JP7584658B2 - Laser processing device and laser processing method - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a laser processing apparatus and a laser processing method for processing a workpiece by irradiating the workpiece with laser light.

The device for processing a material in a processing direction using a laser beam disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a focusing optical system that focuses the laser beam on the workpiece and defines an optical axis. The device further has one or both of an adjustment mechanism including a first adjustment device for the laser beam that adjusts the power density distribution of the laser beam perpendicular to the processing direction so as to be asymmetric, and a second adjustment device for the gas jet that adjusts the density distribution of the gas jet perpendicular to the processing direction so as to be asymmetric.

Special Publication No. 2020-508223

The device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has the problem that it is not possible to control the beam mode of the laser beam irradiated to the workpiece and the energy ratio of the intensity distribution within the beam cross section of the laser beam irradiated in the processing direction in accordance with the processing parameters of the cutting process.

The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to obtain a laser processing device that can control the beam mode of laser light irradiated to an object to be processed and the energy ratio of the intensity distribution within the beam cross section of laser light irradiated in the processing direction in accordance with processing parameters of cutting processing.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the laser processing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a laser oscillator that outputs a laser beam based on an oscillator command, a processing head that collects the laser beam using a collecting optical system and irradiates the laser beam at an irradiation position on a processing object, and a control unit that changes the relative position between the processing object and the processing head based on a drive command to move the irradiation position in a cutting direction. The laser processing apparatus according to the present disclosure further includes an intensity distribution adjustment unit that includes an optical component having an intensity distribution conversion characteristic that is rotationally symmetrical with respect to one axis and changes the intensity distribution of the laser beam based on an intensity distribution adjustment command, and an optical axis adjustment unit that changes the incident position and incident angle of the laser beam incident on the intensity distribution adjustment unit in accordance with the material of the processing object, the plate thickness of the processing object, and part or all of the cutting direction. The intensity distribution adjustment unit adjusts the intensity distribution of the laser beam whose optical axis has been adjusted by the optical axis adjustment unit. The collecting optical system collects the laser beam whose intensity distribution has been adjusted by the intensity distribution adjustment unit. The control unit determines an oscillator command, a drive command, an intensity distribution adjustment command, an optical axis adjustment command for controlling the optical axis adjustment unit in response to some or all of the material of the workpiece, the thickness of the workpiece, and the cutting direction based on processing parameters, which are numerical parameters related to the cutting process.

The laser processing apparatus of the present disclosure has the advantage of being able to control the beam mode of the laser light irradiated to the workpiece and the energy ratio of the intensity distribution within the beam cross section of the laser light irradiated in the processing direction in response to the processing parameters of the cutting process.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a configuration of a laser processing device according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a specific configuration of a laser processing device according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the amount of displacement of the position of a laser beam. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of optical components included in the intensity distribution adjustment unit of the laser processing apparatus of FIG. 2 . FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of optical components included in the intensity distribution adjustment unit of the laser processing apparatus of FIG. 2 . FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of optical components included in the intensity distribution adjustment unit of the laser processing apparatus of FIG. 2 . FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of optical components included in the intensity distribution adjustment unit of the laser processing apparatus of FIG. 2 . FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a specific method of using the laser processing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of a specific method of using the laser processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a part of a laser processing apparatus according to a first embodiment for explaining an example of a calculation result of ray tracing; FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a beam intensity distribution near a focal point when the angle between the flat substrate of the laser processing apparatus according to the first embodiment and the optical axis of the laser beam is 90° and no optical component is inserted in the optical axis; Diagram showing a central axis cross section in the machining direction FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a beam intensity distribution near a focal point when a convex axicon lens of an intensity distribution adjustment unit is inserted into an optical axis in the laser processing apparatus according to the first embodiment; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a laser beam intensity distribution when the angle between the flat substrate and the optical axis of the laser beam is 45° in the laser processing apparatus according to the first embodiment; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the relationship between the inclination angle of the flat substrate and the peak intensity of the region on the processing direction side of the laser beam in the laser processing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a function of a laser processing apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a laser processing device according to a second embodiment; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of a processing condition analyzer included in a laser processing apparatus according to a third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration of a neural network model according to a third embodiment; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration of a laser processing apparatus according to a modification of the third embodiment; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a processor in the case where a part or all of a processing result determination unit, a feature extraction unit, a machine learning machine, and a processing condition change unit included in a processing condition analyzer of a laser processing device according to a third embodiment are realized by a processor. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a processing circuit in the case where a part or all of a processing result determination unit, a feature extraction unit, a machine learning machine, and a processing condition change unit included in a processing condition analyzer of a laser processing device according to a third embodiment are realized by the processing circuit.

Below, the laser processing apparatus and laser processing method relating to the embodiments are described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a laser processing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. The laser processing apparatus 100 is an apparatus for irradiating a workpiece W with a laser beam to process the workpiece W, and has a laser oscillator 1 that oscillates and outputs a laser beam based on an oscillator command. Hereinafter, the laser beam oscillated and output by the laser oscillator 1 may be referred to as a laser beam L. FIG. 1 also shows the workpiece W and the laser beam L. The wavelength of the laser beam L is appropriately selected, for example, taking into consideration the absorptivity of the laser beam L in the workpiece W and the reflectivity of the laser beam L with respect to the workpiece W. For example, the wavelength of the laser beam L is any one of 0.193 μm to 11 μm.

The laser processing apparatus 100 further has a processing head 2 to which the laser beam L output from the laser oscillator 1 is supplied. The laser beam L output from the laser oscillator 1 is supplied to the processing head 2 via an optical path. The processing head 2 focuses the laser beam L output from the laser oscillator 1 using a focusing optical system 6 described below, and irradiates the laser beam L at an irradiation position on the workpiece W. The irradiation position is the position on the workpiece W where the laser beam L is irradiated. A processing gas is also supplied inside the processing head 2, and the processing gas is sprayed onto the workpiece W when the laser beam L is irradiated onto the workpiece W.

The laser processing apparatus 100 further has a collimating lens 3 that collimates the laser beam L output from the laser oscillator 1. The collimating lens 3 is composed of one or more lenses. The laser processing apparatus 100 further has an optical axis adjustment unit 4 that adjusts the optical axis of the laser beam L collimated by the collimating lens 3. The collimating lens 3 and the optical axis adjustment unit 4 are located inside the processing head 2.

The laser processing apparatus 100 further includes an intensity distribution adjustment unit 5 that adjusts the intensity distribution of the laser beam L whose optical axis has been adjusted by the optical axis adjustment unit 4, and a focusing optical system 6 that focuses the laser beam L whose intensity distribution has been adjusted by the intensity distribution adjustment unit 5. The laser beam L focused by the focusing optical system 6 is irradiated onto the workpiece W. The intensity distribution adjustment unit 5 and the focusing optical system 6 are located inside the processing head 2.

For example, the laser processing device 100 cuts the workpiece W by focusing the laser beam L and irradiating the workpiece W with the laser beam L. An arrow indicating the cutting direction is also shown in FIG. 1. The optical axis adjustment unit 4 changes the incident position or incident angle of the laser beam L incident on the intensity distribution adjustment unit 5 in accordance with the material of the workpiece W, the plate thickness of the workpiece W, and part or all of the cutting direction. The processing head 2 has a processing nozzle 7. The processing nozzle 7 has an opening formed at a position between the focusing optical system 6 and the workpiece W, which is part of the optical path of the laser beam L. The laser beam L and processing gas pass through the opening.

The laser processing device 100 further has a control unit 8 that changes the relative position between the workpiece W and the processing head 2 based on a drive command to move the irradiation position, which is the position where the laser beam L is irradiated onto the workpiece W, in the cutting direction. A motor and a motor drive unit (not shown) are provided on the axis on which the processing head 2 is installed or on the processing table on which the workpiece W is placed, and the motor drive unit controls the motor under the control of the control unit 8, so that the laser processing device 100 can change the relative position between the processing head 2 and the workpiece W. The processing head 2 may replace the focusing diameter change unit 3a, which changes the focusing diameter of the laser beam L irradiated onto the workpiece W by changing the beam diameter of the laser beam L incident on the focusing optical system 6, with a collimating lens 3.

The type of the laser oscillator 1 is not limited. An example of the laser oscillator 1 is a fiber laser oscillator. The laser oscillator 1 may be a direct diode laser, a carbon dioxide gas laser, a copper vapor laser, various ion lasers, or a solid-state laser. An example of a solid-state laser is a laser that uses a YAG (Yttrium-Aluminum-Garnet) crystal as an excitation medium. The laser processing apparatus 100 may have a wavelength conversion unit that converts the wavelength of the laser light output by the laser oscillator 1.

The control unit 8 controls the output of the laser light output by the laser oscillator 1, the oscillator command that commands the pulse frequency, pulse duty, and oscillation timing, and the drive command that commands the feed speed and positioning of the motor drive device, so that the laser beam L scans the processing path on the workpiece W according to the processing program and processing parameters indicating the processing conditions. The processing parameters to be used are appropriately determined according to the type of laser light used and the functions of the laser processing device 100.

The optical axis adjustment unit 4 will be described. The optical axis adjustment unit 4 has an optical component and a drive unit that displaces the optical component with respect to the optical axis of the laser beam L. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a specific configuration of the laser processing device 100 according to the first embodiment. In the example of FIG. 2, the optical component of the optical axis adjustment unit 4 is a planar substrate 4a, and the drive unit is a hollow rotation stage 4b and an angle adjustment mechanism 4c. The laser beam L passes through the planar substrate 4a. The hollow rotation stage 4b and the angle adjustment mechanism 4c are components that change the inclination angle of the planar substrate 4a with respect to the optical axis of the laser beam L. The hollow rotation stage 4b is a rotation mechanism that rotates the planar substrate 4a around the optical axis of the laser beam L in response to the material of the workpiece W, the plate thickness of the workpiece W, and part or all of the cutting direction. The angle adjustment mechanism 4c is a mechanism that changes the relative angle between the planar substrate 4a and the optical axis of the laser beam L.

For example, the hollow rotating stage 4b is a direct drive motor. Since the rotating stage has a larger acceleration than the displacement stage, the laser processing device 100 can change the beam mode according to the processing speed. The plane substrate 4a is tilted with respect to the optical axis of the laser beam L, so the incident position of the laser beam L incident on the intensity distribution adjustment unit 5 changes. The laser oscillator 1 of the laser processing device 100 in FIG. 2 is a fiber laser. The laser processing device 100 in FIG. 2 has an optical fiber 9 for transmitting the laser beam L output from the laser oscillator 1 to the processing head 2.

When the planar substrate 4a is perpendicular to the optical axis of the laser beam L and the central axis of rotation of the hollow rotation stage 4b coincides with the optical axis of the laser beam L, as shown in Figure 3, when the thickness of the planar substrate 4a is t, the refractive index of the planar substrate is n, and the angle of the planar substrate 4a with respect to the laser beam L changes to α, the displacement amount Δ of the position of the laser beam L can be expressed by the following formula (1). Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining the displacement amount Δ of the position of the laser beam L.

The laser processing apparatus 100 can change the incident position of the laser beam L on the intensity distribution adjustment section 5 by changing the angle α of the planar substrate 4a relative to the laser beam L.

The laser processing device 100 is required to process not only straight lines but also shapes such as circles and corners. The laser processing device 100 rotates the planar substrate 4a in the processing direction using the hollow rotating stage 4b, and can change the direction of displacement of the position where the laser beam L enters the intensity distribution adjustment unit 5 in the processing direction while keeping the displacement amount Δ of the position constant.

When the laser processing apparatus 100 performs shape processing, the optical axis adjustment unit 4 may receive information for changing the processing direction from the control unit 8 during processing, or may determine the timing for changing the processing direction before processing.

The angle adjustment mechanism 4c may be any component capable of changing the angle α of the planar substrate 4a relative to the optical axis of the laser beam L. A tilt stage or a positioning stage may be used as the angle adjustment mechanism 4c. The angle α of the planar substrate 4a relative to the optical axis of the laser beam L may be changed during processing or may be set before processing.

The optical components of the optical axis adjustment unit 4 are not limited to the planar substrate 4a. The optical components of the optical axis adjustment unit 4 may be a wedge substrate or a refractive optical element having multiple wedge angles, or may be a reflective optical element having the same function as the wedge substrate or the refractive optical element.

An optical axis adjustment command that determines the amount of displacement of the hollow rotation stage 4b of the optical axis adjustment unit 4 and the value of the inclination angle of the angle adjustment mechanism 4c is issued by the control unit 8.

The intensity distribution adjustment unit 5 will now be described. In the example of FIG. 2, the intensity distribution adjustment unit 5 has an optical component 5a and an optical path switching mechanism 5b that drives the optical component 5a. The optical component 5a is disposed between the optical axis adjustment unit 4 and the focusing optical system 6. The optical component 5a has an intensity distribution conversion characteristic that is rotationally symmetric about one axis. The intensity distribution adjustment unit 5 includes the optical component 5a and changes the intensity distribution of the laser beam L based on an intensity distribution adjustment command.

For example, optical component 5a is a component that combines an axicon lens and a lens that can generate spherical aberration to change the relationship between the circle of least confusion and the paraxial focus, and is a component that makes the laser beam L have a non-uniform beam intensity distribution in the vicinity of the workpiece W. The "non-uniform beam intensity distribution" is, for example, a ring mode distribution. A diffractive optical element (DOE) may be used as optical component 5a.

Each of Figures 4 to 7 is a diagram showing an example of an optical component 5a of the intensity distribution adjustment unit 5 of the laser processing apparatus 100 of Figure 2. Figure 4 shows a convex axicon lens, which can generate a ring mode on the processing head 2 side of the focusing position. Figure 5 shows a concave axicon lens, which can generate a ring mode on the workpiece W side of the focusing position.

Figure 6 shows an optical component in which multiple lenses are combined, which can generate spherical aberration and adjust the relationship between the circle of least confusion and the paraxial focus. The optical component in Figure 6 can convert the distribution of the laser beam L into a distribution in which the outside of the beam mode has a higher intensity distribution than the inside. Figure 7 shows an optical component in which a concave axicon lens and a convex axicon lens are combined, and the optical component in Figure 7 can generate a ring mode beam intensity distribution both before and after the focal point. The optical component 5a may be an optical component in which two or more optical components shown in Figures 4 to 7 are combined.

The intensity distribution adjustment command that determines whether or not to insert the optical component 5a into the optical path is issued by the control unit 8. The control unit 8 determines an oscillator command, a drive command, an intensity distribution adjustment command, and an optical axis adjustment command for controlling the optical axis adjustment unit 4 in response to a part or all of the material of the workpiece W, the plate thickness of the workpiece W, and the cutting direction based on processing parameters that are numerical parameters related to the cutting process.

The incident position of the laser beam L on the optical component 5a is adjusted by the optical axis adjustment unit 4. When the optical axis of the laser beam L before entering the optical axis adjustment unit 4 is the same as the optical axis of the optical component 5a of the intensity distribution adjustment unit 5, the beam diameter of the laser beam L entering the optical component 5a is d, and the ratio of the intensity distribution of the laser beam L to the center of the optical axis of the intensity distribution adjustment unit 5 is k. The ratio k can be expressed by the following formula (2). Δ is the amount of displacement of the position of the laser beam L adjusted by the optical axis adjustment unit 4.

The laser processing apparatus 100 can change the energy ratio of the intensity distribution of the laser beam L irradiated in the processing direction by adjusting the displacement amount Δ of the position of the laser beam L using the optical axis adjustment unit 4.

The optical axis of the optical axis adjustment unit 4 may be the central axis of the intensity distribution adjustment unit 5. The position of the laser beam L incident on the intensity distribution adjustment unit 5 relative to the optical axis or the angle relative to the optical axis may be changed.

When performing welding or cutting of metals, the laser processing device 100 adjusts the beam diameter, beam intensity, and divergence angle of the laser beam L irradiated to the workpiece W for each plate thickness and material of the workpiece W. An example of a metal is iron. The user of the laser processing device 100 needs to remove the cut part from the workpiece W as a product. If the beam diameter is large and the cutting groove is widened during processing, it is easier to remove the product. If the cross-sectional shape of the laser beam L is a beam shape symmetrical with respect to the workpiece W, the intensity and beam diameter of the laser beam L are uniquely determined. In order to increase the beam diameter and increase the beam intensity during processing, the laser oscillator 1 must be made high-output.

The laser processing apparatus 100 adjusts the displacement of the incident position of the laser beam L incident on the intensity distribution adjustment unit 5 by the optical axis adjustment unit 4, thereby making it possible to generate an asymmetric intensity distribution of the laser beam L in order to adjust the intensity distribution of the laser beam L irradiated onto the workpiece W. Furthermore, the laser processing apparatus 100 is capable of changing the intensity of the laser beam L at the same laser output and beam diameter. In addition, the laser processing apparatus 100 generates an asymmetric laser beam intensity distribution that increases the intensity of the laser beam L in the processing progress direction, thereby making it possible to perform processing at a higher laser beam intensity than a laser beam intensity distribution that is symmetric with respect to the output of the laser oscillator 1.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for placing an optical element between a collimating lens and a beam source, but in the first embodiment, the optical element is placed between the collimating lens and the focusing optical system 6. In the collimated portion, the size of the beam is constant and the distance can be freely set, so the optical element can be placed more easily in the first embodiment than in the first patent document.

In embodiment 1, since there is no need to displace the optical axis adjustment unit 4 in the optical axis direction or in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, it is easy to add a mechanism for removing or inserting the optical axis adjustment unit 4 from the optical path. Similarly, since there is no need to displace the intensity distribution adjustment unit 5 in the optical axis direction or in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, it is easy to add a mechanism for removing or inserting the intensity distribution adjustment unit 5 from the optical path.

When the workpiece W is a plate having a thickness of 3.2 mm or more, the laser processing apparatus 100 processes the workpiece W by adjusting the laser beam intensity and energy ratio in the processing direction by changing the angle of the laser beam L incident on the intensity distribution adjustment unit 5 using the optical axis adjustment unit 4.

When the workpiece W is a plate having a thickness of 3.2 mm or less, the processing speed is relatively fast when the laser processing device 100 processes the workpiece W, so it is difficult for the rotation speed of the hollow rotating stage 4b to follow the processing speed. The user may want to remove the optical component 5a to perform processing by reducing the beam diameter. In that case, as shown in FIG. 8, the user can perform processing without tilting the planar substrate 4a, that is, by setting the angle between the planar substrate 4a and the optical axis of the laser beam L to 90°, and remove the optical component 5a from the optical path using the optical path switching mechanism 5b. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a specific method of using the laser processing device 100 according to the first embodiment. The optical path switching mechanism 5b is a component that performs the operation of inserting the optical component 5a into the optical axis of the laser beam L or removing it from the optical axis.

9, the user may perform processing without tilting the planar substrate 4a, i.e., by setting the angle between the planar substrate 4a and the optical axis of the laser beam L to 90°, and without removing the intensity distribution adjustment unit 5 from the optical path of the laser beam L. Figure 9 is a diagram showing another example of a specific method of using the laser processing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment.

Processing methods for plates of different thicknesses are not limited to the methods described above.

The processing head 2 may have either a convex axicon lens or a concave axicon lens. The convex axicon lens and the concave axicon lens may be used depending on one or both of the plate thickness and the type of processing gas.

For example, oxygen, nitrogen or air is used as the processing gas. However, the processing gas may be a gas other than oxygen, nitrogen or air, or may contain two or more types of gas.

Figure 10 is a diagram showing a partial configuration of the laser processing apparatus 100 according to embodiment 1 to explain an example of the calculation results of ray tracing. In the example of Figure 10, the laser oscillator 1 is a fiber laser, and the laser output is 5 kW. The fiber core diameter Φ is 0.1 mm, and the NA (Numerical Aperture) is 0.08. The focal length of the collimating lens 3 is 100 mm, the focusing optical system 6 is a focusing lens, and the focal length of the focusing lens is 200 mm, the thickness of the planar substrate 4a of the optical axis adjustment unit 4 is 10 mm, and the apex angle of the convex axicon lens of the intensity distribution adjustment unit 5 is 179.5°.

Figure 11 shows the beam intensity distribution near the focal point when the angle between the planar substrate 4a of the laser processing apparatus 100 according to embodiment 1 and the optical axis of the laser beam L is 90° and the optical component 5a is not inserted in the optical axis. Figure 12 shows a cross section of the central axis XX' in the processing direction. Figure 11 shows the intensity distribution of the laser beam L in the cross section of the central axis XX' in the processing direction in Figure 12.

When the optical component 5a is not inserted in the optical axis, a uniform distribution called a top hat beam is formed as shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the beam intensity distribution near the focal point when the convex axicon lens of the intensity distribution adjustment unit 5 is inserted in the optical axis in the laser processing device 100 according to the first embodiment. When the convex axicon lens of the intensity distribution adjustment unit 5 is inserted in the optical axis, the beam diameter becomes larger than that of the top hat beam in FIG. 11, and two ring mode distributions with approximately equal beam intensities are formed on the workpiece W, so that two regions exist in the cross section. The processing direction in FIG. 13 is the positive direction of the X-axis shown in FIG. 12. Region a in FIG. 13 is the region of the intensity distribution of the laser beam L in the processing direction, and region b in FIG. 13 is the region of the intensity distribution of the laser beam L irradiated on the opposite side of the processing direction. The laser beam intensity in region a on the processing progress side is equal to the laser beam intensity in region b on the opposite side.

Figure 14 is a diagram showing the laser beam intensity distribution when the angle α between the planar substrate 4a and the optical axis of the laser beam L is 45° in the laser processing device 100 according to embodiment 1. In the laser beam intensity distribution in Figure 14, the two peak intensities of the laser beam L in the processing direction are different. In other words, region a in the processing progress direction is larger than region b.

Figure 15 is a diagram showing the relationship between the inclination angle of the planar substrate 4a and the peak intensity of the region a on the processing progress direction side of the laser beam L in the laser processing device 100 according to embodiment 1. It can be seen from Figure 15 that the laser beam intensity can be adjusted by tilting the planar substrate 4a with respect to the optical axis of the laser beam L. Figure 15 shows that it is possible to change the peak intensity by up to 1.8 times compared to when the inclination angle of the planar substrate 4a is 0°. Since the laser processing device 100 can adjust the peak intensity by the inclination angle of the planar substrate 4a, it is possible to adjust the beam diameter d of the laser beam L incident on the intensity distribution adjustment unit 5 to be smaller. The beam diameter d can be changed by the focal length of the collimator lens 3.

The beam diameter at the imaging point can be changed by changing the relationship between the fiber core diameter, the focal length of the collimating lens 3 and the focusing optical system 6, and the apex angle of the axicon lens.

Figure 16 is a diagram for explaining the function of the laser processing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. When the collimating lens 3 is composed of a plurality of lenses, as shown in Figure 16, the laser processing apparatus 100 may have a focusing diameter change unit 3a that changes the effective focal length of the collimating lens 3 by independently driving each of the plurality of lenses, thereby changing the focusing diameter irradiated to the workpiece W. When the laser processing apparatus 100 has the focusing diameter change unit, when the focal length of the focusing optical system 6 does not change, it becomes possible to adjust the focusing diameter and divergence angle of the laser beam L irradiated to the workpiece W, and to change the beam intensity. Since the laser processing apparatus 100 can adjust the beam diameter, divergence angle, and beam intensity in accordance with the plate thickness, it is possible to further improve the processing performance.

When the laser processing device 100 processes sheet metal, if the laser oscillator 1 is a fiber laser, the fiber core diameter is anywhere from 100 μm to 300 μm. In actual processing, the laser processing device 100 not only processes the workpiece W by irradiating the laser beam L onto the workpiece W with the focal point aligned with the surface of the workpiece W, but also processes the workpiece W by changing the focal point in the z direction, and the beam diameter is preferably anywhere from 0.1 mm to 2 mm. The axicon angle is preferably anywhere from 179.0 ° to 179.9 °. The z direction is the thickness direction of the workpiece W.

The optical axis adjustment unit 4 may have a plurality of planar substrates 4a, and the inclination angle of each of the plurality of planar substrates 4a may be adjusted independently. When the inclination angle of each of the plurality of planar substrates 4a is adjusted independently, the laser processing device 100 can adjust the intensity distribution of the laser beam L to any of a plurality of distributions.

The focusing optical system 6 may be composed of a single lens or may be a component that combines multiple lenses, as long as it can focus the laser beam L. As the focusing optical system 6, an aspheric lens that removes spherical aberration may be used, or a reflective optical system may be used.

As described above, the laser processing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment has a laser oscillator 1 that outputs a laser beam L based on an oscillator command, a processing head 2 that irradiates the laser beam L at an irradiation position on the workpiece W, and a control unit 8 that changes the relative position between the workpiece W and the processing head 2 based on a drive command to move the irradiation position in the cutting direction. The laser processing apparatus 100 further has an intensity distribution adjustment unit 5 that changes the intensity distribution of the laser beam L based on an intensity distribution adjustment command, and an optical axis adjustment unit 4 that changes the incident position or incident angle of the laser beam L incident on the intensity distribution adjustment unit 5. The control unit 8 determines an optical axis adjustment command for controlling the optical axis adjustment unit 4 in accordance with the oscillator command, drive command, intensity distribution adjustment command, the material of the workpiece W, the plate thickness of the workpiece W, and part or all of the cutting direction based on processing parameters that are numerical parameters related to cutting processing. The laser processing apparatus 100 can control the beam mode of the laser beam L irradiated to the workpiece W and the energy ratio of the intensity distribution in the beam cross section of the laser beam L irradiated in the processing direction in accordance with processing parameters for cutting. The laser processing apparatus 100 can appropriately adjust the beam intensity of the laser beam L irradiated to the workpiece W. The laser processing apparatus 100 can appropriately adjust the beam intensity of the laser beam L irradiated to the groove width of the workpiece W. As a result, productivity is improved.

Embodiment 2.
17 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a laser processing apparatus 200 according to embodiment 2. The laser processing apparatus 200 has all the components of the laser processing apparatus 100 according to embodiment 1 except for the optical axis adjustment unit 4. The laser processing apparatus 200 has a galvano scanner 4d instead of the optical axis adjustment unit 4 of the laser processing apparatus 100 according to embodiment 1. The galvano scanner 4d is an example of an optical axis adjustment unit. The difference between embodiment 2 and embodiment 1 is that the optical axis adjustment unit 4 of embodiment 1 is replaced with the galvano scanner 4d. In embodiment 2, the differences from embodiment 1 will be mainly described.

As shown in FIG. 17, it is desirable that the galvano scanner 4d is inserted between the collimator lens 3 and the intensity distribution adjustment unit 5 and placed at the entrance pupil position of the focusing optical system 6. The arrow in FIG. 17 means that the galvano scanner 4d is rotatable. The galvano scanner 4d deflects the laser beam L collimated by the collimator lens 3. This adjusts the incident position and incident angle of the laser beam L to the optical component 5a of the intensity distribution adjustment unit 5, and the laser processing device 200 can adjust the beam intensity distribution in the processing direction for the workpiece W. In addition, the laser processing device 200 can adjust the intensity of the laser beam L irradiated to the cutting front. This allows the laser processing device 200 to improve the processing efficiency even if the laser output is the same.

If the focal length of the focusing optical system 6 is f and the deflection angle of the galvano scanner 4d is θ, the scanning position of the laser beam L is f × tan θ, and if the laser processing device 200 performs scanning at a frequency of several hundred Hz or more, it becomes possible to adjust the beam diameter of the laser beam L irradiated onto the workpiece W. In this case, the laser processing device 200 can further improve the processing performance.

Since the galvano scanner 4d only needs to be able to deflect the laser beam L, an acousto-optic deflector using acousto-optic modulation may be used as the galvano scanner 4d. The galvano scanner 4d may be replaced with a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) mirror. The galvano scanner 4d or the MEMS mirror is controlled by the control unit 8. The laser processing apparatus 200 according to the second embodiment can appropriately adjust the width of the groove to be processed. As a result, productivity is improved.

As described in the first embodiment, when the collimating lens 3 is composed of multiple lenses, the laser processing device 200 may have a zoom function that independently drives each of the multiple lenses to change the effective focal length of the collimating lens 3. In this case, when the focal length of the focusing optical system 6 does not change, the laser processing device 200 can adjust the beam diameter, divergence angle, and beam intensity of the laser beam L irradiated to the workpiece W. As a result, the laser processing device 200 can contribute to improving processing performance.

Although only one galvanometer scanner 4d is shown in Figure 17, if scanning in two dimensions is required, two galvanometer scanners 4d must be arranged.

The focusing optical system 6 may be composed of one lens or may be a component that combines multiple lenses, as long as it can focus the laser beam L. If the focal length of the focusing optical system 6 is defined as f and the deflection angle of the laser beam L is defined as θ, an fθ lens that maintains the relationship that the scanning position of the focusing optical system 6 is fθ may be used, or a reflective optical system may be used.

Embodiment 3.
The laser processing apparatus according to the third embodiment has all the components of the laser processing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment and the processing condition analyzer 12 shown in Fig. 18. Fig. 18 is a diagram showing the configuration of the processing condition analyzer 12 of the laser processing apparatus according to the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described. The laser processing apparatus according to the third embodiment may be a laser processing apparatus having all the components of the laser processing apparatus 200 according to the second embodiment and the processing condition analyzer 12 shown in Fig. 18.

The machining condition analyzer 12 has a machining result determination unit 13, a feature extraction unit 14, a machine learning machine 15, and a machining condition change unit 16. The machine learning machine 15 learns by associating the feature extracted by the feature extraction unit 14 with an evaluation value created by the worker. The evaluation value created by the worker is an evaluation value by the worker. The evaluation value by the worker may be input from an input means not shown, for example, or may be transmitted from another device.

The machine learning machine 15 has a learning unit 17 and a data acquisition unit 18. The data acquisition unit 18 acquires state quantities including the cutting processing conditions, oscillator commands, drive commands, intensity distribution adjustment commands, and processing parameters. The learning unit 17 learns processing conditions that will result in good processing based on the state quantities acquired by the data acquisition unit 18.

The learning unit 17 learns pairs of inputs and results by machine learning. Any algorithm may be used as the machine learning algorithm of the learning unit 17, but for example, a supervised learning algorithm is used. The data acquisition unit 18 acquires features from the feature extraction unit 14 as inputs to the learning unit 17, and inputs the acquired features to the learning unit 17. The learning unit 17 also receives an evaluation value by the worker. The evaluation value by the worker is a result of judging whether the processing result is good or bad, and may be a value indicating a gradual level or any of a series of numerical values. In other words, the evaluation value by the worker is a value determined by the worker that corresponds to a combination pattern of processing defect items.

The data acquisition unit 18 may acquire processing conditions as input to the learning unit 17. The data acquisition unit 18 acquires the processing conditions or the features output from the feature extraction unit 14 as state variables and provides them to the learning unit 17. The learning unit 17 uses a data set consisting of state variables and evaluation values to machine-learn the processing conditions and processing results, or the pass/fail results of processing defects. The data set is data in which state variables and evaluation values are associated with each other.

For example, the processing conditions are the processing speed, laser output, processing gas pressure, the positional relationship between the focusing position of the focusing optical system 6 and the workpiece W, the beam diameter of the laser beam L after being focused by the focusing optical system 6, the laser pulse frequency, the duty ratio of the laser pulse, the magnification of the focusing optical system 6, the nozzle diameter, the distance between the workpiece W and the processing nozzle 7, the type of laser beam mode, the positional relationship between the center of the nozzle hole and the laser beam L, the displacement Δ of the position of the laser beam L incident on the intensity distribution adjustment unit 5 displaced by the optical axis adjustment unit 4, the timing at which the optical axis adjustment unit 4 adjusts the optical axis of the laser beam L in response to a change in the processing direction, and conditions for specifying some or all of the deflection angle of the galvanometer scanner 4d.

The learning unit 17 outputs processing conditions corresponding to the feature quantity using a trained model by machine learning. This allows the laser processing device according to embodiment 3 to adjust the conditions with higher accuracy. The learning unit 17 may have both a function of machine learning the relationship between the quality of the processing result and the processing conditions and a function as a trained model. An inference unit that outputs an evaluation value using the trained model may be provided separately from the learning unit 17. In other words, the processing condition analyzer 12 may have an inference unit that calculates a combination pattern of processing conditions processed by the data processing unit using the trained model learned by the learning unit 17.

In the example shown in FIG. 18, the machine learning machine 15 is provided inside the machining condition analyzer 12, but the machine learning machine 15 may be a device separate from the machining condition analyzer 12. For example, the machining condition analyzer 12 and the machine learning machine 15 may be connected via a communication network. The machine learning machine 15 may reside on a cloud server.

When the judgment result by the processing result judgment unit 13 is corrected after a certain amount of learning has progressed using the above-mentioned data set, the learning unit 17 may learn the corrected judgment result. For example, the processing result judgment unit 13 calculates a combination pattern consisting of multiple evaluation values corresponding to each of multiple items for judging processing defects, the worker corrects the evaluation value, and the corrected result is input to the machine learning device 15. In this case, the algorithm for determining the evaluation value in the processing result judgment unit 13 and the threshold value for judgment may be appropriately changeable by the worker.

Examples of items for judging processing defects are items indicating the symptom of dross that occurs from the bottom end of the cut surface, which is a symptom of molten metal adhering to the cut surface during laser cutting, or items indicating roughness that occurs periodically on the upper part of the cut surface. When roughness occurs, the depth of the unevenness of the streaks becomes deeper compared to when roughness does not occur. Streaks occur when the processing gas used for cutting is oxygen, and the unevenness of the streaks may be judged by the presence or absence of a symptom of the oxide film peeling off the cut surface.

The items for judging processing defects are not limited to the above examples. For example, processing defects may be judged including discoloration of the workpiece W, the presence or absence of a vibration surface, and other processing defect items, or items for judging other processing defects may be judged instead of some of the above-mentioned items for judging processing defects. The items for judging processing defects may be changed depending on some or all of the processing parameters, such as the combination of laser output, processing speed, processing thickness, and type of processing gas.

The learning unit 17 learns the processing conditions and processing results by so-called supervised learning, for example, using a neural network model. Supervised learning is a machine learning method that learns features in multiple data sets, which are multiple pairs of input and result data, and estimates the result from the input. The result is a label.

A neural network is composed of an input layer consisting of multiple neurons, an intermediate layer also called a hidden layer consisting of multiple neurons, and an output layer consisting of multiple neurons. There may be only one intermediate layer, or there may be two or more intermediate layers.

Figure 19 is a diagram showing the configuration of a neural network model according to embodiment 3. X1, X2, and X3 are neurons in the input layer, Y1 and Y2 are neurons in the intermediate layer, and Z1, Z2, and Z3 are neurons in the output layer. In a three-layer neural network model as shown in Figure 19, when an input value is input to each of X1, X2, and X3, each input value is multiplied by one of the corresponding weights w11 to w16 and input to each of Y1 and Y2, which are neurons in the intermediate layer.

The output values from Y1 and Y2 are multiplied by one of the corresponding weights w21 to w26 and input to each of the neurons in the output layer, Z1, Z2, and Z3. The output layer adds the input values and outputs the sum as the output result. For example, the results output from each of Z1, Z2, and Z3 can be made to correspond to the evaluation results corresponding to the items for judging each processing defect. The output result varies depending on each value of weights w11 to w16 and each value of weights w21 to w26.

In the third embodiment, the values of weights w11 to w16 and weights w21 to w26 are adjusted so that the output result of the neural network described above approaches the correct evaluation result of the processing quality using the above data set, thereby performing learning. Figure 19 shows an example of a neural network model, and the number of layers of the neural network model and the number of neurons belonging to each layer are not limited to the example of Figure 19.

The learning unit 17 can also learn the processing conditions and the evaluation results of the processing quality by so-called unsupervised learning using a neural network model. Unsupervised learning is a method of learning how input data is distributed based only on a large amount of input data, and learning how to perform some or all of the compression, classification, and shaping of the input data, even without corresponding teacher output data.

For example, in unsupervised learning, data with similar characteristics in the input data can be clustered together. By setting some criteria and assigning evaluation results to the clustering results so as to optimize the clustering results, it is possible to predict the evaluation results.

As an intermediate problem setting between unsupervised learning and supervised learning, there is also something called semi-supervised learning. Semi-supervised learning is learning in which only a portion of the data consists of pairs of input and output, and the rest consists of input-only data. The learning unit 17 may realize machine learning by semi-supervised learning.

The machine learning device 15 may acquire data sets from a plurality of machining condition analyzers 12 and learn the evaluation results of the machining conditions and the machining results. Each of the plurality of machining condition analyzers 12 may have the same function as the machining condition analyzer 12 of the third embodiment. The machine learning device 15 may acquire data sets from a plurality of machining condition analyzers 12 used at the same site, or may acquire data sets from machining condition analyzers 12 operating at different sites. The machining condition analyzer 12 from which the data set is acquired may be added midway, or the machining condition analyzer 12 from which the data set is acquired may be removed midway. A machine learning device may be provided separately from the machining condition analyzer 12, and the machine learning device may learn using a data set acquired from a certain machining condition analyzer 12, and then be connected to another machining condition analyzer 12 to acquire a data set from the other machining condition analyzer 12 and re-learn.

The data acquisition unit 18 may acquire, as input to the learning unit 17, not only the processing conditions or the features output from the feature extraction unit 14, but also, for example, one or both of information indicating the plate thickness of the workpiece W and information indicating the material of the workpiece W.

The learning algorithm used in the learning unit 17 may be deep learning, which learns to extract the features themselves, or the learning unit 17 may perform machine learning according to other known methods, such as genetic programming, functional logic programming, support vector machines, Fisher discriminant, subspace methods, or discriminant analysis using Mahalanobis space.

The learning algorithm used in the learning unit 17 may be, for example, a decision tree, a random forest, a logistic regression, a k-nearest neighbor method, a subspace method, a CLAFIC method (CLAss-Featuring Information Compression method), an Isolation Forest, a LOF (Local Outlier Factor), boosting, AdaBoost, LogitBoost, a One-Class SVM (Support Vector Machine), or a Gaussian Mixture Mode.

For example, when learning is performed to extract features from an image, such as deep learning or a convolution neural network, the feature extraction unit 14 may not be provided. A machine learning device 15 may be provided for each item for which a processing defect is judged, or one machine learning device 15 may correspond to multiple items for which a processing defect is judged. A search for parameters may be performed using a search algorithm such as reinforcement learning or Bayesian search.

Because the laser processing apparatus according to embodiment 3 has an optical axis adjustment unit 4, there are more processing parameters compared to conventional laser processing machines. However, the laser processing apparatus according to embodiment 3 can adjust the processing parameters with relatively high precision by searching for the processing parameters through machine learning.

The quality of the processing may be judged by an operator after the processing. As shown in FIG. 20, a processing state monitoring sensor 19 for monitoring the processing state during processing may be provided, and the monitoring result may be input to the processing result judgment unit 13. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the configuration of a laser processing device 300 of a modified example according to the third embodiment. For example, as the processing state monitoring sensor 19, an optical sensor for detecting processing light, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) camera for capturing an image of the processing point, or a sound sensor for detecting processing sound may be used. An example of the optical sensor is a photodiode, and an example of the sound sensor is a microphone.

Since the laser processing device 300 can detect the processing state during processing, it is possible to adjust the processing conditions according to the change in the state during processing. Furthermore, the laser processing device 300 can determine the processing state and adjust the processing conditions, and it is possible to obtain the effect of suppressing processing defects.

One type of machining state monitoring sensor 19 may be used, or two types of machining state monitoring sensors 19 may be used. The machining state monitoring sensor 19 may be disposed inside the machining head 2 or outside the machining head 2. The time series data acquired by the machining state monitoring sensor 19 may be input to the feature extraction unit 14.

Figure 21 is a diagram showing a processor 91 in the case where some or all of the processing result determination unit 13, feature extraction unit 14, machine learning machine 15, and processing condition change unit 16 of the processing condition analyzer 12 of the laser processing device according to embodiment 3 are realized by the processor 91. In other words, some or all of the functions of the processing result determination unit 13, feature extraction unit 14, machine learning machine 15, and processing condition change unit 16 may be realized by the processor 91 executing a program stored in the memory 92. The processor 91 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a processing device, an arithmetic device, a microprocessor, or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). A memory 92 is also shown in Figure 21.

When some or all of the functions of the processing result determination unit 13, the feature extraction unit 14, the machine learning machine 15, and the processing condition change unit 16 are realized by the processor 91, the functions are realized by the processor 91 and a combination of software, firmware, or software and firmware. The software or firmware is written as a program and stored in the memory 92. The processor 91 realizes some or all of the functions of the processing result determination unit 13, the feature extraction unit 14, the machine learning machine 15, and the processing condition change unit 16 by reading and executing the program stored in the memory 92.

When some or all of the functions of the processing result determination unit 13, the feature extraction unit 14, the machine learning device 15, and the processing condition change unit 16 are realized by the processor 91, the laser processing apparatus according to the third embodiment has a memory 92 for storing a program that results in some or all of the steps executed by the processing result determination unit 13, the feature extraction unit 14, the machine learning device 15, and the processing condition change unit 16. The program stored in the memory 92 can also be said to cause a computer to execute some or all of the processing result determination unit 13, the feature extraction unit 14, the machine learning device 15, and the processing condition change unit 16.

The memory 92 may be, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), an EEPROM (registered trademark) (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a compact disk, a mini disk, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk).

22 is a diagram showing a processing circuit 93 in a case where the processing result determination unit 13, the feature extraction unit 14, the machine learning machine 15, and the processing condition change unit 16 of the processing condition analyzer 12 of the laser processing device according to embodiment 3 are partly or entirely realized by the processing circuit 93. In other words, the processing result determination unit 13, the feature extraction unit 14, the machine learning machine 15, and the processing condition change unit 16 may be partly or entirely realized by the processing circuit 93.

The processing circuit 93 is dedicated hardware. The processing circuit 93 is, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination of these. Parts of the machining result determination unit 13, the feature extraction unit 14, the machine learning device 15, and the machining condition change unit 16 may be realized by dedicated hardware separate from the remaining parts.

With regard to the multiple functions of the processing result determination unit 13, the feature extraction unit 14, the machine learning device 15, and the processing condition change unit 16, some of the multiple functions may be realized by software or firmware, and the remaining multiple functions may be realized by dedicated hardware. In this way, the multiple functions of the processing result determination unit 13, the feature extraction unit 14, the machine learning device 15, and the processing condition change unit 16 can be realized by hardware, software, firmware, or a combination of these.

The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and may be combined with other known technologies, or the embodiments may be combined with each other, or parts of the configurations may be omitted or modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

1 Laser oscillator, 2 Processing head, 3 Collimating lens, 3a Focusing diameter change unit, 4 Optical axis adjustment unit, 4a Planar substrate, 4b Hollow rotating stage, 4c Angle adjustment mechanism, 4d Galvano scanner, 5 Intensity distribution adjustment unit, 5a Optical component, 5b Optical path switching mechanism, 6 Focusing optical system, 7 Processing nozzle, 8 Control unit, 9 Optical fiber, 12 Processing condition analyzer, 13 Processing result judgment unit, 14 Feature extraction unit, 15 Machine learning machine, 16 Processing condition change unit, 17 Learning unit, 18 Data acquisition unit, 19 Processing state monitoring sensor, 91 Processor, 92 Memory, 93 Processing circuit, 100, 200, 300 Laser processing device, L Laser beam, W Processing object.

Claims (10)

a laser oscillator that outputs a laser beam based on an oscillator command;
a processing head that collects the laser light using a collecting optical system and irradiates the laser light at an irradiation position on an object to be processed;
a control unit that changes a relative position between the object and the processing head based on a drive command to move the irradiation position in a cutting direction;
an intensity distribution adjustment unit including an optical component having an intensity distribution conversion characteristic that is rotationally symmetric with respect to one axis, and changing the intensity distribution of the laser light based on an intensity distribution adjustment command;
an optical axis adjustment unit that changes an incident position and an incident angle of the laser light incident on the intensity distribution adjustment unit in accordance with a material of the object to be processed, a plate thickness of the object to be processed, and a part or all of the cutting direction;
the intensity distribution adjustment unit adjusts the intensity distribution of the laser light whose optical axis has been adjusted by the optical axis adjustment unit,
the focusing optical system focuses the laser light whose intensity distribution has been adjusted by the intensity distribution adjustment unit,
the control unit determines an optical axis adjustment command for controlling the optical axis adjustment unit in accordance with a part or all of the oscillator command, the drive command, the intensity distribution adjustment command, the material, the plate thickness, and the cutting direction based on processing parameters which are numerical parameters related to cutting. 2. The laser processing device according to claim 1, wherein the optical axis adjustment unit is a galvanometer scanner or a microelectromechanical system mirror that adjusts the position and angle at which the laser light is incident on the intensity distribution adjustment unit. The optical axis adjustment unit is
a flat substrate through which the laser light passes;
a mechanism for changing a relative angle between the planar substrate and an optical axis of the laser light;
The laser processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising a rotation mechanism that rotates the planar substrate about the optical axis in accordance with a part or all of the material, the substrate thickness, and the cutting direction. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the intensity distribution adjustment unit further includes an optical path switching mechanism that performs an operation of inserting the optical component into an optical axis of the laser light or removing the optical component from the optical axis. The laser processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the optical component is an axicon lens. 5. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical component is an optical component that combines a plurality of lenses that can generate spherical aberration and change the relationship between the circle of least confusion and the paraxial focus. 7. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing head has a focused diameter changing unit that changes a focused diameter of the laser light irradiated to the workpiece by changing a beam diameter of the laser light incident on the focusing optical system. 8. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a machine learning machine having: a data acquisition unit that acquires state quantities including the processing conditions of the cutting processing, the oscillator command, the drive command, the intensity distribution adjustment command, and the processing parameters; and a learning unit that learns processing conditions that obtain good processing under the processing conditions based on the state quantities. 9. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the laser oscillator is a fiber laser oscillator. A laser processing method using a laser processing device having a laser oscillator that outputs laser light based on an oscillator command, and a processing head that collects the laser light using a collecting optical system and irradiates an irradiation position on an object to be processed, comprising:
changing a relative position between the object and the processing head based on a drive command to move the irradiation position in a cutting direction;
changing the intensity distribution of the laser light based on an intensity distribution adjustment command using an optical component having an intensity distribution conversion characteristic that is rotationally symmetric with respect to one axis;
changing an incidence position and an incidence angle of the laser light incident on an intensity distribution adjustment unit that includes the optical component and changes an intensity distribution of the laser light in accordance with a material of the object to be processed, a plate thickness of the object to be processed, and a part or all of the cutting direction;
adjusting an intensity distribution of the laser beam whose optical axis has been adjusted in the step of changing the incident position and incident angle of the laser beam;
a step of focusing the laser light having an adjusted intensity distribution;
determining an optical axis adjustment command for controlling an optical axis adjustment unit that changes the incident position and incident angle of the laser light incident on the intensity distribution adjustment unit in accordance with the oscillator command, the drive command, the intensity distribution adjustment command, some or all of the material, the plate thickness, and the cutting direction based on processing parameters that are numerical parameters related to cutting.

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