JP7760352B2 - cutting equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cutting device.

Cutting machines are used to divide workpieces such as wafers into individual devices (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-202546

The cutting device shown in Patent Document 1 and other publications uses cutting fluid when processing a workpiece with a cutting blade. The cutting fluid and cutting chips float in the processing chamber as mist, and the mist is exhausted by an exhaust unit.

However, because the exhaust force of the cutting device is constant, there are cases where the exhaust is insufficient or excessive.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a cutting device that can adjust the exhaust force to the optimum level depending on the conditions inside the machining chamber.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the cutting device of the present invention is a cutting device comprising: a holding table for holding a workpiece; a cutting unit for cutting the workpiece held on the holding table with a cutting blade while supplying cutting fluid to the workpiece; a processing chamber surrounding the holding table and the cutting unit; an exhaust unit for exhausting the atmosphere within the processing chamber; and a control unit for controlling each component, wherein the cutting device further comprises a measurement unit installed within the processing chamber and measuring mist floating within the processing chamber; the control unit has an exhaust force adjustment unit that adjusts the exhaust force of the exhaust unit according to the measurement results of the measurement unit; the measurement unit has an light-emitting unit facing each other across a blade entry section where the cutting blade enters, and a light-receiving unit that receives light from the light-emitting unit, and is a cutting edge position detection unit that detects the tip position of the cutting blade; and when the cutting blade is in a retracted state away from the blade entry section, the light-receiving unit obtains the amount of light received by the light-emitting unit, and the exhaust force adjustment unit adjusts the exhaust force of the exhaust unit according to the amount of light received.

In the cutting device, the exhaust unit may have a motor and a fan that rotates when the motor rotates, and the exhaust force adjustment unit may adjust the exhaust force by changing the rotation speed of the motor.

In the cutting device, the exhaust unit may have a pipe connected to a suction source and a valve installed in the pipe that adjusts the degree of opening of a flow path through which the fluid passes, and the exhaust force adjustment unit may control the degree of opening of the flow path using the valve.

The present invention has the advantage of being able to adjust the exhaust power to the optimum level depending on the conditions inside the processing chamber.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a cutting device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a main part of the cutting device according to the first embodiment. 3 is a perspective view of a cutting edge position detection unit of the cutting machine shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the amount of light received by the light receiving section of the cutting edge position detection unit shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an exhaust unit of the cutting machine shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing fan control data used by the exhaust power adjusting unit of the control unit of the cutting machine shown in FIG. 1 to control the fan. FIG. 7 is a plan view schematically showing an example of a state in which the cutting edge position detection unit of the cutting machine shown in FIG. 1 measures mist floating in the machining chamber. FIG. 8 is a plan view schematically showing another example of the state in which the cutting edge position detection unit of the cutting machine shown in FIG. 1 measures mist floating in the machining chamber. FIG. 9 is a plan view schematically illustrating an example of a state in which the particle counter of the cutting machine according to the second embodiment measures mist floating in the machining chamber. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the particle counter shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the number of mist particles in the information output by the processing unit of the particle counter shown in FIG. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing fan control data used by the exhaust power adjusting unit of the control unit of the cutting machine shown in FIG. 9 to control the fan. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an exhaust unit of a cutting machine according to a modification of the first and second embodiments. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of fan control data used by the exhaust power adjuster of the control unit of the cutting device according to the modified example of the first and second embodiments to control the fan. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing another example of fan control data used by the exhaust power adjuster of the control unit of the cutting device according to the modified example of the first and second embodiments to control the fan.

Modes for carrying out the present invention (embodiments) will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the content described in the following embodiment 1. Furthermore, the components described below include those that would be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art and those that are substantially identical. Furthermore, the configurations described below can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications to the configuration can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[Embodiment 1]
A cutting device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the cutting device according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a main part of the cutting device according to the first embodiment. The cutting device 1 according to the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1 is a processing device that cuts a workpiece 200.

(Workpiece)
A workpiece 200 to be machined by the cutting device 1 according to the first embodiment is a wafer such as a disk-shaped semiconductor wafer or an optical device wafer, with a substrate 201 made of silicon, sapphire, gallium, or the like. As shown in Fig. 1 , the workpiece 200 has a surface 202 on which a plurality of mutually intersecting planned division lines 203 are set, and devices 204 are formed in areas partitioned by the planned division lines 203. The devices 204 are, for example, integrated circuits such as ICs (Integrated Circuits) or LSIs (Large Scale Integration), image sensors such as CCDs (Charge Coupled Devices) or CMOSs (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductors), or memories (semiconductor memory devices).

In embodiment 1, as shown in FIG. 1, the workpiece 200 is a disk-shaped piece with a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the workpiece 200, and an adhesive tape 206 with an annular frame 207 attached to its outer edge is attached to the back surface 205 behind the front surface 202, and is supported within the opening of the annular frame 207. The workpiece 200 is cut along the intended division lines 203 and divided into individual devices 204.

(Cutting device)
The cutting device 1 according to the first embodiment is a processing device that holds a workpiece 200 on a holding table 10 and cuts the workpiece 200. As shown in Fig. 1 , the cutting device 1 includes the holding table 10 that holds the workpiece 200, a cutting unit 20 that cuts the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10 with a cutting blade 21 while supplying cutting fluid 25 (shown in Fig. 2 ) to the workpiece 200, an imaging unit 30 that images the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10, and a control unit 100.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting device 1 also includes a movement unit 40 that moves the holding table 10 and the cutting unit 20 relative to one another. The movement unit 40 includes at least an X-axis movement unit 41, which is a processing feed unit that processes and feeds the holding table 10 in the X-axis direction parallel to the horizontal direction; a Y-axis movement unit 42, which is an indexing feed unit that indexes and feeds the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction parallel to the horizontal direction and perpendicular to the X-axis direction; a Z-axis movement unit 43, which is a cutting feed unit that cuts and feeds the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction parallel to the vertical direction and perpendicular to both the X-axis and Y-axis directions; and a rotational movement unit 44 that rotates the holding table 10 around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction.

The X-axis movement unit 41 moves the holding table 10 and the rotational movement unit 44 in the X-axis direction, which is the processing feed direction, thereby processing-feeding the holding table 10 and the cutting unit 20 relatively along the X-axis. The Y-axis movement unit 42 is installed on a gate-shaped support frame 3 that stands upright from the device main body 2, and moves the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction, which is the indexing feed direction, by moving a slide plate 45 on which the Z-axis movement unit 43 is installed, in the Y-axis direction, thereby indexing-feeding the holding table 10 and the cutting unit 20 relatively along the Y-axis. The support frame 3 includes a pair of standing portions 4 that stand upright from the device main body 2 and are spaced apart in the Y-axis direction, and a connecting portion 5 that connects the upper ends of the pair of standing portions 4.

The Z-axis movement unit 43 is installed on a slide plate 45 and moves the second slide plate 46, to which the cutting unit 20 is attached, in the Z-axis direction, which is the cutting feed direction, thereby moving the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction and performing cutting feed relative to the holding table 10 along the Z-axis. The rotational movement unit 44 is installed on the X-axis movement unit 41 and is movable in the X-axis direction by the X-axis movement unit 41. The rotational movement unit 44 supports the holding table 10.

The X-axis movement unit 41, Y-axis movement unit 42, and Z-axis movement unit 43 each include a well-known ball screw rotatable about its axis, a well-known motor that rotates the ball screw about its axis, and a well-known guide rail that supports the holding table 10 or cutting unit 20 so that it can move in the X-axis, Y-axis, or Z-axis direction. The rotational movement unit 44 also includes a motor that rotates the holding table 10 about its axis.

The holding table 10 is disk-shaped and made of a porous material such as porous ceramics. It holds the workpiece 200 by suction on a holding surface 11 that is parallel to the horizontal direction. The holding table 10 is rotated around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction by a rotary movement unit 44. The holding table 10 is moved in the X-axis direction by an X-axis movement unit 41 together with the rotary movement unit 44 between the processing area below the cutting unit 20 and a load/unload area away from below the cutting unit 20 where the workpiece 200 is loaded and unloaded.

The holding table 10 has a holding surface 11 connected to a vacuum suction source (not shown), and when the holding surface 11 is sucked by the vacuum suction source, it sucks and holds the workpiece 200 placed on the holding surface 11. A clamp (not shown) is provided around the periphery of the holding table 10 to clamp the annular frame 207. The bottom of the holding table 10 is covered by a table cover 12 attached to the outer periphery of the rotational movement unit 44.

As shown in FIG. 2, a bellows member 13 that covers the X-axis movement unit 41 is attached to the table cover 12. A pair of bellows members 13 is provided. One bellows member 13 is attached to the table cover 12 and the front end of the device main body 2 in the X-axis direction in FIG. 1, and the other bellows member 13 is attached to the table cover 12 and the rear end of the device main body 2 in the X-axis direction. Each bellows member 13 is flexible and can expand and contract in the X-axis direction, allowing the table cover 12, i.e., the holding table 10, to move in the X-axis direction. Each bellows member 13 prevents cutting fluid 25 and the like from adhering to the X-axis movement unit 41, etc.

The cutting unit 20 is a processing unit in which a cutting blade 21 is attached to a spindle 23 and cuts a workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10. The cutting unit 20 is movable in the Y-axis direction by a Y-axis movement unit 42 relative to the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10, and is movable in the Z-axis direction by a Z-axis movement unit 43. As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting unit 20 is attached to the lower end of a second slide plate 46 that is moved in the Z-axis direction by the Z-axis movement unit 43. The cutting unit 20 can position the cutting blade 21 at any position on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 by the Y-axis movement unit 42 and Z-axis movement unit 43.

The cutting unit 20 includes a cutting blade 21, a spindle housing 22 attached to the second slide plate 46 and movable in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions by a Y-axis movement unit 42 and a Z-axis movement unit 43, a spindle 23 rotatably mounted on the spindle housing 22 around its axis and having the cutting blade 21 attached to its tip, a spindle motor (not shown) that rotates the spindle 23 around its axis, and a cutting fluid nozzle 24 (shown in Figure 2) that supplies cutting fluid 25 to the cutting blade 21.

The cutting blade 21 is an extremely thin cutting wheel with a roughly ring shape. The cutting blade 21 is fixed to the tip of the spindle 23. In embodiment 1, as shown in FIG. 2, the cutting blade 21 is a so-called hub blade that includes an annular circular base 211 and an annular cutting edge 212 that is disposed on the outer periphery of the circular base 211 and cuts the workpiece 200. The cutting edge 212 is formed to a predetermined thickness and is made of abrasive grains such as SiC, alumina, diamond, or CBN (Cubic Boron Nitride), and a bond (binding material) such as metal or resin that secures the abrasive grains. In the present invention, the cutting blade 21 may also be a so-called washer blade consisting only of the cutting edge 212. The axes of the cutting blade 21 and spindle 23 of the cutting unit 20 are set parallel to the Y-axis direction.

The imaging unit 30 is fixed to the second slide plate 46 so that it moves integrally with the cutting unit 20. In embodiment 1, the imaging unit 30 is positioned so that the objective lens facing the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10 is aligned with the cutting blade 21 in the X-axis direction. The imaging unit 30 is equipped with an imaging element that captures an image of the area to be divided of the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10 before cutting. The imaging element is, for example, a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) imaging element or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) imaging element. The imaging unit 30 captures an image of the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10 to obtain images for purposes such as aligning the workpiece 200 with the cutting blade 21, and outputs the obtained images to the control unit 100.

The cutting device 1 also includes an X-axis position detection unit (not shown) for detecting the position of the holding table 10 in the X-axis direction, a Y-axis position detection unit (not shown) for detecting the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction, and a Z-axis position detection unit for detecting the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction. The X-axis position detection unit and Y-axis position detection unit can be configured with a linear scale parallel to the X-axis or Y-axis direction and a reading head. The Z-axis position detection unit detects the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction using motor pulses. The X-axis position detection unit, Y-axis position detection unit, and Z-axis position detection unit output the position of the holding table 10 in the X-axis direction and the position of the lower end of the cutting blade of the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis or Z-axis direction to the control unit 100.

In embodiment 1, the positions of the holding table 10 and cutting unit 20 of the cutting device 1 in the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, and Z-axis direction are determined based on a predetermined reference position (not shown). In embodiment 1, the reference position of the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction is the position where the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 and the lower end of the cutting edge 212 of the cutting blade 21 are located on the same plane.

As shown in Figure 1, the cutting device 1 also includes a processing chamber 50, a cutting edge position detection unit 60, and an exhaust unit 70.

The processing chamber 50 is installed on the main body 2 of the apparatus and surrounds the holding table 10 and the cutting unit 20. The processing chamber 50 is installed on the main body 2 and surrounds the holding table 10 across the load/unload area and the processing area. As shown in Figure 2, the processing chamber 50 includes multiple side panels 51 that are connected to each other and extend upright from the main body 2 of the apparatus, partition panels 53 that divide the interior of the processing chamber 50, and a ceiling panel 52 that is connected to the upper ends of the side panels 51.

The side plates 51 extend from both ends of the bellows member 13 of the device main body 2 in the X-axis direction and both ends of the bellows member 13 of the device main body 2 in the Y-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the partition plate 53 divides the machining chamber 50 into a loading/unloading area and a machining area. The lower end of the partition plate 53 has an opening 54 through which the holding table 10 passes when moving between the loading/unloading area and the machining area.

As shown in FIG. 2, an opening 55 is provided in the ceiling panel 52, spanning the processing area and the loading/unloading area, and a frame member 56 shown in FIG. 1 is attached to the inner edge of the opening 55. The second slide plate 46 and imaging unit 30 pass through the inside of the frame member 56. One end of the frame member 56, located on the front side in the Y-axis direction in FIG. 1, is attached to the inner edge of the opening 55 in the ceiling panel 52, and the other end, located on the back side in the Y-axis direction in FIG. 1, is attached to the upright portion 4 of the support frame 3 on the back side in FIG. 1, or the like, and the space between the one and other ends is attached to the inner edge of the opening 55, or the like. The frame member 56 has a flexible bellows member 57 attached to the inside, which is expandable and contractible in the Y-axis direction and covers the inside of the frame member 56.

The bellows member 57 protects the ball screw of the Y-axis movement unit 42 from splashes of cutting fluid 25. One end of the bellows member 57, which is on the front side in the Y-axis direction in Figure 1, is fixed to the inner edge of the frame member 56, and the other end, which is on the back side in the Y-axis direction in Figure 1, is attached to the second slide plate 46. For clarity, Figure 1 shows the frame member 56 and bellows member 57 not attached to their specified positions, but in reality they are attached in the positions shown in Figure 2.

In addition, the side panel 51 at the rear of the processing chamber 50 in the Y-axis direction in Figure 1 is provided with an opening 58 that allows the cutting unit 20 and imaging unit 30 to enter and exit the processing chamber 50. The opening 58 is arranged across the processing area and the loading/unloading area. In embodiment 1, the opening 58 is connected to an opening 55 provided in the ceiling panel 52.

In addition, when the cutting unit 20 cuts the workpiece 200 while supplying cutting fluid 25 to the cutting edge 212 of the cutting blade 21, mist consisting of cutting fluid 25 and the like is generated inside the processing chamber 50. Note that if the amount of mist generated increases too much, it may cause problems such as a decrease in the detection accuracy of the cutting edge position detection unit 60 or cutting chips becoming more likely to adhere to the workpiece 200.

Next, the cutting edge position detection unit 60 will be described. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cutting edge position detection unit of the cutting device shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the amount of light received by the light receiving section of the cutting edge position detection unit shown in Figure 3. The cutting edge position detection unit 60 detects the position of the lower end, which is the tip position of the cutting edge of the cutting edge 212 of the cutting blade 21.

The cutting edge position detection unit 60 is installed in the processing area of the processing chamber 50, below the cutting unit 20 and positioned at the end farther in the Y-axis direction in Figure 1 than the bellows member 13 of the device main body 2. The cutting edge position detection unit 60 is fixed to the device main body 2. As shown in Figure 3, the cutting edge position detection unit 60 includes a detection mechanism 61 and a cover 68.

As shown in Figure 3, the detection mechanism 61 comprises a flat base 62 and a mounting member 63 erected from the base 62. This mounting member 63 is U-shaped and comprises a horizontal portion 631 on the base 62 and a pair of vertical portions 632 erected from both ends of the horizontal portion 631 and spaced apart along the Y-axis direction, forming a blade entry portion 633 between the pair of vertical portions 632 into which the cutting edge 212 of the cutting blade 21 enters.

One of the vertical sections 632 has a light-emitting section 64 that faces the blade entry section 633, and a light-receiving section 65 that receives light from the light-emitting section 64. The light-emitting section 64 is connected to a light source (not shown) via an optical fiber or the like, and irradiates light from the light source toward the light-receiving section 65. The light-receiving section 65 is connected to a photoelectric conversion section (not shown) via an optical fiber, receives light from the light-emitting section 64, and outputs the received light to the photoelectric conversion section. The light-source conversion section outputs information corresponding to the amount of received light to the control unit 100.

The detection mechanism 61 detects the position of the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21's cutting edge 212 by outputting information to the control unit 100 according to the amount of light received by the light-receiving unit 65, which changes when the cutting edge 212 of the cutting blade 21 enters the blade entry portion 633, i.e., between the light-emitting unit 64 and the light-receiving unit 65.

The detection mechanism 61 is also provided on the base 62 and includes a cleaning water supply nozzle 66 that supplies temperature-controlled cleaning water to the end faces of the light-emitting unit 64 and the light-receiving unit 65, and an air supply nozzle 67 that supplies air to the end faces of the light-emitting unit 64 and the light-receiving unit 65. By spraying cleaning water and air onto the light-emitting unit 64 and the light-receiving unit 65, it is possible to prevent droplets of cutting fluid 25 from adhering to the light-emitting unit 64 and the light-receiving unit 65, thereby improving detection accuracy.

The base 62 is fixed to the device main body 2. The cover 68 has the base 62 of the detection mechanism 61 attached to its upper end via a hinge 69. The hinge 69 is attached to the outer edge of the base 62, allowing the cover 68 to rotate freely relative to the base 62.

When the cutting edge position detection unit 60 detects the position of the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 212 of the cutting blade 21, the cover 68 is rotated using the hinge 69, and the detection mechanism 61 is positioned in a state where the mounting member 63 and nozzles 66, 67 are exposed, as shown in Figure 3. The cutting edge position detection unit 60 irradiates light from the light source from the light emitter 64 toward the light receiver 65, receives the light from the light emitter 64 at the light receiver 65, and outputs information according to the amount of received light to the control unit 100. When the cutting edge 212 of the cutting blade 21 enters the blade entry section 633, the cutting edge position detection unit 60 detects the position of the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 212 of the cutting blade 21.

When the cutting edge position detection unit 60 is not detecting the position of the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 212, such as during cutting of the workpiece 200, the mounting member 63 and nozzles 66, 67 are covered with a cover 68 and the detection mechanism 61 is positioned with the cover 68 covering the base 62. When the cutting edge position detection unit 60 is stored with the mounting member 63 and nozzles 66, 67 covered with a cover 68 and the opening is closed by the cover 68, cleaning water is continuously supplied from the cleaning water supply nozzle 66 to the end faces of the light-emitting element 64 and the light-receiving element 65 during cutting of the workpiece 200, preventing mist containing cutting debris from adhering to the light-emitting element 64 and the light-receiving element 65.

In addition, even when the cutting edge position detection unit 60 does not detect the position of the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting edge 212 of the cutting blade 21, when the workpiece 200 is not being cut, the cover 68 is rotated using the hinge 69, and the detection mechanism 61 is positioned in a state where the mounting member 63 and nozzles 66, 67 are exposed outside the cover 68, as shown in FIG. 3. When the cutting blade 21 is in a retracted state away from the blade entry section 633, the cutting edge position detection unit 60 irradiates light from the light source from the light emitter 64 toward the light receiver 65, receives the light from the light emitter 64 at the light receiver 65, and outputs information according to the amount of received light to the control unit 100 to measure the state of the mist floating in the processing chamber 50.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, as the amount of mist floating in the machining chamber 50 increases, the amount of light received by the light-receiving unit 65 decreases, and as the amount of mist floating in the machining chamber 50 decreases, the amount of light received by the light-receiving unit 65 increases. The horizontal axis of FIG. 4 represents the time elapsed since measurement of the mist state began, and the vertical axis of FIG. 4 represents the amount of light received by the light-receiving unit 65. The solid line in FIG. 4 represents the change in the amount of light received when the amount of mist is less than the dashed-dotted line, and the dashed-dotted line represents the change in the amount of light received when the amount of mist is greater than the solid line. In this way, in embodiment 1, the cutting edge position detection unit 60 is installed in the machining chamber 50 and serves as a measurement unit that measures the mist floating in the machining chamber 50.

Next, the exhaust unit 70 will be described. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of the exhaust unit of the cutting machine shown in Figure 1. The exhaust unit 70 exhausts the atmosphere inside the processing chamber 50 to the outside of the processing chamber 50.

As shown in FIG. 5, the exhaust unit 70 has an exhaust port 71, piping 72, a suction source 73, a fan 74, and a motor 75. The exhaust port 71 is a hole that penetrates the side plate 51 and opens into the processing area. The exhaust port 71 opens at the end of the side plate 51 at the far end in the X-axis direction in FIG. 1, on the far side in the Y-axis direction in FIG. 1. The piping 72 is a pipe-like member with one end connected to the outer edge of the exhaust port 71 and the other end connected to the suction source 73. The suction source 73 is connected to the other end of the piping 72 and sucks the atmosphere within the processing area of the processing chamber 50 through the piping 72 and the exhaust port 71.

The fan 74 is installed within the piping 72 and rotates around its axis by the motor 75. As the fan 74 rotates around its axis by the motor 75, it strengthens or weakens the exhaust force of the suction source 73 that exhausts the atmosphere within the processing area of the processing chamber 50. The exhaust unit 70 strengthens the exhaust force by increasing the rotation speed of the fan 74, and weakens the exhaust force by decreasing the rotation speed of the fan 74.

Next, the control unit 100 will be described. Figure 6 is a diagram showing fan control data used by the exhaust power adjustment unit of the control unit of the cutting device shown in Figure 1 to control the fan. The control unit 100 also controls each component of the cutting device 1, causing the cutting device 1 to perform machining operations on the workpiece 200. The control unit 100 is a computer that includes an arithmetic processing device having a microprocessor such as a CPU (central processing unit), a storage device having memory such as ROM (read only memory) or RAM (random access memory), and an input/output interface device. The arithmetic processing device of the control unit 100 performs arithmetic processing in accordance with a computer program stored in the storage device, and outputs control signals for controlling the cutting device 1 to each component of the cutting device 1 via the input/output interface device.

The control unit 100 is connected to a display unit, such as an LCD display, which displays the status of the machining operation and images, and an input unit that the operator uses to register machining content information. The input unit is made up of a touch panel provided on the display unit.

The control unit 100 also has an exhaust force adjustment unit 101 that adjusts the exhaust force of the atmosphere in the exhaust unit 70 in accordance with the measurement results when the workpiece 200 is not being cut, even when the cutting edge position detection unit 60, which is a measurement unit, does not detect the position of the bottom end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 212 of the cutting blade 21. The exhaust force adjustment unit 101 adjusts the exhaust force of the exhaust unit 70 in accordance with the amount of light received by the cutting edge position detection unit 60 in the case where the workpiece 200 is not being cut, even when the cutting edge position detection unit 60 does not detect the position of the bottom end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 212 of the cutting blade 21.

Specifically, in embodiment 1, the exhaust power adjustment unit 101 adjusts the exhaust power of the exhaust unit 70 by controlling the rotation speed of the fan 74 in accordance with the fan control data 81 shown in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 6, the fan control data 81 sets the optimal exhaust power and rotation speed of the fan 74 for a weak region where the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 65 is less than the first amount of light, a medium region where the amount of light received is equal to or greater than the first amount of light but less than the second amount of light, and a strong region where the amount of light received is equal to or greater than the second amount of light. Note that the first amount of light received is a value smaller than the second amount of light received.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 65 is in the weak range, less than the first amount of received light, the fan control data 81 sets the rotation speed of the fan 74 to high, indicating that the optimal exhaust power is strong. As shown in FIG. 6, when the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 65 is in the medium range, greater than the first amount of received light and less than the second amount of received light, the fan control data 81 sets the rotation speed of the fan 74 to medium, indicating that the optimal exhaust power is medium. As shown in FIG. 6, when the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 65 is in the strong range, greater than the second amount of received light, the fan control data 81 sets the rotation speed of the fan 74 to low. Note that the high rotation speed is higher than the medium rotation speed, which is higher than the low rotation speed. The fan control data 81 is stored in a storage device or the like of the control unit 100.

In embodiment 1, the exhaust power adjustment unit 101 rotates the fan 74 at a high rotation speed when the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 65 is in a weak range less than the first amount of received light. The exhaust power adjustment unit 101 rotates the fan 74 at a medium rotation speed when the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 65 is in a medium range greater than or equal to the first amount of received light and less than the second amount of received light. The exhaust power adjustment unit 101 rotates the fan 74 at a low rotation speed when the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 65 is in a strong range greater than or equal to the second amount of received light.

(Machining operation)
Next, a description will be given of the machining operation of the cutting device 1. Fig. 7 is a plan view schematically showing an example of a state in which the cutting edge position detection unit of the cutting device shown in Fig. 1 measures mist floating in the machining chamber. Fig. 8 is a plan view schematically showing another example of a state in which the cutting edge position detection unit of the cutting device shown in Fig. 1 measures mist floating in the machining chamber.

When starting the machining operation of the cutting device 1, the operator registers the machining conditions in the control unit 100, which then accepts the machining conditions and places the workpiece 200 before cutting on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10, which is positioned in the loading/unloading area. The cutting device 1 then begins machining when the control unit 100 accepts a machining start command from the operator. When the cutting device 1 starts machining, it suction-holds the workpiece 200 on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 and clamps the annular frame 207 with the clamp section.

During the machining operation, the X-axis movement unit 41 of the cutting device 1 moves the holding table 10 toward the machining area, the imaging unit 30 captures an image of the workpiece 200, and alignment is performed based on the image captured by the imaging unit 30. As shown in FIG. 2, the cutting device 1 moves the holding table 10 and the cutting unit 20 relatively along the planned division line 203, and while supplying cutting fluid 25 from the cutting fluid nozzle 24, cuts the workpiece 200 by causing the cutting blade 21 to cut into the workpiece 200 until it reaches the adhesive tape 206, thereby cutting the workpiece 200.

During the machining operation, once the cutting device 1 has cut all of the planned division lines 203 on the workpiece 200, it moves the holding table 10 toward the loading/unloading area, stops suction holding of the holding surface 11 in the loading/unloading area, and releases the clamping of the clamp unit. The cutting device 1 then removes the cut workpiece 200 positioned in the loading/unloading area along with the annular frame 207, and loads the uncut workpiece 200 onto the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10. In this way, the cutting device 1 cuts a predetermined number of workpieces 200, and ends the machining operation when cutting of the predetermined number of workpieces 200 is complete.

The cutting device 1 also stops the supply of cutting fluid 25 from the cutting fluid nozzle 24 at a predetermined timing during the machining operation (e.g., every time a predetermined number of planned division lines 203 have been cut), and detects the position of the bottom end of the cutting edge 212 of the cutting blade 21. When detecting the position of the bottom end of the cutting edge 212 of the cutting blade 21, as shown in FIG. 7 , the cutting device 1 positions the cutting blade 21 above the cutting edge position detection unit 60, and with the detection mechanism 61 of the cutting edge position detection unit 60 housed in the cover 68, stops the supply of cleaning water from the cleaning water supply nozzle 66, and then supplies pressurized air from the air supply nozzle 67 to the end faces of the light-emitting element 64 and the light-receiving element 65 for a predetermined period of time to remove water droplets from the end faces of the light-emitting element 64 and the light-receiving element 65.

The cutting device 1 then exposes the detection mechanism 61 of the cutting edge position detection unit 60 outside the cover 68, and while irradiating light from the light source from the light-emitting unit 64 to the light-receiving unit 65, lowers the cutting blade 21 along the Z-axis direction, causing the cutting edge 212 of the cutting blade 21 to enter the blade entry portion 633, and the cutting edge position detection unit 60 detects the position of the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting edge 212 of the cutting blade 21.

In addition, in embodiment 1, the cutting device 1 measures the state of mist in the processing chamber 50 using the cutting edge position detection unit 60 before and after detecting the position of the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 212 of the cutting blade 21. When measuring the state of mist in the processing chamber 50 using the cutting edge position detection unit 60 before detecting the position of the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 212 of the cutting blade 21, as shown in FIG. 7 , the cutting device 1 positions the cutting blade 21 above the cutting edge position detection unit 60 and retracts the cutting blade 21 away from the blade entry section 633. Then, with the detection mechanism 61 of the cutting edge position detection unit 60 housed in the cover 68, the supply of cleaning water from the cleaning water supply nozzle 66 is stopped, and pressurized air is supplied from the air supply nozzle 67 to the end faces of the light-emitting element 64 and the light-receiving element 65 for a predetermined period of time to remove water droplets from the end faces of the light-emitting element 64 and the light-receiving element 65. Then, the cover 68 is rotated around the hinge 69 to expose the detection mechanism 61 of the cutting edge position detection unit 60 to the outside of the cover 68.

The cutting device 1 then irradiates light from the light source from the light-emitting unit 64 onto the light-receiving unit 65 for a predetermined period of time and measures the amount of light received by the light-receiving unit 65. In the cutting device 1, the exhaust power adjustment unit 101 of the control unit 100 calculates the average amount of light measured over the predetermined period of time. In the cutting device 1, the exhaust power adjustment unit 101 of the control unit 100 rotates the fan 74 of the exhaust unit 70 at a rotation speed according to the fan control data 81 in accordance with the calculated average amount of light received. The cutting device 1 then detects the position of the bottom end of the cutting edge of the cutting edge 212 of the cutting blade 21 using the cutting edge position detection unit 60. Note that the value of the amount of light received is not limited to the average amount of light received, and the slope of the decrease in the amount of light received may also be acquired.

In the cutting device 1, the exhaust power adjustment unit 101 of the control unit 100 rotates the fan 74 at a high rotation speed when the calculated average amount of received light falls within the weak range, rotates the fan 74 at a medium rotation speed when the calculated average amount of received light falls within the medium range, and rotates the fan 74 at a low rotation speed when the calculated average amount of received light falls within the strong range.

Furthermore, when the cutting device 1 measures the state of mist in the processing chamber 50 using the cutting edge position detection unit 60 after detecting the position of the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 212 of the cutting blade 21, after detecting the position of the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 212 of the cutting blade 21, the cutting unit 20 is raised, light from the light source of the light emitter 64 is irradiated onto the light receiver 65 for a predetermined period of time, and the amount of light received by the light receiver 65 is measured. The cutting device 1 adjusts the rotation speed of the fan 74 in the same manner as when the exhaust force adjustment unit 101 of the control unit 100 measures the state of mist in the processing chamber 50 before detecting the position of the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 212 of the cutting blade 21.

In addition, in the present invention, the cutting device 1 may measure the state of mist in the processing chamber 50 using the cutting edge position detection unit 60 during waiting times when the workpiece 200 is not being processed by the cutting blade 21, such as when the workpiece 200 after cutting is removed from the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 and the workpiece 200 before cutting is being carried onto the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10. In this case, since cutting fluid 25 continues to be supplied to the cutting blade 21 from the cutting fluid nozzle 24, as shown in FIG. 8 , the cutting device 1 moves the cutting unit 20 using the Y-axis movement unit 42 to retract the cutting blade 21 from above the cutting edge position detection unit 60. With the cutting blade 21 retracted away from the blade entry section 633, the detection mechanism 61 of the cutting edge position detection unit 60 remains housed in the cover 68. Then, the supply of cleaning water from the cleaning water supply nozzle 66 is stopped, and pressurized air is supplied from the air supply nozzle 67 to the end faces of the light-emitting element 64 and the light-receiving element 65 for a predetermined period of time to remove water droplets from the end faces of the light-emitting element 64 and the light-receiving element 65. Alternatively, after stopping the supply of cutting fluid 25 to the cutting blade 21, the cutting edge position detection unit 60 may measure the state of the mist in the machining chamber 50.

The cutting device 1 then exposes the detection mechanism 61 of the cutting edge position detection unit 60 outside the cover 68, irradiates light from the light source from the light emitter 64 onto the light receiver 65 for a predetermined period of time, and measures the amount of light received by the light receiver 65. The cutting device 1 adjusts the rotation speed of the fan 74 in the same way as when the exhaust force adjustment unit 101 of the control unit 100 measures the amount of light before and after detecting the position of the bottom end of the cutting edge of the cutting edge 212 of the cutting blade 21.

In the first embodiment, the cutting device 1 has the cutting edge position detection unit 60 fixed to the device body 2, so the cutting unit 20 is moved in the Y-axis direction by the Y-axis movement unit 42 to retract the cutting blade 21 away from the blade entry section 633. However, in the present invention, if the cutting edge position detection unit 60 is installed on the table cover 12, the cutting edge position detection unit 60 can be moved in the X-axis direction together with the holding table 10 by the X-axis movement unit 41 to retract the cutting blade 21 away from the blade entry section 633.

As described above, the cutting device 1 according to embodiment 1 measures the state of mist inside the machining chamber 50 using the cutting edge position detection unit 60, which is a measurement unit, and adjusts the exhaust power of the exhaust unit 70 based on the measured state of the mist. As a result, the cutting device 1 according to embodiment 1 can adjust the exhaust power to the optimum level depending on the conditions inside the machining chamber 50, thereby achieving the effect of maintaining the conditions inside the machining chamber 50 at an optimum level.

Furthermore, the cutting device 1 according to embodiment 1 uses the cutting edge position detection unit 60 as a measurement unit that measures the state of mist in the machining chamber 50, so there is no need to install additional components to measure the state of the mist.

[Embodiment 2]
A cutting machine 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 9 is a plan view schematically illustrating an example of a state in which a particle counter of the cutting machine according to the second embodiment measures mist floating in a machining chamber. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of the particle counter shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the number of mist particles in the information output by the processing unit of the particle counter shown in FIG. 10. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating fan control data used by the exhaust power adjustment unit of the control unit of the cutting machine shown in FIG. 9 to control the fan. Note that in FIGS. 9, 10, 11, and 12, the same parts as those of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 9, the cutting machine 1 according to the second embodiment is the same as that according to the first embodiment, except that it includes a particle counter 90 as a measurement unit and the fan control data 82 (shown in FIG. 12) is different. As shown in FIG. 9, the particle counter 90 is installed within the machining area of the machining chamber 50, and is positioned on the far end of the machine body 2 in the Y-axis direction in FIG. 1, further back than the bellows member 13. The particle counter 90 is positioned closer to the exhaust port 71 than the cutting edge position detection unit 60, and is fixed to the machine body 2.

The particle counter 90 measures the state of mist within the processing chamber 50, and as shown in FIG. 10, includes a hollow container housing 91 fixed to the apparatus main body 2, a light irradiation unit 94, a reflected light acquisition unit 95, a processing unit 96, and the like. The particle counter 90 operates by receiving power from an AC power source 97.

The housing 91 is provided with an intake port 911 that draws the atmosphere within the processing chamber 50 into the housing 91, an atmosphere passage 912 that connects to the intake port 911 and flows the atmosphere inward, and an exhaust port 913 that connects to the atmosphere passage 912 and exhausts the atmosphere within the atmosphere passage 912 to the outside of the housing 91. The atmosphere passage 912 is housed within the housing 91, and the intake port 911 and exhaust port 913 pass through the housing 91 to communicate between the inside and outside of the housing 91. The housing 91 is also provided with a pump 92 that draws in the atmosphere through the intake port 911 and creates a flow of atmosphere within the atmosphere passage 912 that exhausts it through the exhaust port 913. A filter 93 that removes foreign matter is provided within the atmosphere passage 912.

The light irradiator 94 irradiates light into the atmosphere within the atmosphere passage 912 inside the housing 91. When the light irradiated into the atmosphere within the atmosphere passage 912 passes through the mist in the atmosphere, it emits scattered light (hereinafter referred to as reflected light). The light irradiator 94 is configured to include, for example, a semiconductor laser.

The reflected light acquisition unit 95 acquires reflected light that is generated when light is irradiated onto and reflected by mist in the atmosphere. The reflected light acquisition unit 95 receives the reflected light and outputs information indicating that the reflected light has been received to the processing unit 96. The reflected light acquisition unit 95 is configured to include, for example, a photodiode.

When the processing unit 96 receives information indicating that reflected light has been received from the reflected light acquisition unit 95, it counts the number of times the information has been received per unit time and outputs the number of times the information has been received per range time to the control unit 100 as information indicating the number of mist droplets. The functions of the processing unit 96 may also be implemented by dedicated processing circuits (hardware) such as a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, or a parallel programmed processor. In the present invention, the processing unit 96 may be configured by a computer having a processing unit with a microprocessor such as a CPU (central processing unit), a storage device with memory such as ROM (read only memory) or RAM (random access memory), and an input/output interface device, and the functions of the processing unit 96 may be implemented by the processing unit executing a computer program stored in the storage device.

11, as the amount of mist floating in the processing chamber 50 increases, the number of mist pieces in the information output by the processing unit 96 to the control unit 100 increases; and as the amount of mist floating in the processing chamber 50 decreases, the number of mist pieces in the information output by the processing unit 96 to the control unit 100 increases. The horizontal axis of FIG. 11 represents the time elapsed since measurement of the mist state began, and the vertical axis of FIG. 11 represents the number of mist pieces in the information output by the processing unit 96 to the control unit 100. The solid line in FIG. 11 indicates the change in the amount of light received when the amount of mist is less than the dashed-dotted line, and the dashed-dotted line indicates the change in the amount of light received when the amount of mist is greater than the solid line. In this way, in embodiment 2, the particle counter 90 is installed in the processing chamber 50 and serves as a measurement unit that measures the mist floating in the processing chamber 50.

The exhaust power adjustment unit 101 of the control unit 100 of the cutting device 1 according to the second embodiment adjusts the exhaust power of the exhaust unit 70 in accordance with the number of mist particles, which is information input from the processing unit 96 as a value of reflected light. Specifically, in the second embodiment, the exhaust power adjustment unit 101 adjusts the exhaust power of the exhaust unit 70 by controlling the rotation speed of the fan 74 in accordance with the fan control data 82 shown in FIG. 12. As shown in FIG. 12, the fan control data 82 sets optimal exhaust power and rotation speed of the fan 74 for a small region where the number of mist particles is less than a first number, a medium region where the number of mist particles is equal to or greater than a first number but less than a second number, and a large region where the number of mist particles is equal to or greater than a second number. Note that the first number is a smaller value than the second number.

As shown in FIG. 12, when the number of mist is in a small region where it is less than a first number, the fan control data 82 requires that the optimal exhaust power be weak, and sets the rotation speed of the fan 74 to a low rotation speed. As shown in FIG. 12, when the number of mist is in a medium region where it is equal to or greater than the first number and less than a second number, the fan control data 82 requires that the optimal exhaust power be medium, and sets the rotation speed of the fan 74 to a medium rotation speed. As shown in FIG. 12, when the number of mist is in a large region where it is equal to or greater than the second number, the fan control data 82 requires that the optimal exhaust power be strong, and sets the rotation speed of the fan 74 to a high rotation speed. The fan control data 82 is stored in a storage device or the like of the control unit 100.

In embodiment 2, the exhaust power adjustment unit 101 rotates the fan 74 at a low rotation speed when the number of mist is in a small region where it is less than a first number. The exhaust power adjustment unit 101 rotates the fan 74 at a medium rotation speed when the number of mist is in a medium region where it is equal to or greater than the first number and less than a second number. The exhaust power adjustment unit 101 rotates the fan 74 at a high rotation speed when the number of mist is in a large region where it is equal to or greater than the second number.

The cutting device 1 according to the second embodiment cuts the workpiece 200 in the same manner as in the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the cutting device 1 measures the state of mist in the processing chamber 50 using the particle counter 90 at least one of the following times: before and after detecting the position of the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting edge 212 of the cutting blade 21; and during the time between when the cut workpiece 200 is removed from the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 and when the uncut workpiece 200 is loaded onto the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10.

When measuring the state of mist in the processing chamber 50 using the particle counter 90, the cutting device 1 according to the second embodiment moves the cutting unit 20 using the Y-axis movement unit 42, retracts the cutting blade 21 from above the cutting edge position detection unit 60, and retracts the cutting blade 21 away from the blade entry portion 633, as shown in FIG. 8 . The cutting device 1 according to the second embodiment drives the pump 92 of the particle counter 90 to suck the atmosphere in the processing chamber 50 into the atmosphere passage 912, and irradiates light from the light irradiation unit 94 of the particle counter 90 into the atmosphere for a predetermined period of time, the reflected light acquisition unit 95 acquires the reflected light, and the processing unit 96 outputs information indicating the number of mist particles per unit time to the control unit 100.

In the cutting device 1, the exhaust power adjustment unit 101 of the control unit 100 calculates the average value of the number of mist particles measured over a predetermined period of time. In the cutting device 1, the exhaust power adjustment unit 101 of the control unit 100 rotates the fan 74 of the exhaust unit 70 at a rotation speed according to the fan control data 82, based on the calculated average value of the number of mist particles.

In the cutting device 1, the exhaust power adjustment unit 101 of the control unit 100 rotates the fan 74 at a low rotation speed when the calculated average value of the number of mist particles falls within the small region, rotates the fan 74 at a medium rotation speed when the calculated average value of the number of mist particles falls within the medium region, and rotates the fan 74 at a high rotation speed when the calculated average value of the number of mist particles falls within the large region.

The cutting device 1 according to the second embodiment measures the state of mist in the machining chamber 50 using the particle counter 90, which is a measurement unit, and adjusts the exhaust power of the exhaust unit 70 based on the measured state of the mist. As a result, similar to the first embodiment, it is possible to achieve the effect of adjusting the exhaust power to an optimum level depending on the conditions inside the machining chamber 50.

[Modification]
A cutting device 1 according to a modification of the first and second embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an exhaust unit of a cutting device according to a modification of the first and second embodiments. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of fan control data with which the exhaust power adjustment unit of the control unit of the cutting device according to the modification of the first and second embodiments controls the fan. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing another example of fan control data with which the exhaust power adjustment unit of the control unit of the cutting device according to the modification of the first and second embodiments controls the fan. In FIGS. 13, 14, and 15, the same parts as those in the first and second embodiments are designated by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

The cutting device 1 according to the modified example is the same as the first and second embodiments, except for the configuration of the exhaust unit 70-1 shown in FIG. 13 and the fan control data 81-1 and 82-1 shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. As shown in FIG. 13, the exhaust unit 70-1 of the cutting device 1 according to the modified example further includes a valve 76 that adjusts the degree of opening of the flow path through which the fluid passes in the pipe 72. The valve 76 is a butterfly valve that is installed in the pipe 72 and includes a valve element 77 that adjusts the degree of opening of the flow path within the pipe 72, and a motor that rotates the valve element 77 around an axis 78 that is perpendicular to the flow path within the pipe 72.

The degree of opening of the valve 76 is a value proportional to the angle around the axis 78 of the valve element 77 from the state in which the flow path is blocked, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 13, to the state in which the valve element 77 is parallel to the flow path, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 13, with the degree of opening being 0% and the state in which the valve element 77 is parallel to the flow path, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 13. The fan 74 of the exhaust unit 70-1 of the cutting device 1 according to the modified example rotates at a predetermined constant rotation speed.

By adjusting the degree of opening of the valve 76, the suction force of the suction source 73 that draws in the atmosphere within the processing area of the processing chamber 50 can be increased or decreased. The exhaust unit 70-1 increases the suction force by increasing the degree of opening of the valve 76, and decreases the suction force by decreasing the degree of opening of the valve 76.

The cutting device 1 according to this modified example may use the cutting edge position detection unit 60 for measurement, as in the first embodiment. In this case, the exhaust power adjustment unit 101 controls the opening degree of the valve 76 in accordance with the fan control data 81-1 shown in FIG. 14 to adjust the exhaust power of the exhaust unit 70-1. As shown in FIG. 14, the fan control data 81-1 sets the optimal exhaust power and opening degree of the valve 76 for the weak, medium, and strong light receiving ranges of the light receiving unit 65.

As shown in FIG. 14, when the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 65 is in the weak range, the fan control data 81-1 requires a strong optimal exhaust force and sets the valve 76 to a large opening. As shown in FIG. 14, when the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 65 is in the medium range, the fan control data 81-1 requires a medium optimal exhaust force and sets the valve 76 to a normal opening. As shown in FIG. 14, when the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 65 is in the strong range, the fan control data 81-1 requires a weak optimal exhaust force and sets the fan 74 rotation speed to a small opening. Note that the large opening is greater than the normal opening, which is greater than the small opening. The fan control data 81-1 is stored in a storage device or the like of the control unit 100.

The cutting device 1 according to this modified example may use a particle counter 90 for measurement, as in the second embodiment. In this case, the exhaust power adjustment unit 101 controls the opening degree of the valve 76 in accordance with the fan control data 82-1 shown in FIG. 15 to adjust the exhaust power of the exhaust unit 70-1. As shown in FIG. 15, the fan control data 82-1 sets the optimal exhaust power and opening degree of the valve 76 for the low light receiving area, medium light receiving area, and high light receiving area.

As shown in FIG. 15, when the amount of mist is in the low range, the optimal exhaust power is required to be weak, and the opening degree of the valve 76 is set to a small opening. As shown in FIG. 15, when the amount of mist is in the medium range, the optimal exhaust power is required to be medium, and the opening degree of the valve 76 is set to a normal opening. As shown in FIG. 15, when the amount of mist is in the high range, the optimal exhaust power is required to be strong, and the fan control data 82-1 sets the rotation speed of the fan 74 to a large opening. The fan control data 82-1 is stored in a storage device or the like of the control unit 100.

The cutting device 1 according to this modified example measures the state of mist inside the machining chamber 50 using the cutting edge position detection unit 60 or particle counter 90, which are the measurement units, and adjusts the exhaust power of the exhaust unit 70-1 based on the measured state of mist. As a result, similar to embodiments 1 and 2, it is possible to achieve the effect of adjusting the exhaust power to an optimum level depending on the conditions inside the machining chamber 50.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. In other words, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Cutting device 10 Holding table 20 Cutting unit 21 Cutting blade 25 Cutting fluid 50 Machining chamber 60 Cutting edge position detection unit (measurement unit)
64 Light-emitting unit 65 Light-receiving unit 70, 70-1 Exhaust unit 72 Pipe 73 Suction source 74 Fan 75 Motor 76 Valve 90 Particle counter (measurement unit)
94 Light irradiation section 95 Reflected light acquisition section 100 Control unit 101 Exhaust force adjustment section 633 Blade entry section

Claims (3)

a holding table for holding the workpiece;
a cutting unit that cuts the workpiece held on the holding table with a cutting blade while supplying cutting fluid to the workpiece;
a processing chamber surrounding the holding table and the cutting unit;
an exhaust unit that exhausts the atmosphere in the processing chamber;
A cutting device comprising: a control unit that controls each component;
The cutting device is
Installed in the processing chamber,
Further provided is a measuring unit that measures mist floating in the processing chamber,
The control unit
Depending on the measurement result of the measurement unit,
an exhaust power adjusting section that adjusts the exhaust power of the exhaust unit ;
The measurement unit
a cutting edge position detection unit having a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit that receive light from the light emitting unit, the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit being opposed to each other across a blade entry section into which the cutting blade enters, and detecting the position of the tip of the cutting blade, and acquiring the amount of light received by the light receiving unit that receives light from the light emitting unit when the cutting blade is in a retracted state away from the blade entry section;
The exhaust power adjustment unit is
The cutting device is characterized in that the exhaust power of the exhaust unit is adjusted in accordance with the amount of received light. The exhaust unit has a motor and a fan that rotates with the rotation of the motor,
The exhaust power adjustment unit is
2. The cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust force is adjusted by changing the rotation speed of the motor. the exhaust unit includes a pipe connected to a suction source, and a valve installed in the pipe for adjusting the degree of opening of a flow path through which a fluid passes;
2. The cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust force adjusting unit controls the degree of opening of the flow path by the valve.