely reflected by attached dirt. The photodetector 76 consists of a photodiode and outputs a voltage value or current value according to the intensity of the scattered light. Further, the tip of the photodetector 76 is inserted into the insertion holes formed in the protective glass holder 42a and the clamp arm 46, respectively, and approaches the outer peripheral surface of the protective glass 42 positioned at the protective position.

As shown in FIG. 6, the laser processing machine 10 operates on the basis of a processing program or the like to operate an X-axis motor 20, a Y-axis motor 24, a fiber laser oscillator 26, a Z-axis motor 32, a movable clamp 44, a holding clamp 62, and a support member. 68, and a control device 78 for controlling the rodless cylinder 70 and the like. The control device 78 is composed of one or more computers, and the photodetector 76 is connected to the control device 78 . The control device 78 has a memory for storing machining programs and the like, and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) for executing the machining programs and the like.

The CPU of the control device 78 has a function as a replacement determination section 80 and a function as a replacement control section 82 . The contents of the replacement determination unit 80 and the replacement control unit 82 are as follows.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the replacement determination unit 80 determines whether replacement of the protective glass 42 is necessary based on the detection result from the photodetector 76 . Specifically, when the intensity of the detected scattered light (voltage signal or current signal) exceeds a predetermined threshold (threshold voltage or threshold current), the replacement determination unit 80 determines that replacement of the protective glass 42 is necessary. It is determined that The replacement determination unit 80 determines that replacement of the protective glass 42 is unnecessary when the intensity of the detected scattered light does not exceed a predetermined threshold value. Here, the predetermined threshold refers to a threshold set for determining whether replacement of the protective glass 42 is necessary.

When it is determined that the protection glass 42 needs to be replaced, the replacement control unit 82 stops the beam (laser light) of the fiber laser oscillator 26 to replace the protection glass 42 . Of course, the replacement operation may be performed when the beam of the fiber laser oscillator 26 is turned off without immediately stopping the beam of the fiber laser oscillator 26, or may be performed when the laser processing is completed.

Specifically, the exchange control unit 82 moves the rod so as to position the movable clamp 44 from the protection position to the recovery position (delivery position) on the side of the second lower opening 40c on one side (rear direction) in the Y-axis direction. The less cylinder 70 is controlled to switch the pair of locking tools 48 to a state in which they cannot be locked to the protective glass 42, thereby canceling the holding state of the protective glass 42.例文帳に追加Thereafter, the replacement control unit 82 controls the rodless cylinder 70 to position the movable clamp 44 from the recovery position to the receiving position on the second upper opening 40d side on one side in the Y-axis direction. Further, the exchange control unit 82 can lock the pair of locking tools 48 to the protective glass 42 by controlling the movable clamp 44 so that the movable clamp 44 can receive the protective glass 42 from the holding clamp 62 (storage rack 56). Then, the holding clamp 62 is controlled to switch the pair of locking tools 66 to the protective glass 42 so that it cannot be locked. Finally, the replacement control unit 82 controls the rodless cylinder 70 to position the movable clamp 44 from the receiving position to the protection position on the other side (forward direction) in the Y-axis direction, which is on the side of the first lower opening 40b. .

Next, functions and effects of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 7 and the like.

Laser processing of the workpiece W is started by driving the fiber laser oscillator 26 and the like (step S101). Further, the photodetector 76 detects the intensity of scattered light inside the protective glass 42 due to dirt on the surface of the protective glass 42 during laser processing (step S102). Then, based on the detection result from the photodetector 76, the replacement determination unit 80 determines whether or not the protective glass 42 needs to be replaced (step S103).

When it is determined that replacement of the protective glass 42 is necessary (Yes in step S103), the replacement control unit 82 stops driving the fiber laser oscillator 26, thereby interrupting laser processing (step S104). ). Next, as interrupt processing during the interruption of processing, the replacement control unit 82 controls the rodless cylinder 70 and the like as described above, and transfers the used protective glass from the movable clamp 44 to the collection box 50 for collection. (Step S105, see FIGS. 4A and 4B).

Furthermore, the replacement control unit 82 controls the rodless cylinder 70 and the like as described above,
The movable clamp 44 can receive the pre-use protective glass 42 from the holding clamp 62 (step S106, see FIGS. 5(a) and (b)).

Then, the replacement control section 82 controls the rodless cylinder 70 to position the movable clamp 44 from the receiving position to the protecting position. As a result, the protective glass 42 before use can be positioned at the protective position (step S107), the replacement of the protective glass 42 is completed, and the laser processing of the workpiece W can be restarted (step S108).

After the movable clamp 44 has received the protective glass 42 before use, the replacement control unit 82 controls the holding clamp 62 to prepare the next protective glass 42 before use to be delivered. to a state in which it can be locked to the protective glass 42, each support member 68 is controlled to once switch the protective glass 42 to a state in which it cannot be supported, and then it is returned to a state in which it can be supported again. The protective glass 42 before use can then be transferred from the plurality of supports 68 to the holding clamp 62 .

On the other hand, when it is determined that replacement of the protective glass 42 is not necessary (No in step S103) and when the laser processing of the work material W is restarted, the CPU of the control device 78 controls the laser processing of the work material W. is completed (step S109). Then, when the laser processing of the work material W is completed (Yes in step S109), the CPU and the like of the control device 78 terminate a series of processes. If the laser processing of the work material W has not ended (No in step S109), the CPU of the control device 78 returns the process to step S103.

In short, by providing the laser processing machine 10 with the movable clamp 44, the collection box 50, the storage rack 56 (the holding clamp 62 and the plurality of supports 68), and the rodless cylinder 70 configured as described above, Automatic replacement of the protective glass 42 can be performed as required. As a result, it is possible to save time and effort for manually replacing the protective glass 42, and to replace the protective glass 42 in a short time.

Therefore, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the replacement of the protective glass 42 is unmanned (automated), the interruption time of laser processing accompanying the replacement of the protective glass 42 is significantly shortened, and the production of the laser processing machine 10 is reduced. can enhance sexuality.

(Other embodiments)
A modification of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 9(a) and (b).

As shown in FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 9A and 9B, the processing head 28 has a first split between the focusing lens 38 and the nozzle 30 instead of the replacement case 40 (see FIG. 2). It has a replacement case 84 . The upper surface of the first split replacement case 84 is formed with a circular first upper opening 84a through which laser light passes. A circular first lower opening 84b through which laser light passes is formed in the lower surface of the first split replacement case 84. The first lower opening 84b is vertically below the first upper opening 84a. positioned. A first slit 84c extending in the Y-axis direction is formed in the left side surface of the first split replacement case 84, and the first slit 84c is a gap that allows the aforementioned connecting member 74 to slide. Further, the rodless cylinder 70 described above is provided in the first split replacement case 84 .

Although not shown, the first split replacement case 84, which is a part of the processing head 28, is provided with dustproof means for preventing dust from entering inside.

A second split exchange case 86 is provided on the upper surface of the rear portion of the bed 12 via a support 88 . A circular second lower opening 86a through which the protective glass 42 passes is formed in the lower surface of one end side (front portion) of the second split replacement case 86. The inner diameter of the second lower opening 86a is It is larger than the inner diameter of the first lower opening 84b of the first split replacement case 84. As shown in FIG. A circular second upper opening 86b through which the protective glass 42 passes is formed in the upper surface of the other end side (rear portion) of the second split replacement case 86. The inner diameter of the second upper opening 86b is It is larger than the inner diameter of the first upper opening 84 a of the split replacement case 84 . A second slit 86c extending in the Y-axis direction is formed in the left side surface of the second split replacement case 86, and the second slit 86c is a gap that allows the connecting member 74 to slide.

Below the second lower opening 86a of the second split replacement case 86, the collection box 50 described above is provided. In other words, the recovery box 50 is provided via the second split replacement case 86 and the support 88 at a position separated from the machining head 28 on one side (rear direction) in the Y-axis direction. In addition, above the second upper opening 86b of the second split exchange case 86, the aforementioned storage rack 56 is provided. In other words, the storage rack 56 is provided at a position separated from the processing head 28 on one side in the Y-axis direction via the second split replacement case 86 and the strut 88 .

Although not shown, the second split exchange case 86 is provided with dustproof means for preventing dust from entering inside.

With the first split replacement case 84 and the second split replacement case 86 facing each other, the first split replacement case 84 moves toward the second split replacement case by moving the machining head 28 to one side (backward) in the Y-axis direction. 86. Also, the first slit 84c of the first split replacement case 84 communicates with the second slit 86c of the second split replacement case 86 when the first split replacement case 84 is connected to the second split replacement case 86 . With the first split replacement case 84 connected to the second split replacement case 86, the movable clamp 44 is moved between the protection position, the recovery position (delivery position), and the receiving position by driving the rodless cylinder 70. to move in the Y-axis direction.

Although illustration is omitted, when connecting the first split replacement case 84 to the second split replacement case 86, the first split replacement case 84 and the second split replacement case 86 do not contain dust or dust inside them. A dustproof means is provided to prevent dust from entering.

When it is determined that the protective glass 42 needs to be replaced, the replacement control unit 82 (see FIG. 6) described above controls the X-axis motor so that the first split replacement case 84 faces the second split replacement case 86. 20 and Z-axis motor 32. The replacement control unit 82 controls the Y-axis motor 24 to connect the first split replacement case 84 to the second split replacement case 86 while the first split replacement case 84 faces the second split replacement case 86 . do.

Note that the modified embodiment of the present invention includes an operation for connecting the first split replacement case 84 to the second split replacement case 86 when it is determined that replacement of the protective glass 42 is required. Except for this, the same effects as those of the embodiment of the present invention are obtained. Then, according to the modified example of the embodiment of the present invention, similarly to the embodiment of the present invention, the interruption time of laser processing accompanying the replacement of the protective glass 42 is greatly shortened, and the productivity of the laser processing machine 10 is improved. can be enhanced.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the description of the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various forms, for example, as follows.

For example, the photodetector 76 may be omitted from the configuration of the laser processing machine 10 . In this case, automatic replacement of the protective glass 42 is appropriately performed at intervals without determining whether or not the replacement of the protective glass 42 is necessary. Also, the technical concept applied to the laser processing machine 10 for laser cutting may be applied to a laser processing machine (not shown) for laser welding.

And the scope of rights included in the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 laser processing machine 12 bed 14 processing table 16 support plate 16a protrusion 18 movable frame 18a horizontal portion 20 X-axis motor 22 carriage 24 Y-axis motor 26 fiber laser oscillator (laser oscillator)
28 processing head 30 nozzle 32 Z-axis motor 34 process fiber 36 collimating lens 38 focusing lens 40 replacement case 40a first upper opening 40b first lower opening 40c second lower opening 40d second upper opening 40e slit 42 Protective glass 42a Protective glass holder 44 Movable clamp 46 Clamp arm 48 Locking tool 50 Recovery box 52 Box body 54 Lower lid 56 Storage rack 58 Rack body 60 Upper lid 62 Holding clamp (fixing clamp)
64 clamp arm 66 locking tool (locking claw)
68 support (support claw)
70 rodless cylinder (actuator)
72 mover 74 connecting member 76 photodetector 78 control device 80 replacement determination section 82 replacement control section 84 first split replacement case 84a first upper opening 84b first lower opening 84c first slit 86 second split replacement case 86a Second lower opening 86b Second upper opening 86c Second slit 88 Post

Claims (8)

a processing head that irradiates a laser beam toward a workpiece;
a converging lens provided in the processing head for converging the laser light;
a protective glass that protects the focusing lens between the focusing lens and the workpiece;
a movable clamp that is provided on the processing head so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the processing head and that holds the protective glass;
a photodetector that detects the intensity of scattered light diffusely reflected inside the protective glass during laser processing;
a recovery box for recovering the protective glass after use;
a storage rack for storing the protective glass before use,
The movable clamp moves in the orthogonal direction to move the protective glass to a protective position on the optical axis of the condenser lens, to a recovery position to transfer the protective glass to the recovery box, and to move the protective glass. configured to be positioned between a receiving position received from the storage rack ,
The laser processing, wherein the protective glass is held at the protective position by the movable clamp during laser processing, and the photodetector is close to the outer peripheral surface of the protective glass positioned at the protective position. machine. 2. The laser processing machine according to claim 1, wherein the collection box and the storage rack are provided on the processing head, respectively. 2. The laser processing machine according to claim 1, wherein said recovery box and said storage rack are provided at positions separated from said processing head. 1 to 4, wherein the movable clamp has a pair of clamp arms that can move toward and away from each other, and a locking tool provided on each clamp arm and locked to the peripheral edge of the protective glass. 4. The laser processing machine according to any one of 3. 5. The laser processing according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the storage rack has a holding clamp on its underside for holding the protective glass before use. machine. 6. The laser processing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising an actuator that moves the movable clamp in the orthogonal direction. 7. The laser processing machine according to claim 6, wherein said actuator is a rodless cylinder having a mover connected to said movable clamp and movable in said orthogonal direction. a replacement determination unit that determines whether or not the protective glass needs to be replaced based on the detection result from the photodetector;
controlling the actuator to move the movable clamp from the protective position to one side in the orthogonal direction and position it at the recovery position when it is determined that the protective glass needs to be replaced; The movable clamp is controlled to release the holding state of the protective glass, and then the actuator is controlled to move the movable clamp from the recovery position to one side in the orthogonal direction and position it at the receiving position. Then, the movable clamp is controlled so as to receive the protective glass from the storage rack, and finally, the movable clamp is moved from the receiving position to the other side in the orthogonal direction and positioned at the protective position. 8. The laser processing machine according to claim 6, further comprising a replacement control section that controls the actuator.

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