JP7682750B2 - Laser processing machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a laser processing machine.

There is a known small laser processing machine in which the maximum work size that can be laser processed is set to 4' x 4' (1219mm x 1219mm). This type of small laser processing machine is smaller overall than a large laser processing machine that can laser process even large workpieces such as 4' x 8' (1219mm x 2438mm). Small laser processing machines are advantageous in that they can be installed in a limited space.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that laser processing is performed by covering the area of the top surface of the processing table other than the workpiece with an anti-scattering cover.

Patent No. 3623306

Users of small laser processing machines will of course use workpieces that are smaller than the processing range of the laser processing machine, such as 4' x 4', but there are times when they must use workpieces that are larger than the processing range, such as 4' x 8'. Although it is possible to place a large-sized workpiece on the pallet of a small laser processing machine, part of the workpiece will extend outside the main body of the processing machine. A separate member is needed to provide additional support for the area of the workpiece that extends outside the main body of the processing machine, or the workpiece must be processed while it extends outside the main body of the processing machine. This creates the problem of a large impact on the surroundings of the main body of the processing machine when processing the workpiece.

A laser processing machine according to one aspect of the present invention includes a processing machine body, a pallet supported by the processing machine body on which a workpiece is placed, and a processing head that applies a laser beam from above the workpiece placed on the pallet to perform laser processing on the workpiece. The pallet includes a processing area that supports the workpiece in a processing range where laser processing is possible using the processing head, and an expansion area that expands from the processing area in a first direction to support a workpiece larger than the processing range, and the expansion area of the pallet is accommodated in a space formed in the processing machine body on the first direction side of the processing range.

According to one aspect of the laser processing machine of the present invention, the pallet that supports the workpiece is expanded by the expansion area, so that a workpiece larger than the processing range can be placed on the pallet. The expansion area of the pallet is contained in the space of the processing machine body, so that the workpiece can be prevented from protruding outside the processing machine body during processing.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to machine a workpiece larger than the machining range while minimizing the impact on the surrounding area of the machine body during machining.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic view of a main part of a laser processing machine according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a pallet provided in the laser processing machine. FIG. 3 is a top view diagrammatically illustrating the pallet shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the pallet and the size of the workpiece. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the second work support portion stands up on the pallet. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the heights of the workpieces supported by the first workpiece support portion and the second workpiece support portion. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the pallet is pulled out to the pulled-out position.

The laser processing machine according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic diagram of the main part of the laser processing machine according to the present embodiment. The laser processing machine 1 according to the present embodiment includes a processing machine body 10, a pallet 50 supported by the processing machine body 10 and on which a workpiece W is placed, and a processing head 30 that irradiates a laser beam from above the workpiece W placed on the pallet 50 to perform laser processing on the workpiece W. The pallet 50 includes a processing area A1 that supports the workpiece W in a processing range R in which laser processing can be performed by the processing head 30, and an expansion area A2 that is expanded from the processing area A1 in a first direction to support a workpiece W that is larger than the processing range R. The expansion area A2 of the pallet 50 is accommodated in a space S that is formed on the first direction side of the processing range R in the processing machine body 10.

The laser processing machine according to this embodiment will be described in detail below. In this specification, directions are defined as the left-right and front-back directions that are perpendicular to the horizontal direction, and the up-down direction that is perpendicular to the left-right and front-back directions. Of the left-right directions, the right direction corresponds to the first direction, and the left direction corresponds to the second direction.

The laser processing machine 1 comprises a processing machine body 10, a processing head 30, and a pallet 50.

The processing machine body 10 includes a base 11, a side frame 12, and a head drive mechanism 15.

The base 11 is generally rectangular and is placed on a mounting surface such as a floor.

The side frames 12 are disposed at the front and rear edges of the base 11. For ease of explanation, the side frames 12 at the front edge are omitted from FIG. 1. The side frames 12 at the front and rear edges are disposed parallel to each other.

The head drive mechanism 15 is a mechanism for moving the machining head 30 along the workpiece W, and includes an X-axis carriage 16 and a Y-axis carriage 19. The X-axis carriage 16 has a gate-like shape composed of a pair of supports 17 and a beam 18 that extends in the front-rear direction so as to straddle the pair of supports 17. In FIG. 1, the front support 17 is omitted, as is the side frame 12 at the front edge.

The X-axis carriage 16 is supported by a pair of side frames 12 and is configured to be movable along the side frames 12. The X-axis carriage 16 is driven by an X-axis carriage drive unit (not shown) provided on the side frames 12, and moves in the left-right direction.

The Y-axis carriage 19 is disposed on the X-axis carriage 16. The Y-axis carriage 19 is supported by the beam 18 of the X-axis carriage 16 and is configured to be movable along the beam 18. The Y-axis carriage 19 is driven by a Y-axis carriage drive unit (not shown) provided on the beam 18, and moves in the forward and backward directions.

The processing machine body 10 further includes a control panel 100, a laser oscillator 110, and the like. The control panel 100 controls the operation of the laser processing machine 1. The control panel 100 is composed of a box-shaped housing, a circuit board housed inside this housing, and the like. The laser oscillator 110 generates a laser beam and supplies the laser beam to the processing head 30. The laser oscillator 110 is composed of a box-shaped housing, electronic components and electrical components housed inside this housing, and the like.

The control panel 100 and the laser oscillator 110 are disposed on the base 11 of the processing machine body 10. Specifically, the control panel 100 is disposed on the lower right end of the base 11 and is fixed to the base 11. The laser oscillator 110 is disposed on the upper right end of the base 11 and is fixed to the base 11. The laser oscillator 110 is disposed above the control panel 100, and a space S serving as a gap is formed between the laser oscillator 110 and the control panel 100.

The processing head 30 irradiates a laser beam from above the workpiece W to perform laser processing on the workpiece W. A laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator 110 is transmitted to the processing head 30 via a process fiber (not shown). The laser beam transmitted to the processing head 30 passes through an optical system provided inside the processing head 30 and is irradiated onto the workpiece W from an opening at the tip of the processing head 30.

The processing head 30 is fixed to the Y-axis carriage 19 of the head drive mechanism 15. Therefore, by driving the X-axis carriage drive unit and the Y-axis carriage drive unit to move the X-axis carriage 16 and the Y-axis carriage 19, the processing head 30 can be moved in the left-right direction and the front-back direction, respectively.

The processing head 30 can perform laser processing within a predetermined processing range R through movement by the head drive mechanism 15. The laser processing machine 1 of this embodiment is a device designed for small-sized workpieces W, and the processing range R is set to a range that can process a workpiece W of up to 4' x 4' size.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a pallet equipped in a laser processing machine. Figure 3 is a top view showing the pallet shown in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a diagram explaining the relationship between the pallet and the size of the workpiece. Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the second workpiece support part is upright on the pallet. Figure 6 is a diagram explaining the height of the workpieces supported by the first workpiece support part and the second workpiece support part, respectively. Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the pallet is pulled out to the pulled-out position.

As shown in FIG. 1, the pallet 50 is supported by the processing machine body 10 and the workpiece W is placed on it. The pallet 50 has a frame 51 for supporting the workpiece W.

The frame 51 is a generally rectangular frame member that is elongated in the left-right direction when viewed from above. The left-right length of the frame 51 is approximately the same as the left-right length of the processing machine body 10, including the left end of the base 11 to the control panel 100 and the laser oscillator 110 connected to the base 11.

The pallet 50 includes a processing area A1 and an expansion area A2. The processing area A1 is an area that supports a workpiece W in the processing range R. On the other hand, the expansion area A2 is an area that expands from the processing area A1 toward the right in order to support a workpiece W that is larger than the processing range R.

The laser processing machine 1 of this embodiment has a processing range R that can accommodate a 4' x 4' size workpiece W. Meanwhile, the pallet 50 has an expansion area A2 in addition to the processing area A1. By providing the expansion area A2 on the pallet 50, a workpiece larger than a 4' x 4' size workpiece W, for example a 4' x 8' size workpiece W, can be supported by the pallet 50 alone.

As shown in FIG. 2, the processing area A1 of the pallet 50 has multiple skids 52.

The multiple skids 52 are plate-shaped members that support the workpiece W in the processing area A1. The multiple skids 52 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction. Each skid 52 is a plate-shaped member that extends in the front-rear direction and is made of a metal material such as steel, for example, mild steel. The skids 52 are arranged so as to straddle a pair of frame members 51a that constitute the frame body 51, and both ends of the skid 52 are fixed to each of the pair of frame members 51a. The skids fixed to the frame body 51 stand, for example, vertically. However, the skids 52 do not necessarily have to be vertical as long as they stand up in the up-down direction.

Each skid 52 has multiple protrusions that protrude upward. The multiple protrusions are provided at the upper end of the skid 52. The multiple protrusions are provided at intervals in the front-to-rear direction. Each protrusion is a plate that is elongated in the up-down direction and has a mountain-like shape that narrows toward the upper end. The workpiece W is supported at the top of the skid 52, i.e., at the apex of each protrusion.

The expansion area A2 of the pallet 50 includes a plurality of first work support portions 55 and a pallet cover 56.

The multiple first work support parts 55 support the work W in the expansion area A2. Each first work support part 55 is configured, for example, by a free bearing equipped with a rotatable sphere.

The first work support parts 55 are arranged in accordance with the size of the fixed-length material, which is a work whose size is determined in advance. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the first work support parts 55 are arranged at two locations, front and rear, at the right end of the 3'x6' (910mmx1820mm) size work W1, and the first work support parts 55 are arranged at two locations, front and rear, at the right end of the 1000mmx2000mm size work W2. In addition, the first work support parts are arranged at three locations, front and rear and in the center, at the right end of the 4'x8' size work W3, and at one location slightly to the right of the center in the left-right direction and at the rear end of the work W1. In this way, the first work support parts 55 are arranged in accordance with the edge of the work W made of fixed-length material.

As shown in FIG. 2, the pallet cover 56 is disposed so as to straddle the pair of frame members 51a. The pallet cover 56 is a flat plate-shaped member, and the space between the pair of frame members 51a is covered by the pallet cover 56. The pallet cover 56 is made of a metal material such as steel. The pallet cover 56 has openings formed therein corresponding to the multiple first work support portions 55.

Each first work support portion 55 protrudes upward beyond the pallet cover 56 through an opening in the pallet cover 56. The upper end of each first work support portion 55 is located at a position higher than the upper surface of the pallet cover 56. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the height of each upper end of the first work support portion 55 is set to the same height as the pass line L1 of the work W supported by the multiple skids 52.

As shown in Figures 3 and 6, the machining area A1 of the pallet 50 further includes, in addition to the multiple skids 52, multiple second work support portions 57 and multiple clamp portions 53.

The second work support parts 57 support the work W in the machining area A1 during setup work for the work W. Each second work support part 57 is configured, for example, by a free bearing equipped with a rotatable sphere.

The second work support parts 57 are fixed to rods 58. The rods 58 are spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction. Each rod 58 is an axle extending in the left-to-right direction, and is fixed to the frame 51 in a state in which it can rotate around its axis. A handle 59 that can be rotated by a user is attached to the frame 51. The handle 59 and the rods 58 are connected via a power transmission mechanism, and when the handle 59 is rotated, the individual rods 58 also rotate in sync.

The second work support part 57, which is fixed to the rod 58, can be switched between an upright state and an inclined state depending on the rotation angle of the rod 58. As shown in FIG. 5, when the second work support part 57 is in the upright state, the upper part of the second work support part 57 protrudes above the apex (apex of the protruding part) of the skid 52. In this state, the work W on the machining area A1 is supported by the upright second work support part 57. As shown in FIG. 6, the second work support part 57 supports the work W at a line L2 that is higher than the pass line L1.

On the other hand, when the second workpiece support portion 57 is tilted, the second workpiece support portion 57 retreats below the apex (apex of the protruding portion) of the skid 52. In this state, the workpiece W on the processing area A1 is supported by the apexes (apexes of the protruding portions) of multiple skids 52.

As shown in FIG. 2, the clamping parts 53 secure the workpiece W supported by the skid 52 in the machining area A1. The clamping parts 53 are fixed to the frame member 51a that constitutes the frame body 51.

As shown in FIG. 1, the pallet 50 thus configured is movable left and right via a guide member 13 fixed to a base 11. The guide member 13 guides the linear motion of the pallet 50 by slidably holding a rail provided on a frame 51 of the pallet 50.

When the pallet 50 is in the correct position, specifically when the pallet 50 is located at the far right, the processing area A1 of the pallet 50 is located in the processing range R (see FIG. 1). In addition, the expansion area A2 of the pallet 50 extends into the space S, which is the gap formed between the control panel 100 and the laser oscillator 110.

When the pallet 50 is pulled out to the left, the pallet 50 moves from the normal position to the pulled-out position. The pulled-out position is a position where the processing area A1 of the pallet 50 is pulled out to the left of the processing range R (see FIG. 7). The pallet 50 can move between the pulled-out position and the normal position.

The operation of the laser processing machine 1 according to this embodiment will be described below. When the setup work of setting the workpiece W on the pallet 50 is performed, the user first pulls out the pallet 50 to the pull-out position (see FIG. 7). When the pallet 50 is pulled out to the pull-out position, the expansion area A2 of the pallet 50 is pulled out from the space S. This allows the workpiece W to be separated from the parts and structures on the far right side of the processing machine body 10. Therefore, interference between the workpiece W and the processing machine body 10 can be suppressed, making it easier to handle the workpiece W when setting it on the pallet 50. In particular, in this embodiment, the workpiece W can be placed on the entire area of the pallet 50, including the processing area A1 and the expansion area A2. Even if the workpiece W is large, such as 4' x 8', the workpiece W can be easily set.

As shown in Figures 4 and 6, when setting the workpiece W on the pallet 50, the user operates the handle 59 to raise the multiple second workpiece support parts 57. As a result, in the processing area A1, the workpiece W is supported by the multiple second workpiece support parts 57, and in the expansion area A2, the workpiece W is supported by the multiple first workpiece support parts 55. Therefore, the workpiece W can be moved smoothly on the pallet 50 without contacting the skid 52.

Once the workpiece W has been set on the pallet 50, the user pushes the pallet 50 into the correct position. When the pallet 50 is pushed into the correct position, the processing area A1 of the pallet 50 is located in the processing range R (see FIG. 1). The control panel 100 controls the head drive mechanism 15 to perform laser processing within the processing range R while moving the processing head 30. This allows laser processing to be performed on one side area (a 4' x 4' area) of the workpiece W located in the processing area A1.

When laser processing of one side of the workpiece W is completed, the user pulls out the pallet 50 to the pull-out position (see FIG. 7). When the pallet 50 is pulled out to the pull-out position, the expansion area A2 of the pallet 50 is pulled out from the space S. This allows the workpiece W to be separated from the parts and structures located at the far right side of the processing machine body 10. Because interference between the workpiece W and the processing machine body 10 can be suppressed, the workpiece W can be easily set up, such as by rotating it 180 degrees or flipping it left and right. This setup operation then allows the remaining half of the workpiece W to be swapped into the processing area A1 of the pallet 50.

When the rotation or inversion of the workpiece W is complete, the user pushes the pallet 50 into the correct position. When the pallet 50 is pushed into the correct position, the processing area A1 of the pallet 50 is located in the processing range R (see FIG. 1). The control panel 100 controls the head drive mechanism 15 to perform laser processing within the processing range R while moving the processing head 30. This allows laser processing to be performed on the remaining area of the workpiece W (a 4' x 4' area) that has been newly set into the processing area A1.

As described above, according to the laser processing machine 1 of this embodiment, the pallet 50 supporting the workpiece W is expanded by the expansion area A2, so that a workpiece W larger in size than the processing range R can be placed on the pallet 50. In addition, since the expansion area A2 of the pallet 50 is contained in the space S of the processing machine body 10, it is possible to prevent the workpiece W from protruding outside the processing machine body 10 when processing the workpiece W.

This laser processing machine 1 can process a workpiece W that is larger than the processing range R without affecting the surroundings of the processing machine body 10 when processing the workpiece W.

When machining a large-sized workpiece W, it is possible to cut the workpiece W in advance to a size that fits within the machining range R and then place it on the pallet 50 of the laser machining machine 1. However, this requires cutting the workpiece W in advance, which reduces work efficiency. In this regard, the laser machining machine 1 according to this embodiment makes it possible to place the workpiece W on the pallet 50 without cutting it in advance.

In this embodiment, the processing machine body 10 supports the pallet 50 so that it can move freely in the right and left directions. The pallet 50 moves between a pull-out position where the processing area A1 is pulled out to the left of the processing range R, and a normal position where the processing area A1 is in the processing range R.

With this configuration, the pallet 50 can be pulled out from the processing machine body 10. Since the expansion area A2 of the pallet 50 is pulled out from the space S, the workpiece W placed on the pallet 50 can be separated from the structures of the processing machine body 10, such as the laser oscillator 110. This makes it easy to perform the setup work of setting the workpiece W on the pallet 50.

In this embodiment, the pallet 50 is composed of a rectangular frame body 51. The processing area A1 has a plurality of skids (plate-shaped members) 52 each arranged to straddle a pair of frame members 51a constituting the frame body 51, and each skid has a plurality of mountain-shaped protrusions that support the workpiece W. The expansion area A2 has a pallet cover 56 arranged to cover the space between the pair of frame members 51a, and a plurality of first workpiece support parts 55 that protrude above the pallet cover 56 and support the workpiece W.

With this configuration, in the expansion area A2, the workpiece W can be supported by multiple first workpiece support parts 55. By optimizing the arrangement of the first workpiece support parts 55, the workpiece W extending from the processing area A1 can be supported in a balanced manner. This makes it possible to suppress deflection and other problems that occur in the workpiece W.

In addition, the expansion area A2 is covered by a pallet cover 56. This pallet cover 56 can cover the opening of the frame body 51, so it can also block the laser light and prevent spatter from scattering.

In this embodiment, each of the multiple first work support parts 55 is composed of a free bearing equipped with a rotatable sphere.

With this configuration, the workpiece W can be easily slid while supported by the first workpiece support portion 55. This improves the workability when setting up the workpiece W.

In this embodiment, the height of the upper end of each of the multiple first work support parts 55 is set to the same height as the pass line L1 of the work W supported by the multiple skids 52.

With this configuration, the workpiece W is supported along the path line L1 even in the expansion area A2. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of bending of the workpiece W in the expansion area A2, and thus the occurrence of bending of the workpiece W in the machining area.

In this embodiment, the machining area A1 has a plurality of second workpiece support parts 57 that are switchable between an upright state and an inclined state and support the workpiece. Each of the second workpiece support parts 57 protrudes above the apex of the protruding part of the skid 52 in the upright state, and retracts below the apex of the protruding part of the skid 52 in the inclined state. Each of the second workpiece support parts 57 is configured by a free bearing equipped with a rotatable sphere.

According to this configuration, by keeping the second work support portion 57 upright, the second work support portion 57 protrudes above the skid 52. As a result, the work W in the processing area A1 is supported by the second work support portion 57. Since the work W can be easily moved on the pallet 50, the workability when setting up the work W can be improved. In addition, even when supported by the second work support portion 57, the work W can be easily slid. This improves the workability when setting up the work W.

The multiple first work support parts 55 are arranged to correspond to the size of the fixed-length workpiece W, which is a workpiece W whose size is determined in advance.

With this configuration, the first work support part 55 is positioned in anticipation of the size of the fixed-length material, so the work W can be properly supported without bending or other problems. In addition, the first work support part 55 is not positioned in an unnecessary location. As a result, the first work support part can be positioned efficiently, which helps prevent unnecessary increases in costs.

In this embodiment, the processing machine body 10 includes a laser oscillator 110 that is located to the right of the processing range R and supplies a laser beam to the processing head 30, and a control panel 100 that is located to the right of the processing range R and controls the laser oscillator 110. In this case, the space S is formed between the laser oscillator 110 and the control panel 100.

With this configuration, the gap between the laser oscillator 110 and the control panel 100 can be utilized to accommodate the expansion area A2 of the pallet 50. By effectively utilizing the gap in the processing machine body 10, it is possible to prevent the workpiece W from protruding outside the processing machine body 10.

In the above embodiment, the expansion area A2 of the pallet 50 includes a plurality of first work support parts 55 and a pallet cover 56. However, the expansion area A2 may include only the pallet cover 56 without including the plurality of first work support parts 55. Also, although a free bearing is exemplified as the first work support part 55, a roller or the like may also be used. Furthermore, the expansion area A2 may be configured to include a plurality of skids 52 instead of the pallet cover 56.

As described above, an embodiment of the present invention has been described, but the descriptions and drawings that form part of this disclosure should not be understood as limiting this invention. Various alternative embodiments, examples, and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Laser processing machine 10 Processing machine body 11 Base 12 Side frame 13 Guide member 15 Head drive mechanism 16 X-axis carriage 17 Support 18 Beam 19 Y-axis carriage 30 Processing head 50 Pallet 51 Frame 51a Frame member 52 Skid 53 Clamp section 55 First work support section 56 Pallet cover 57 Second work support section 58 Rod 59 Handle 100 Control panel 110 Laser oscillator A1 Processing area A2 Expansion area L1 Pass line L2 Line higher than pass line L1 R Processing range S Space W Work W1 Work W2 Work W3 Work

Claims (8)

The processing machine body,
a placement section supported by the processing machine body so as to be movable in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction , on which a workpiece is placed;
a processing head that irradiates a laser beam from above the workpiece placed on the placement section to perform laser processing on the workpiece,
The placement portion is
a processing area that is positioned only in a processing range where the laser processing can be performed by the processing head when performing laser processing on the workpiece, and supports the workpiece in the processing range;
an expansion area located on the first direction side of the processing area in order to support the workpiece having a size larger than the processing range;
When the processing area is located in the processing range, the expansion area of the placement section is accommodated in a space section formed in the processing machine body on the first direction side of the processing range.
Laser processing machine. The laser processing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the placement portion moves between a pulled-out position where the processing area is pulled out further in the second direction than the processing range and a normal position where the processing area is within the processing range . The mounting portion is formed of a rectangular frame,
The processing area is
The frame body includes a pair of frame members that are arranged to straddle the pair of frame members, and each of the plate members has a plurality of mountain-shaped protrusions that support the workpiece.
The expansion region is
3. The laser processing machine according to claim 1, further comprising: a mounting section cover arranged to cover the area between the pair of frame members; and a plurality of first workpiece supporting sections protruding above the mounting section cover to support the workpiece. Each of the plurality of first work support portions is
4. The laser processing machine according to claim 3, wherein the bearing is a free bearing having a rotatable sphere. 5. The laser processing machine according to claim 3, wherein the height of each of the upper ends of the plurality of first workpiece supporting portions is set to the same height as a path line of the workpiece supported by the plurality of plate-like members. The processing area is
The workpiece support device has a plurality of second workpiece support parts that are switchable between an upright state and an inclined state and support the workpiece,
Each of the plurality of second work support portions protrudes upward from the apex of the protruding portion in an upright state, and retreats downward from the apex of the protruding portion in an inclined state,
Each of the plurality of second work support portions is
6. The laser processing machine according to claim 3, further comprising a free bearing having a rotatable sphere. The plurality of first work support portions are
7. The laser processing machine according to claim 3, wherein the laser processing machine is arranged in accordance with the size of a fixed-length material, which is the workpiece, the size of which is determined in advance. The processing machine body is
a laser oscillator that is disposed on the first direction side of the processing range and supplies the laser beam to the processing head;
a control panel that is disposed on the first direction side of the processing range and controls the laser oscillator,
The space portion is
The laser processing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the laser oscillator is disposed between the laser oscillator and the control panel.

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