JPH0777672B2 - Automatic adjustment method of nozzle tip position of laser processing machine - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for adjusting a distance of a nozzle tip to a focal position of a lens used in a laser beam machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a laser processing machine, a lens unit itself is moved up and down by a focus adjusting knob or screw to adjust a distance of a processing nozzle tip with respect to a focal position of a lens, and A method is known in which a fixed sliding cylinder is moved up and down for adjustment.

That is, in the processing by the laser processing machine, as shown in FIG. 2, the focal position F of the lens 1 to be used with respect to the work W to be processed depends on the material and plate thickness of the work W.
Up to the distance A and the distance B between the tip of the processing nozzle 2 and the work W need to be adjusted to optimum positions.
In the prior art, as an example, after adjusting the distance C of the tip of the processing nozzle 2 with respect to the focus position F, the distance B between the tip of the nozzle 2 and the workpiece W is NC (numerical control, the same applies hereinafter).
Since the positioning is performed by a command, the adjustment work of the distance C of the tip of the nozzle 2 with respect to the focus position F requires the operator to manually adjust the knob and the screw, and accordingly There was a drawback that it took time to adjust. Also, in laser processing machines other than the above, when trying to automatically adjust the focal position with respect to the nozzle, the focal length peculiar to the lens is unknown, the distance between the lens and the nozzle tip is unknown, there is no actuator for positioning, etc. Therefore, it was difficult to easily perform automatic adjustment.

On the other hand, in the processing by the laser processing machine, it is necessary to properly use the lenses 1 having different focal lengths and thicknesses depending on the material, plate thickness and finished state of the workpiece W to be machined. Therefore, the distance C of the tip of the nozzle 2 to the focal position F must be adjusted after performing a test cut or the like to grasp the focal length D of the lens to be used each time the lens is replaced, Such adjustment also took a lot of time and effort.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to reduce the time and labor required for the operator to manually perform the work in the laser processing machine as described above.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method capable of automatically adjusting the distance of the nozzle tip with respect to the focal position of the lens used.

[0006]

In the structure of the present invention made for the purpose of solving the above problems, data indicating the focal length peculiar to each lens to be exchanged and used is preset in the numerical control database. On the other hand, a remote controllable actuator such as a motor is connected to the positioning mechanism for adjusting the distance between the exchanged lens and the processing nozzle tip, and the data of the focal length peculiar to each lens set in the numerical control database is set. The actuator is operated based on the data of the exchanged lens selected from among the above, and the distance of the nozzle tip to the focal position of the lens is automatically adjusted.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an example of implementing the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front sectional view showing an example of a processing torch portion in a laser processing machine. Then, the laser beam LB emitted from the laser oscillator (not shown) is guided to the processing torch T of FIG. 1 via a reflecting mirror (not shown) and the like, and is collected by the lens 1 in the processing torch T. The work W is irradiated with light and irradiated from the tip of the nozzle 2 to perform processing such as cutting.

The processing torch T has a main body formed by screwing and joining the lens holding portion 4 and the nozzle holding portion 6. The lens 1 is mounted on the lens holder 3, and the lens holder 3 is detachably mounted on the lens holding portion 4 via a screwing mechanism or the like for lens replacement. Also, this lens holding unit 4
An adjuster ring 5 is rotatably fitted to the outer periphery of the upper part of the. On the other hand, the nozzle 2 is detachably attached to the lower end side of the nozzle holding portion 6 via a screwing mechanism or the like.

The adjuster ring 5 is restricted in vertical movement by a plate 7 fixed to the upper part of the lens holding part 4, and at the same time, the lower end side of the ring 5 is screwed to the upper end side of the nozzle holding part 6. ing. A long groove 6a is vertically provided on the upper side surface of the nozzle holding portion 6, and a head of a guide pin 8 fixed to the outer surface of the lens holding portion 4 is inserted into the long groove 6a. The nozzle holding portion 6 is supported and guided by the lens holding portion 4 by the guide pin 8 so that it can be moved only up and down by the forward and reverse rotations of the adjuster ring 5, and the vertical movement range is restricted within the length of the long groove 6a. To be done.

A motor 9 for rotating the adjuster ring 5 is attached to the plate 7 through a motor bracket 10, and a drive pulley 11 is attached to an output shaft of the motor 9 by a key 12 for the motor 9.
It is mounted so that rotation synchronized with is obtained. On the other hand, a follower pulley 13 is attached to the adjuster ring 5, and is connected to the drive pulley 11 by a timing belt 14.

With the above structure, the adjuster ring 5 is rotated in the forward and reverse directions in synchronization with the forward and reverse rotations of the motor 9, and the nozzle holding portion 6 is moved up and down by the forward and reverse rotations of the adjuster ring 5. Let it be, lens 1
The distance E between the nozzle 2 and the tip of the nozzle 2 can be adjusted, that is, the distance C between the focal point F of the lens 1 and the tip of the nozzle 2 can be adjusted. An encoder 9a is attached to the motor 9 so that the distance E between the lens 1 and the tip of the nozzle 2 can be grasped from the output signal of the encoder 9a.

Therefore, when the distance C of the tip of the nozzle 2 with respect to the focus position F is set and input to the NC device, this distance C
Numerical data and the focal length D peculiar to each lens 1 stored in advance in the database are arithmetically operated in the NC device, and an appropriate distance E between the lens 1 and the tip of the nozzle 2 can be obtained by this arithmetic operation. Therefore, it is possible to control the positioning of the nozzle 2 by the NC command so that the distance E between the lens 1 and the tip of the nozzle 2 becomes an appropriate distance.

In the above-described embodiment, the distance C of the tip of the nozzle 2 with respect to the focal position F is described as an example input to the NC device. However, this distance C is the same as the distance A stored in the database in the NC device. Distance C obtained by calculating B
May be used, or the distance C previously stored in the database may be used.

[0014]

The present invention is as described above. In order to automatically position the distance between the lens and the nozzle tip,
By attaching a remote-controllable actuator to the vertical movement mechanism of the nozzle and presetting the numerical data of the focal length peculiar to each lens to be exchanged and used in the NC database in advance, the lens registered in the database can be stored. When attached to the processing torch, the NC device can always grasp the focal position with respect to the nozzle tip, and the nozzle tip can be positioned at a predetermined position.
Even when the work to be processed changes or the lens is replaced, there is an inherent effect that the operator does not have to manually adjust the distance of the nozzle tip with respect to the focal position of the lens used.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of an example of a processing torch in a laser processing machine.

FIG. 2 is a front view for explaining the relationship between the lens and the tip of the nozzle.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Lens 2 Nozzle 5 Adjuster Ring 6 Nozzle Holder 6a Long Groove 8 Pin 9 Motor

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A positioning mechanism unit for presetting data indicating a focal length peculiar to each lens to be exchanged and used in a numerical control database, while adjusting a distance between the exchanged lens and a tip of a processing nozzle. , A remote-controllable actuator such as a motor is connected, and the actuator is operated based on the data of the exchanged lens selected from the data of the focal lengths peculiar to each lens set in the numerical control database. A method for automatically adjusting the nozzle tip position of a laser processing machine, characterized in that the distance between the nozzle tip and the focal point position is automatically adjusted. 2. In addition to data indicating the focal length unique to each lens, the distance between the nozzle tip and the focal position in a database, or the distance from the focal position to the workpiece and the distance from the nozzle tip to the workpiece is indicated. The method for automatically adjusting the nozzle tip position of a laser beam machine according to claim 1, wherein the data is preset in a numerical control database.