JPH0666499B2 - Laser oscillator controller - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a gas laser oscillator control device for automatically notifying when to replace a laser medium gas.

[Conventional technology]

3 and 4 are schematic diagrams showing an outline of a silent discharge type triaxial orthogonal carbon dioxide gas laser oscillator. FIG. 3 is a front view and FIG.
The drawing is a side view of FIG. 3 viewed from the side A.

3 and 4, (1) and (1) are a pair of electrodes,
Each electrode (1) (1) is covered with a dielectric. (2) is a total reflection mirror, (3) is a partial transmission mirror, (4) is a laser beam, (5) is a laser medium gas, (6) is a heat exchanger, (7) is a blower, and electrodes (1 ) (1) is discharged, the laser medium gas (5) is heated,
Laser medium gas while cooling with blower (7) and heat exchanger (6)
Cycle through (5). (8) is a container, the electrode (1) (1), total reflection mirror (2), partial transmission mirror (3), laser light (4), laser medium gas
The (5), the heat exchanger (6) and the blower (7) are housed and fixed and arranged at a predetermined position. (9) is a laser output detecting device, (10) is a power source, (11) is discharging, and (12) is air blowing.

A 3-axis orthogonal carbon dioxide laser oscillator is a laser beam
(4) The carbon dioxide laser oscillator in which the discharge (11) and the blown air (12) are orthogonal to each other.

Next, the operation of the conventional laser oscillator will be described.
The laser oscillator excites the laser medium gas (5) to generate a silent discharge (11) at the electrodes (1) (1) to generate laser light. This discharge causes the laser medium gas (5) to be ionized and diffused into the container (8).

The above-mentioned ions deteriorate the organic substance that constitutes a part of the laser oscillator, and the deteriorated organic substance becomes a gas and is mixed in the laser medium gas (5). Since the composition of the mixed gas laser medium gas is changed, the laser oscillation efficiency decreases,
Laser output is reduced.

Further, CO ₂ is reduced by the anion, and the same phenomenon as described above occurs. This phenomenon is called gas deterioration.

When the laser medium gas deteriorates to a certain limit, it is necessary to replace the laser medium gas.

Conventionally, there has been a laser oscillator control device as shown in FIG. 5 in order to automatically notify the replacement time. That is, in FIG. 5, the oscillator body (12) is provided with a timer (13) for integrating the time during which the discharge that excites the laser medium gas is generated, and the discharge time accumulated by the timer (13) Comparison means with the deterioration time set by the setting means (14)
The comparison is made by (15), and the gas exchange timing is indicated by the display means (16) based on the comparison result.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

Since the conventional laser oscillator control device has the above-mentioned configuration, the gas replacement timing is taught regardless of the laser output.
The degree of gas deterioration greatly changes depending on the laser output.
That is, when the output is high, the deterioration is fast, and when the output is low, the deterioration is slow. Therefore, there was a problem that the error was large and the replacement time was inaccurate, resulting in poor gas usage efficiency and, conversely, insufficient output during machining, resulting in defective machining.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and more accurately indicates the timing of exchanging a laser medium gas, improves the gas use efficiency, and prevents defective processing due to gas deterioration. The purpose is to obtain an oscillator control device.

[Means for solving problems]

The laser oscillator control device in this invention multiplies the laser output detected by the output detector and the discharge time at the output measured by the timer, and integrates the value as a parameter indicating the degree of gas deterioration, and the value is When the value exceeds a preset value, a message prompting replacement of the laser medium gas is displayed.

[Action]

According to the present invention, the laser output and the discharge time at the output are calculated by the calculating means, the calculated value is compared with a predetermined set value, and the exchange of the laser medium gas is displayed based on the comparison result.

Example of Invention

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of an embodiment of a laser oscillator control device according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the oscillator body (12) is provided with a detector (9) for detecting laser output and a timer (13) for accumulating the discharge time at each output, and the output from the detector (9) and the timer ( 13)
Multiply the discharge time by, calculate the calculation value indicating the gas deterioration degree by the calculation means (17), compare with the set value set by the setting means (14) by the comparison means (15), and based on the comparison result The display means (16) is configured to indicate the gas replacement timing.

Next, the operation of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the laser oscillator is started, and at the same time when the discharge is started, the measurement of the discharge time t ₀ and the laser output W ₀ is started (step (18)), and the discharge is ended (step (19)).
Then, the measurement of the discharge time t ₀ and the laser output W ₀ is stopped (step (20)).

Next, the discharge time t ₀ and the laser output W ₀ are multiplied and the resulting value is put into Cal ₀ (step (21)), and the value obtained by accumulating the previous calculation result Cal is put into Cal (step (22 )). Even when the laser output changes, the discharge time is newly measured and the above processing is performed. Further, when the calculation result Cal is updated, the calculation result Cal is compared with a preset value Sval (step (23)), and when Cal becomes equal to or greater than Sval, a warning message that gas replacement is required is displayed (step (24) )), Calculated value
Reset Sval. (Step (25)).

The calculated value Sval differs depending on the structure of the oscillator, the discharge method, etc., and is set to a value suitable for each oscillator.

Although the above embodiment uses the power feedback signal as the output detector, a power setting signal, a current feedback signal, a current setting signal, a program or the like may be used.

Any display means may be used as long as it shows gas deterioration such as a lamp, a buzzer, and a display display.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the laser oscillator control device is provided with the output detector and the arithmetic means, and is configured to accurately indicate the replacement time of the laser medium gas, so that the laser medium gas can be used efficiently. It also eliminates defects, reduces running costs, and improves processing quality.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an embodiment of a laser oscillator control device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing its operation, FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of an oscillator, and FIG.
FIG. 5 is a side view as seen from the direction of arrow A in the figure, and FIG. 5 is an overall configuration diagram of a conventional laser oscillator control device. In the figure, (12) is the oscillator body, (9) is the output detector, and (1
3) is a discharge time integration timer, (17) is a calculation means, (14) is a setting means, (15) is a comparison means, and (16) is a display means. The same reference numerals in each drawing indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A laser output detector for detecting a laser output, a timer for calculating a discharge time during laser output, a calculation means for calculating the laser output and the discharge time, and integrating the values, and a preset value. A comparing and judging means for comparing the value set by the means with the result by the calculating means and judging whether or not the calculated value exceeds the set value; and a displaying means for showing the judgment result of the comparing and judging means. A laser oscillator control device. 2. The laser oscillator control device according to claim 1, wherein the arithmetic operation of the arithmetic means is multiplication.