JP7664362B2 - Work Support Table - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a work support table .

Conventionally, the work support table of a thermal processing machine such as a laser processing machine or a plasma processing machine is provided with a number of plate-shaped work support members (work support members) as support members that support the metal plate (work) to be processed from below. These multiple work support members are arranged at predetermined intervals on the work support table with their plate surfaces perpendicular to the floor surface.

One form of the work support mentioned above is made of metal and has a continuous triangular protrusion formed on the upper end. When a workpiece to be machined is placed on a work support table on which multiple such workpiece supports are arranged, the protrusions on the upper end of each workpiece support come into contact with the underside of the workpiece, providing point support for the workpiece.

By supporting the workpiece at points, the contact area between the workpiece and the workpiece support is minimized, which reduces welding between the workpiece and the workpiece support due to thermal processing and damage to the workpiece support.

JP 2001-314998 A

However, because both the workpiece and the workpiece support are made of metal, even if the contact area is reduced, it is not possible to completely avoid wear and damage to the protrusions of the workpiece support due to thermal processing.

In addition, if the workpiece support is made of metal, spatter generated during thermal processing will adhere to the workpiece support. To remove this, it is necessary to peel off or scrape off the adhered spatter, which is a problem that requires a great deal of effort.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a work support table for removing spatter that has adhered to a work support of a thermal processing machine .

The present invention provides a work support table comprising an intermediate support base that supports the intermediate portion of the long side of an elongated work support installed to support a workpiece to be thermally processed, in a state in which the intermediate portion can move in a direction parallel to the floor surface, and a support base position adjustment device that adjusts the position of the intermediate support base so that the workpiece support is in a straight line when a workpiece to be thermally processed is loaded or unloaded onto the work support, and adjusts the position of the intermediate support base so that the workpiece support is in a curved state when thermal processing work is performed on the workpiece .

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a work support table for removing spatters that have adhered to a work support of a thermal processing machine .

1 is an external perspective view showing a laser processing machine using a sputter removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a front view showing the shape of a workpiece support 100 that performs sputter removal processing in a sputter removal device in one embodiment. FIG. 1A is an external perspective view of a voice coil vibrator 60A, FIG. 1B is a side view of the voice coil vibrator 60A, FIG. 1C is a side view of a piezoelectric ultrasonic vibrator 60B, and FIG. 1D is a side view of an air cylinder impact vibrator 60C as a sputter removal device according to one embodiment. 1A and 1B are a top view and a side view, respectively, of a first work support holding mechanism installed on a work support table 20 in one embodiment. 1 is a top view showing a state in which an impact is applied with a hammer to a lower end support stand of a first work support holding mechanism installed on a work support table 20 in one embodiment. FIG. 1 is a top view showing a state in which an impact or vibration is applied to a lower end support stand of a first work support holding mechanism installed on a work support table 20 in one embodiment by a linear actuator. FIG. FIG. 1 is a top view showing a state in which an impact or vibration of the same phase is applied by a linear actuator to the upper and lower end support bases of a first work support mechanism installed on a work support table 20 in one embodiment. FIG. 11 is a top view showing a state in which an impact or vibration of opposite phases is applied by a linear actuator to the upper and lower end support platforms of the first work support mechanism installed on the work support table 20 in one embodiment. FIG. 1 is a top view showing a state in which the middle part of the first work support holding mechanism installed on the work support table 20 in one embodiment is held in a state where it hardly vibrates, and an impact or vibration is applied to the lower end support stand by a linear actuator. 1 is a side view showing a state in which a vibrator using a piezoelectric element is installed on a support base of a second work support mechanism installed on a work support table 20 in one embodiment. FIG. 1A and 1B are top and side views showing a state in which a linear actuator is installed on an intermediate support stand of a third work support mechanism installed on a work support table 20 in one embodiment. This is a top view showing the state when the work support 100 is straightened by the support base of the third work support holding mechanism installed on the work support table 20 in one embodiment, and the tines of the fork member 110 are inserted into the gap of the work support 100.

The following describes a laser processing machine, which is a thermal processing machine that utilizes a sputter removal device for a work support used in a work support table according to one embodiment, with reference to the attached drawings.

The laser processing machine 1 according to this embodiment performs cutting processing, and as shown in FIG. 1, a work support table 20 is provided on a base 10 for placing a work W to be thermally processed. On the work support table 20, a plurality of work supports 100 for supporting the work W to be processed are arranged in the X direction. The material and shape of each work support 100, and the state of installation on the work support table 20 will be described later.

The laser processing machine 1 has a gate-shaped frame 30 arranged to straddle the work support table 20. The frame 30 has side frames 31 and 32 and an upper frame 33.

A carriage 40 that is movable in the Y direction is provided within the upper frame 33. A laser head 41 that emits a laser is attached to the carriage 40. The frame 30 moves in the X direction and the carriage 40 moves in the Y direction, so that the laser head 41 can move freely in the X and Y directions above the workpiece W.

An NC device 50 for controlling the laser processing machine 1 is attached to the frame 30. The NC device 50 controls the laser processing machine 1 according to processing data (NC data) for processing the workpiece W. The NC device 50 is a control device that controls the laser processing machine 1.

The laser head 41 moves in the X or Y direction under the control of the NC device 50, and the workpiece W is cut by irradiating the workpiece W with a laser.

The work support 100 installed on the work support table 20 will now be described. Each work support 100 is formed by cutting out a long piece of plain-woven thin sheet of string-like carbon fiber, for example carbon fiber reinforced carbon composite material (C/C composite material). Plain weaving is a weaving method in which the fibers are crossed vertically and horizontally one by one. The carbon fiber can be woven in any structure, and may be satin, twill, matte, or irregular.

Carbon fiber has a melting point of 3550°C, which is much higher than the melting point of 1580°C of a typical metal workpiece W. Therefore, by using carbon fiber as the material for the workpiece support 100, welding between the workpiece W and the workpiece support 100 due to irradiation with a laser beam during cutting processing of the workpiece W can be prevented.

As shown in FIG. 2, the work support 100 has a series of triangular projections 101 at its upper end. When a number of such work supports 100 are arranged on the work support table 20 and a work W is placed on them, the triangular projections 101 at the upper end of each work support 100 come into contact with the underside of the work W, and the work W is point-supported. By point-supporting the work W, the probability that the laser beam will hit the upper part of the work support 100 when the work W is cut is reduced, and damage to the work support 100 is suppressed.

Conventionally, a work support was used in which triangular projections were provided continuously on the upper end of a metal plate, but this type of metal plate work support has the same melting point as the workpiece W, and spatters generated during the cutting process melt and accumulate.

However, as described above, the work support 100 of this embodiment is made of carbon fiber with a high melting point, and even if spatter is generated and accumulates, it does not weld to the work support. In addition, since the C/C composite material is fiber-reinforced by impregnating various substances into the woven carbon fibers, forming it into a thin plate shape creates elasticity. By utilizing this, when spatter accumulates on the work support, the spatter can be easily removed by applying an impact or vibration to the work support and propagating it elastically. By appropriately removing spatter accumulated on the work support 100, the life of the work support 100 can be extended.

The following is an example of a method for applying impact or vibration to the work support 100 to remove spatter that has accumulated on the work support 100.

(1) Method of vibrating the work support 100 using a handy type vibrator The following describes a case where a handy type vibrator is used as a sputter removal device to remove sputter accumulated on the work support 100. Examples of handy type vibrators include a voice coil vibrator 60A shown in Figures 3(a) and (b), a piezoelectric ultrasonic vibrator 60B shown in (c), and an air cylinder impact vibrator 60C shown in (d).

The voice coil vibrator 60A in Figures 3(a) and (b) has a handle portion 61A, a diaphragm 62 extending from the handle portion 61A, and a voice coil actuator 63 attached to the diaphragm 62 as a drive unit that electrically vibrates the diaphragm 62.

When using this voice coil vibrator 60A, the operator grasps the handle portion 61A and brings the tip of the vibration plate 62 into contact with the work support 100, and operates the voice coil actuator 63 while maintaining the contact, thereby applying vibration to the work support 100. By performing this operation for each work support 100, spatter that has accumulated on each work support 100 can be removed.

The piezoelectric ultrasonic exciter 60B in FIG. 3(c) has a handle portion 61B and a piezoelectric diaphragm 64 extending from the handle portion 61B as a driving portion. The piezoelectric diaphragm 64 is constructed using a piezoelectric element, and generates ultrasonic vibrations when a voltage is applied.

When using this piezoelectric ultrasonic vibrator 60B, the operator grasps the handle portion 61B and brings the tip of the piezoelectric vibration plate 64 into contact with the work support 100, and applies a voltage to the piezoelectric ultrasonic vibrator 60B while maintaining the contact state, thereby vibrating the work support 100. By performing this operation for each work support 100, spatter that has accumulated on each work support 100 can be removed.

The air cylinder impact vibrator 60C in FIG. 3(d) has a handle 61C and an air cylinder 65 as a drive unit installed at the tip of the handle 61C. The air cylinder 65 has a piston 651 that reciprocates using air pressure.

When using this air cylinder impact vibrator 60C, the operator grasps the handle 61C and brings the tip of the piston 651 of the air cylinder 65 close to the work support 100, and operates the piston 651 of the air cylinder 65, causing the piston 651 to collide with the work support 100 and apply vibration. By performing this operation for each work support 100, spatter that has accumulated on each work support 100 can be removed.

These handheld vibrators are highly practical because they have a simple structure and can be easily made small and lightweight. In addition, the work support 100 made of C/C composite material generates elasticity, and vibrations applied at a specific location propagate to the surrounding areas. Therefore, when using a handheld vibrator, only a few work locations on each work support 100 are required, and spatter removal work can be performed efficiently.

(2) Method of applying vibration to the work support 100 by the first work support holding mechanism On the upper surface of the work support table 20, as the first work support holding mechanism, as shown in the top view of Figure 4 (a), a lower end support base 21 that collectively supports the short sides of the lower ends of multiple work support bodies 100, an upper end support base 22 that collectively supports the short sides of the upper ends, and a first intermediate support base 23 that collectively supports the intermediate portions are installed.

The lower end support table 21 and the upper end support table 22 each have a number of slits 211, 221 with a width corresponding to the thickness of the work support 100, into which the ends of the work support 100 are inserted.

The lower end support base 21 and the upper end support base 22 are connected to the left end of the frame of the work support table 20 by springs 24A and 25A, respectively, and to the right end of the frame of the work support table 20 by springs 24B and 25B. As shown in the side view of FIG. 4(b), the lower end support base 21 and the upper end support base 22 are each installed on a slide guide 26 installed on the work support table 20. The slide guide 26 is a member that is parallel to the upper surface of the work support table 20 and can slide left and right perpendicular to the long side of the work support body 100 that it supports.

(2-1) Manual vibration method As shown in Fig. 5, the first intermediate support table 23 of the first work support holding mechanism described above is provided with a plurality of slits 231 having a width sufficiently wider than the thickness of the work support 100, and supports the intermediate portion of the work support 100 in a state in which it can vibrate in the left-right direction. Then, an operator uses a hammer 70 or the like to impact at least one of the end support tables 21, 22 described above, causing the corresponding end support table 21, 22 to slide in the left-right direction, thereby applying vibration to each of the held work supports 100. For example, by impacting the lower end support table 21, the intermediate portion and lower end of the work support 100 vibrate in the left-right direction while the upper end is fixed, as shown by the thin arrow in Fig. 5, and spatter accumulated on each of the work supports 100 can be removed.

(2-2) Vibration method using a linear actuator A linear actuator is installed on at least one of the end support tables 21, 22 of the first work support holding mechanism described above and operated in the left-right direction, causing the corresponding end support table 21, 22 to slide in the left-right direction, thereby applying impact or vibration to each work support 100 being held.

Figure 6 shows a first configuration example of the first work support holding mechanism using a linear actuator. In this example, the first intermediate support table 23 is provided with multiple slits 231 with a width sufficiently wider than the thickness of the work support 100, and the intermediate portion of the work support 100 is supported in a state in which it can vibrate in the left-right direction, and the linear actuator 27 is installed only on the lower end support table 21.

By driving the linear actuator 27 with the first work support holding mechanism configured in this manner, the lower end support table 21 is slid left and right, applying impact or vibration to each held work support 100. As a result, as shown by the thin arrows in Figure 6, the middle and lower ends of the work support 100 vibrate left and right while the upper end is fixed, making it possible to remove spatter that has accumulated on each work support 100. Note that the impact here refers to an operation that occurs with inertial force when the linear actuator is started and stopped.

A second configuration example of the first work support holding mechanism using linear actuators is shown in Figure 7. In this example, multiple slits 232 with a width corresponding to the thickness of the work support 100 are provided in the first intermediate support table 23, and the intermediate portion of the work support 100 is inserted and supported, and linear actuators 27, 28 are installed on both end support tables 21, 22. The width of the slits 232 is formed to a size such that the support portion barely vibrates in the left-right direction even when force is applied to the supported work support 100.

In the first work support holding mechanism configured in this manner, the linear actuators 27, 28 cause the end supports 21, 22 to slide left and right with vibrations of the same phase, applying impact or vibration to each held work support 100. As a result, as shown by the thin arrows in Figure 7, the work support 100 vibrates left and right at both the upper and lower ends with the middle part fixed, making it possible to remove spatter that has accumulated on each work support 100.

In addition, in the first work support holding mechanism configured in this manner, the end support stages 21 and 22 may be slid by vibrations of opposite phases using linear actuators 27 and 28, as shown by the thin arrows in Figure 8. In this case, it is not necessary to fix the work support 100 to the first intermediate support stage 23, and the work support 100 may be supported by multiple slits 231 that are sufficiently wider than the thickness of the work support 100.

A third configuration example of the first work support holding mechanism using a linear actuator is shown in Figure 9. In this example, the first intermediate support table 23 described above is provided with multiple slits 232 with a width corresponding to the thickness of the work support 100, and the intermediate portion of the work support 100 is inserted and supported, and the linear actuator 27 is installed only on the lower end support table 21. The width of the slits 232 is formed to a size such that even if force is applied to the supported work support 100, the supported portion hardly vibrates in the left-right direction, but vibration waves can propagate above the work support 100.

By driving the linear actuator 27 with the first work support holding mechanism configured in this manner, the lower end support table 21 is slid left and right, and vibration is applied to each held work support 100. As a result, as shown by the thin arrow in Figure 9, the deflection caused by the vibration applied to the lower end of the work support 100 is amplified between the middle and upper ends, causing vibration, and spatter accumulated on each work support 100 can be removed.

By using the first work support holding mechanism as described above, multiple work supports 100 mounted on the work support table 20 can be vibrated simultaneously to efficiently perform spatter removal work. In addition, the spatter removal work can be automated by controlling the vibration operation of the work supports 100 with a control device, and even when performing continuous laser processing work, the spatter removal work can be performed appropriately to keep the laser processing machine in good condition.

(3) Method of applying vibration to the work support 100 by the second work support holding mechanism A lower end support base 21 supporting the short sides of the lower ends of the multiple work supports 100, an upper end support base 22 supporting the short sides of the upper ends, and a first intermediate support base 23 supporting the intermediate portions are installed on the upper surface of the work support table 20 as a second work support holding mechanism. In addition, as shown in Fig. 10, multiple vibrators 80 using piezoelectric elements are installed between at least one of these support bases 21 to 23 and the work support table 20.

Then, the vibrator 80 generates ultrasonic vibrations in the left-right or up-down direction at a frequency equivalent to the natural frequency of the work support 100, vibrating the corresponding support bases 21-23 in the left-right direction parallel to the top surface of the work support table 20 or in the up-down direction perpendicular to the top surface of the work support table 20. This causes the vibrations to propagate to the work support 100 supported by the support bases 21-23, and the accumulated spatter can be removed.

By using the second workpiece support holding mechanism as described above, even if the adhesion state of the spatter accumulated on the workpiece support 100 differs due to differences in the processing conditions when using the laser processing machine or the material of the workpiece W to be processed, it is possible to perform reliable spatter removal work by changing the vibration direction and frequency.

(4) Method of applying vibration to the work support 100 by the third work support holding mechanism As shown in the top view of Fig. 11(a), a second intermediate support base 91 and a third intermediate support base 92 are installed on the upper surface of the work support table 20 as a third work support holding mechanism, which support two different points in the intermediate parts of the plurality of work supports 100, respectively. As shown in Fig. 11(b), these intermediate support bases 91 and 92 are installed in a state in which they can move in the left and right directions parallel to the floor surface by the rotation of support rollers 93A, 93B, 94A, and 94B installed on the work support table 20. In addition, linear actuators 97 and 98 are installed on the right ends of these intermediate support bases 91 and 92 by toggle mechanism members 95 and 96.

Then, the linear actuators 97, 98 are driven, and the toggle mechanism members 95, 96 operate the intermediate support tables 91, 92 in the same or opposite phase to give an impact when the stroke stops, or the intermediate support tables 91, 92 are collided with the inside of the frame of the work support table 20, thereby applying an impact or vibration to each of the held work supports 100. This causes the work support 100 to vibrate, and the accumulated spatter can be removed. The number of intermediate support tables described above is not limited to two, and three or more may be installed at different locations in the middle of the work support 100.

In the above-mentioned third work support holding mechanism, the direction of movement of the work support 100 by the linear actuators 97, 98 can be adjusted by the mounting state of the toggle mechanism members 95, 96, so these members can be installed inside the frame of the existing work support table 20, which is useful in practical use.

On the other hand, by placing the work support 100 on the work support table 20 in a curved state in the long side direction, continuous irradiation of the laser beam onto the upper part of the work support 100 is avoided when the work W is cut linearly, which suppresses the accumulation of spatter and damage and extends the life of the work support 100.

Therefore, when performing laser processing with a laser processing machine using the above-mentioned third work support holding mechanism, damage to the work support 100 can be suppressed by moving the second intermediate support table 91 and the third intermediate support table 92 in different directions as shown by the arrows in Figure 11 (a) to bend the work support 100 into an S-shape and performing thermal processing operations.

When loading and unloading the workpiece W onto the workpiece support 100, as shown in FIG. 12, the workpiece W is loaded and unloaded using a fork member 110 having teeth 111 that are inserted into the gaps between the workpiece support 100. If the workpiece support 100 is curved, the teeth 111 of the fork member 110 come into contact with the workpiece support 100, and the workpiece W cannot be loaded and unloaded normally.

When loading or unloading the workpiece W, the second intermediate support table 91 and the third intermediate support table 92 are returned to their original positions and the workpiece support 100 is brought into a straight line as shown in FIG. 12, allowing the workpiece W to be loaded or unloaded appropriately.

The NC device may also be equipped with a function as a support table position adjustment device that controls the operation of the intermediate support tables 91, 92. With this function, the NC device may adjust the positions of the intermediate support tables 91, 92 so that the work support 100 is in a straight state when the workpiece W is loaded onto or unloaded from the workpiece support 100, and adjust the workpiece support 100 so that it is in a curved state when thermal processing work is performed on the workpiece W.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Laser processing machine 10 Base 20 Work support table 21 Lower end support base 22 Upper end support base 23 First intermediate support base 24A, 24B, 25A, 25B Spring 26 Slide guide 27, 28 Linear actuator 30 Frame 31, 32 Side frame 33 Upper frame 40 Carriage 41 Laser head 50 NC device 60A Voice coil actuator 60B Piezo ultrasonic actuator 60C Air cylinder impact actuator 61A, 61B, 61C Handle 62 Vibration plate 63 Voice coil actuator 64 Piezo vibration plate 65 Air cylinder 70 Hammer 80 Vibrator 91 Second intermediate support base 92 Third intermediate support base 93A, 93B, 94A, 94B Support roller 95, 96 toggle mechanism member 97, 98 linear actuator 100 work support 101 projection 110 fork member 111 teeth 211, 221, 231, 232 slit 651 piston

Claims (1)

An intermediate support table that supports an intermediate portion in a long side direction of a long-shaped work support installed to support a workpiece to be thermally processed in a state in which the intermediate portion can move in a direction parallel to a floor surface;
a support table position adjustment device that adjusts the position of the intermediate support table so that the work support is in a straight line when a workpiece to be thermally processed is loaded onto or unloaded from the work support, and adjusts the position of the intermediate support table so that the work support is in a curved line when thermal processing work is performed on the workpiece.

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