JPH0338956B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention makes it possible to easily adjust the position of a lens that condenses laser light in a direction perpendicular to the laser optical axis, and to The present invention relates to a lens holding device for a laser processing machine that eliminates the need for adjustment at all when attaching and detaching lenses for lens cleaning.

[Conventional technology]

The optical axis of the laser beam emitted from the laser oscillator is not constant with respect to the output port of the laser oscillator and varies from machine to machine, and the optical axis of the processing objective lens is not at the center of the lens mount and varies from lens to lens. It's different.

Therefore, in conventional laser processing machines, in order to focus the laser beam on the small diameter opening of the auxiliary gas nozzle, the laser oscillator and lens are fixed, and the nozzle itself is aligned with the laser optical axis position. It was hot.

However, this method is not suitable for complex machining in which laser processing is performed on a workpiece that has been processed using other processing methods, such as a turret punch press machine, or for machining at a precise position relative to the outer circumference of the workpiece. It is unsuitable for use in other cases, and high-precision processing is impossible.

In addition, with the method of aligning the lens position with the nozzle opening, the threaded part of the lens mount part is loose, and once removed for cleaning, there is no reproducibility of assembly, resulting in the lens optical axis being misaligned, making it impossible to process with high precision. Therefore, it was necessary to adjust the optical axis position, which took a long time, every time the lens was cleaned.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In order to perform combined processing with the other processing methods mentioned above or to perform laser processing at an accurate position on the outer periphery of the workpiece, it is necessary to always keep the laser converging position at a determined location.

However, the causes of deviation in the position of the laser optical axis in laser processing machines are the deviation of the optical axis during lens exchange caused by the center deviation of the mount part of the lens case with respect to the optical axis of the lens, and the deviation of the mount screw fitting part of the lens case. Misalignment of the optical axis during lens cleaning and lens replacement due to poor precision, misalignment of the optical axis due to the replacement or cleaning of optical parts inside the oscillator due to maintenance of the laser oscillator, misalignment of the optical axis due to relocation of processing machines, etc. On the other hand, in the past, as a means to deal with the misalignment caused by these causes, the method was to align the position of the nozzle opening with the misaligned optical axis.

In this method, the deviation in the optical axis position is left as it is rather than being corrected, so the deviation in the machining position is not corrected.
Therefore, machining with good dimensional accuracy cannot be achieved.

Moreover, it is necessary to adjust the nozzle position, which requires a long adjustment time when cleaning or replacing the lens.

This invention was made to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, and is a laser processing machine that can easily position the focused laser beam inside the nozzle opening and keep the focused position at a fixed location. The object of the present invention is to obtain a lens holding device.

[Means for solving problems]

A lens holding device for a laser processing machine according to the present invention includes a fixture for accurately assembling a lens or a lens case, a lens holding adjustment table that is movable on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of a laser beam, and the lens. An adjustment tool for adjusting the position of the holding adjustment table, a metal fitting for accommodating the adjustment tool and the lens holding adjustment table, and fixing the movement of the lens holding adjustment table in a direction perpendicular to the laser optical axis after position adjustment, and a lens The nozzle is equipped with an inner cylinder that adjusts and fixes the focal position of the nozzle, a base that holds the inner cylinder, and an outer cylinder that surrounds the outer circumference of the inner cylinder and fixes the nozzle.

[Operation] This invention enables the removal and assembly of lenses,
By attaching the lens or lens case and the mount together, it eliminates misalignment due to lens removal and assembly, and there is no need to readjust the position no matter how many times the lens is attached to and removed from the lens holder. It is possible to reproduce the same situation.

〔Example〕

1 is a side view showing a main part of an embodiment of the present invention in cross section, FIG. 2 is a view taken along the - line in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the - line in FIG.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the - line in FIG. 1.

In these figures, 11 is a laser beam, which is sent from a laser oscillator (not shown). 12 is a lens, and 13 is a lens case, into which the lens 12 is incorporated. Reference numeral 14 designates a fixture for the lens case 13; 15 designates a lens holding adjustment table that includes a fitting part for reproducing the fixture 14 in the correct position and fixes the fixture 14; and 16, a lens holding adjustment table for fixing the fixture 14. 15 is a fixing screw that is attached and fixed; 17 is a pin that is attached to the lens holding adjustment table 15 and determines the attachment direction of the fixture 14;
Reference numeral 18 denotes an engagement groove formed on the fixture 14 and into which the pin 17 engages; 19 an inner cylinder that holds the lens holding adjustment table 15 and serves as a passage for the laser beam 11; and 20, an inner cylinder that holds the lens holding adjustment table 15. An annular holding plate that is movably held against the inner cylinder 19, and is attached to the mounting screw 2.
1 is maintained. 22 is an outer cylinder; 23 is an auxiliary gas introduction hole formed on one side of the outer cylinder 22;
A nozzle 24 is attached below the outer cylinder 22, through which the laser beam 11 passes, and through which auxiliary gas is ejected, and is fixed with a nut 25. A swivel bearing 26 prevents the workpiece W from coming into contact with the nozzle 24. 27 is a base that holds the inner cylinder 19 and fixes the outer cylinder 22; 28 is a micrometer that determines the horizontal position of the lens holding adjustment table 15; 29 corresponds to the micrometer 28 and is a lens holding base; A compression spring 30 that presses the adjustment table 15 against the micrometer 28 is a cylindrical case that houses the compression spring 29. A thread is formed on the outer periphery and the compression spring 30 is attached to the inner cylinder 19 by screwing. 31 is a fixing screw that fixes the lens holding and adjusting table 15 after its position is determined; 32 is a direction guide tool that guides the inner cylinder in a predetermined direction; and 33 is a tool that moves the inner cylinder up and down to set the focal position of the lens 12 to the processing position. A focal position adjuster is used to adjust the focal position, and l indicates an adjustment interval of the lens holding adjustment table 15. And approximately 28-3
An adjusting tool for adjusting the position of the lens holding and adjusting table 15 is constructed with the first and the like.

In the lens holding device of the laser processing machine configured as described above, two micrometers 28
For example, if you rotate the lens clockwise to press the lens holding adjustment table 15, it will press the compression spring 29, and if you rotate the micrometer 28 to the left, the micrometer 28 will try to move away from the lens holding adjustment table 15, but the compression spring The lens holding adjustment table is pushed out by the pressure of 29 and is always in contact with the micrometer 28.

With this movement, the laser beam 1 is focused by the lens 12.
1 to the center of the spout of the nozzle 24. After the position of the lens holding adjustment table 15 is determined, turn the fixing screw 31 to move the lens holding adjustment table 15 into the inner cylinder 19.
Fixed to.

In this way, the lens holding adjustment table 15 can be adjusted within the adjustment interval l.

The relationship between the lens 12 and the fixture 14 is fixed so that the fixation with the fixing screw 31 does not need to be released until the lens 12 is replaced with a new one, and the fixture 14 can be attached and detached from the lens holding adjustment table 15 several times. The structure is such that they fit into each other and can be oriented in the same position so that they can be assembled exactly in the same position.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention fixes the nozzle to the outer cylinder so that the nozzle opening is at a predetermined position, and adjusts the lens holding adjustment table using an adjustment tool so as to move the lens in a direction perpendicular to the laser optical axis. In addition, the lens case is attached to a mounting fixture, and its relationship is fixed, and then assembled to the lens holding adjustment table. This allows us to move the nozzle position according to the deviation of the laser optical axis from the laser oscillator, which is not possible with the conventional method. This makes it possible to fix the focusing position of the laser beam, and as a result, it is possible to achieve high accuracy in complex processing that combines laser processing and other processing methods, and it is easy to process at a determined position. can be done.

Moreover, the adjustment method can be easily performed without removing surrounding structures such as the lens, nozzle, fittings, and outer cylinder, so it can be adjusted with good precision in a short time without contaminating the lens or surrounding structures. This makes it easier to handle, as the processing machine can always be kept in good condition.

Furthermore, by sandwiching and assembling the lens case between the lens case and the lens holding adjustment table, instead of directly assembling the lens case to the lens holding adjustment table that performs position adjustment, we have made it possible to install the lens case without relying on the mounting accuracy of the lens case itself. The fitting part and orientation part provided between the lens holding adjustment table and the lens holding adjustment table make it possible to accurately assemble the lens to the lens holding adjustment table.
As a result, the optical axis misalignment caused by attaching and detaching the lens, which occurs frequently during daily cleaning, is eliminated, and lens replacement, which requires changing the focal length of the lens depending on the material, plate thickness, and shape of the workpiece, is eliminated. However, by combining and adjusting and fixing the mount and the lens to be replaced in advance, there will be no misalignment of the optical axis that occurs during removal and assembly, making lens cleaning and replacement faster and more accurate. .

Therefore, the preparation time of the processing machine is significantly shortened, the operating rate is increased, the processing accuracy is also extremely high, and handling is easy.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 is a side view showing a main part of an embodiment of the present invention in cross section, FIG. 2 is a view taken along the - line in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the - line in FIG.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the - line in FIG. 1. In the figure, 11 is a laser beam, 12 is a lens, 13 is a head case, 14 is a fixture, 15 is a lens holding adjustment table, 19 is an inner cylinder, 20 is a holding plate, 21 is a mounting screw, 22 is an outer cylinder, and 23 is a Auxiliary gas introduction hole, 24
is a nozzle, 25 is a nut, 26 is a free bearing, 27 is a base, 28 is a micrometer, 29 is a compression spring, 30 is a case, 31 is a fixing screw, 32
33 is a direction guide, and 33 is a focus position adjuster.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In a laser processing machine that is equipped with a nozzle for ejecting auxiliary gas for processing and processes a workpiece material by focusing laser light with a lens and irradiating the material to be processed; while attaching the lens or lens case; a fixture that always guides the optical axis center position of the lens to the same position; a lens holding adjustment table that allows the mounting fixture to be assembled and moved on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the laser beam; and the lens holding adjustment table. an adjustment tool for adjusting the position of the table; a metal fitting for fixing the movement of the lens holding and adjusting table in a direction perpendicular to the laser optical axis after adjusting the position of the lens holding and adjusting table; and a metal fitting for holding the lens holding and adjusting table and adjusting the lens an inner cylinder that can be adjusted in the laser optical axis direction to adjust the focal position of the laser to a processing position; a direction guide that guides the inner cylinder in a predetermined direction; and a base that holds and fixes the inner cylinder. A lens holding device for a laser processing machine, comprising: an outer cylinder surrounding the outer periphery of the inner cylinder and fixing the nozzle.