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Laser machining method

a laser guiding and laser guiding technology, applied in metal-working equipment, welding equipment, manufacturing tools, etc., can solve the problems of reducing the laser guiding efficiency as well as the machining efficiency, affecting the machining efficiency of the jet liquid column, and suppressing the reduction of the laser guiding efficiency

Inactive Publication Date: 2017-04-13
SUGINO MACHINE
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a laser machining method that efficiently machines a workpiece. The method involves using a laser beam that is guided to a machining point by a jet liquid column. This is achieved by a laser machining apparatus that includes a nozzle, a rectifying chamber, a liquid oscillating chamber, a laser oscillator, a focusing optical system, and a window. The liquid oscillating chamber increases a surface wave on an outer surface of the jet liquid column to cause the jet liquid column to guide the laser beam easily atomize at the machining point. The method is efficient and effective in machining a workpiece.

Problems solved by technology

However, in the apparatus (the laser machining apparatus) disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3680864, there is a problem in that, when the liquid beam (the jet liquid column) jetted to guide the laser beam strikes the workpiece, liquid is splashed back from the workpiece, and a mass of the splashed-back liquid strikes the jet liquid column, leading to disturbance in the jet liquid column.
If a disturbance occurs in the jet liquid column, the laser beam that is guided while repeating total reflection within the jet liquid column becomes likely to leak out of the jet liquid column, causing a reduction in the laser guiding efficiency as well as the machining performance.
Furthermore, in the case of cutting of a thick workpiece or deep hole drilling in a workpiece with the laser machining apparatus, since the machining cannot be completed in one scanning, the jet liquid column needs to be reciprocated several times in the same machining path.
On the other hand, in the laser machining apparatus disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2010-221265, the protective cover is provided for protecting the jet liquid column from the liquid that strikes the workpiece and is splashed back, thereby suppressing a reduction in laser guiding efficiency.
However, also in this laser machining apparatus, there is a problem in that the splashed-back liquid strikes a portion of the jet liquid column in between the protective cover and the workpiece, leading to disturbance in the jet liquid column.
There is also a problem in that, even if the jet liquid column is protected from droplets of the liquid splashed back from the workpiece, when the jetted liquid is accumulated on a surface of the workpiece to form a water layer, the accumulated liquid causes a reduction in light guiding efficiency.
Especially in the case of deep hole drilling with the laser machining apparatus, water is likely to be accumulated inside the hole during machining, and therefore the water layer exerts a great adverse influence.
With this structure, a portion of the laser beam strikes the jet liquid column at the flow contracting portion in the vicinity of the nozzle inlet opening, thereby giving a disturbance to the jetted jet liquid column.

Method used

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first embodiment

[0043]Next, referring to FIGS. 1 to 5B, a laser machining apparatus according to the present invention will be described.

[0044]As shown in FIG. 1, a laser machining apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention has: a laser machining head 2; a laser oscillator 4 for transmitting a laser beam to the laser machining head 2; a focusing optical system 6 for focusing the laser beam transmitted from the laser oscillator 4; and a liquid supply source 8 for supplying water, serving as the liquid, to the laser machining head 2. Also, the liquid delivered from the liquid supply source 8 is supplied to the laser machining head 2 through a liquid processor 10, a high-pressure pump 12, and a high-pressure filter 14.

[0045]Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, the laser machining head 2 has a head body 16, a nozzle 20, a window 22, and a liquid oscillating chamber forming member 24. The laser oscillator 4 generates a laser beam having a predetermined strength. In this embodimen...

second embodiment

[0074]In the second embodiment constructed in this manner, the liquid oscillating chamber 40c is small, and liquid in the rectifying chamber 30 flows into the liquid oscillating chamber 40c from one direction above the liquid oscillating chamber40c. Therefore, the flow speed on the upper side in the liquid oscillating chamber 40c increases, thereby strongly oscillating the liquid and allowing generation of a strong surface wave on the jet liquid column J. Thus, as shown in FIG. 5B, the sufficiently strong surface wave can be provided without causing a laser beam to strike the flow contracting portion C, and the jet liquid column J having struck the workpiece W can be sufficiently atomized by just oscillation with the liquid oscillating chamber 40c.

[0075]Next, referring to FIG. 7, a laser machining apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The laser machining apparatus of this embodiment differs from that of the above-described first embod...

third embodiment

[0083]The laser machining apparatus of this embodiment allows the workplace W to be translated in the directions of the X- and Y-axes during machining and rotate, and can perform the translation and rotation simultaneously. The laser machining apparatus of this embodiment allows flexible machining in three-dimensional space, and further facilitates control of the workpiece holder relative to the laser machining apparatus according to the above-mentioned third embodiment, thereby allowing the workplace W to move faster. Also, taper machining can be applied to the workpiece W by tilting the laser machining head 2 with respect to the workpiece W. Furthermore, with the laser machining apparatus of this embodiment, accumulation of liquid in the vicinity of the machining point can be further suppressed by rotating the workpiece W at high speed during machining.

[0084]Next, referring to FIG. 9, a laser machining apparatus according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be desc...

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Abstract

Laser machining method, including: liquid supplying into rectifying chamber; rectifying chamber attenuating disturbances in flow of liquid supplied; liquid injecting into liquid oscillating chamber exclusively from one direction from liquid inlet port arranged on only one portion of sidewall of liquid oscillating chamber; liquid jetting as jet liquid column into air from nozzle; laser beam focusing on axis of nozzle and guiding to machining point by jet liquid column; surface wave of jet liquid column generating and gradually increasing in amplitude in direction away from nozzle; a body of jet liquid column atomizing when jet liquid column strikes workpiece on machining point. Liquid flows from oscillating chamber inlet path for guiding liquid from rectifying chamber to oscillating chamber inlet port, oscillating chamber inlet path guiding liquid along window from one direction of liquid oscillating chamber to oscillating chamber inlet port.

Description

[0001]This is a Divisional application of application Ser. No. 13 / 476,677 filed May 21, 2012, which claims priority to JP 2011-257232 filed Nov. 25, 2011 and JP 2011-116692 filed May 25, 2011. The disclosures of the prior applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.BACKGROUND[0002]1. Technical Field[0003]The present invention relates to a laser machining method and more particularly, to a laser machining method using a laser beam that is guided by a jet liquid column.[0004]2. Related Art[0005]Japanese Patent No. 3680864 discloses an apparatus for machining a material with a laser beam. In this apparatus, a liquid beam is jetted by a nozzle, and the laser beam is focused at an intake opening of the nozzle. Thus, the laser beam is guided by the liquid beam to reach a workpiece, so that the workpiece is machined.[0006]Additionally, Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2010-221265 discloses a laser machining apparatus. In this laser machini...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): B23K26/146B23K26/16B23K26/08B23K26/122B23K26/14
CPCB23K26/16B23K26/146B23K26/0823B23K26/0853B23K26/064B23K26/1462
Inventor NAGATA, YUKIAKIMURATSUBAKI, RYOJIKANEMITSU, MASANORITSUNEMOTO, MASASHI
Owner SUGINO MACHINE