A detection method for the energy decay of a laser in a UV laser cutting machine

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for detecting the energy decay of a laser in a UV laser cutting machine, which includes: cutting an octagram pattern on an FR4 optical board with a standard thickness by the UV laser cutting machine, and calibrating the energy parameter of the laser when the FR4 optical board is just cut through as the standard energy parameter; after the UV laser cutting machine operates for a period of time, setting the energy parameter of the laser as the standard energy parameter, and cutting the octagram pattern on the FR4 optical board with a standard thickness by the UV laser cutting machine again. If the state of not being cut through appears, it is determined that the energy of the laser decays. By making the UV laser cutting machine cut the octagonal pattern on the FR4 optical board at the calibrated standard energy parameter every once in a while, and judging whether the energy of the laser decays by whether it is cut through, the operation is simple and intuitive. Without slicing, the depth control ability and the ability when the laser decays can be known, and the monitoring of the energy decay of the laser is more accurate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of laser cutting machines, and particularly relates to a method for detecting the energy decay of a laser in a UV laser cutting machine. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of electronic products towards the direction of multi-functionality, small size, light weight, and high performance, due to the characteristic of 360° three-dimensional installation of FPC printed circuit boards, the demand is increasing. One of the essential devices in the industry for manufacturing FPCs is the UV laser cutting machine. After 2 - 3 years of use, the energy of its laser will continuously decay. Currently, a power meter is generally used to monitor the power of the laser to determine whether the laser energy decays. However, the actual effect of this method on the board will deviate, resulting in batch problems such as the laser not penetrating and poor opening of the cover.

[0003] The decay of laser energy will affect its depth control ability (when the laser operates at the set energy parameters and ablates on the copper - clad laminate, the size and stability of the ablation depth are called the depth control ability). The existing methods for monitoring the depth control ability generally use a power meter to display the actual power of the laser, design vertical lines and horizontal lines on the copper - clad laminate, and then slice and monitor the ablation depth. Slicing can only monitor a certain number and does not have continuity. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for detecting the energy decay of a laser in a UV laser cutting machine to solve the problem that the existing detection methods cannot intuitively and accurately determine whether the laser energy decays.

[0005] To achieve the above - mentioned purpose, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A method for detecting the energy decay of a laser in a UV laser cutting machine includes:

[0007] Cut an octagonal star pattern on a FR4 light board with a standard thickness by a UV laser cutting machine, and calibrate the energy parameter of the laser when the FR4 light board is just cut through as the standard energy parameter;

[0008] After the UV laser cutting machine runs for a period of time, set the energy parameter of the laser to the standard energy parameter, and cut the octagonal star pattern on the FR4 light board with a standard thickness again by the UV laser cutting machine. If the state of not being cut through appears, it is determined that the laser energy decays.

[0009] Furthermore, the standard thickness of the FR4 light board includes: 0.05 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.15 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.25 mm, 0.3 mm. For each standard - thickness FR4 light board, the laser calibrates a corresponding standard energy parameter.

[0010] Further, the cutting of the octagram pattern on the FR4 optical board with a standard thickness by the UV laser cutting machine again includes selecting at least two FR4 optical boards with standard thicknesses for cutting. If the state of incomplete cutting occurs on any FR4 optical board with a standard thickness, it is determined that the energy of the laser has declined.

[0011] Further, the FR4 optical board is a high-TG FR4 optical board.

[0012] Further, the octagram pattern is composed of two squares with coincident centers, and the diagonals of the two squares are arranged at an angle of 45°.

[0013] Further, the energy parameters of the laser include power, frequency, and number of times.

[0014] Further, every time the UV laser cutting machine runs for a period of time, it includes running for one month, one quarter, or one year.

[0015] Applying the technical solution of the present invention, first, the octagram pattern is cut on the FR4 optical board with a standard thickness by the UV laser cutting machine, and the energy parameters of the laser when the FR4 optical board is just cut through are calibrated as the standard energy parameters, and this is used as the basis for monitoring the decline of the laser energy. Then, in the subsequent operation process, every time the UV laser cutting machine runs for a period of time, a detection is carried out, that is, the energy parameters of the laser are set as the standard energy parameters, and the octagram pattern is cut on the FR4 optical board with a standard thickness by the UV laser cutting machine again. If the state of incomplete cutting occurs, it is determined that the energy of the laser has declined. The above settings are simple and intuitive to operate, and it is possible to know the depth control ability and the ability when the laser declines without slicing, and the monitoring of the decline of the laser energy is more accurate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The accompanying drawings forming a part of this application are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The schematic embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation to the present invention.

[0017] Figure 1 It is a flowchart of the detection method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the octagram pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Wherein: 1 - FR4 optical board; 2 - octagram pattern. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0020] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in conjunction with embodiments. It should be noted that, without conflict, the embodiments in this application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0021] It should be noted that the following detailed description is illustrative and aims to provide further explanation of the present application. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present application belongs.

[0022] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present application. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0023] As electronic products continue to develop towards the direction of multi-functionality, small size, light weight, and high performance, the FPC printed circuit board has an increasing demand due to its characteristic of 360° three-dimensional installation. One of the essential devices in the industry for manufacturing FPCs, the UV laser cutting machine, after 2 - 3 years of use, the energy of its laser will show a continuous decline. Currently, a power meter is generally used to monitor the power of the laser to determine whether the laser energy has declined. However, the actual effect of this method on the board will show deviations, resulting in batch problems such as the laser not penetrating and poor opening of the cover.

[0024] For this reason, the present application provides a method for detecting the decline of the laser energy of a UV laser cutting machine to solve the problem that the existing detection methods cannot intuitively and accurately determine whether the laser energy has declined. The following combines Figure 1 and Figure 2 , and gives an exemplary description of the method for detecting the decline of the laser energy of the UV laser cutting machine provided by the present application.

[0025] As Figure 1 shown, this embodiment provides a method for detecting the decline of the laser energy of a UV laser cutting machine, including:

[0026] Cut an octagonal star pattern 2 on a standard - thickness FR4 optical board 1 by a UV laser cutting machine, and calibrate the energy parameter of the laser when the FR4 optical board 1 is just cut through as the standard energy parameter;

[0027] After the UV laser cutting machine runs for a period of time, set the energy parameter of the laser to the standard energy parameter, and cut the octagonal star pattern 2 on the standard - thickness FR4 optical board 1 again by the UV laser cutting machine. If the state of not being cut through appears, it is determined that the laser energy has declined.

[0028] Specifically, first, create a cutting program in the UV laser cutting machine. Use software such as CAD to draw the octagram pattern 2, and save it in a format that can be read and edited by the nesting software of the UV laser cutting machine, such as the DXF format. Then, process and nest it on the nesting software, and convert it into the NC code corresponding to the UV laser cutting machine manufacturer to complete the creation of the cutting program. Of course, the octagram pattern 2 can also be directly created on the nesting software of the UV laser cutting machine, and this embodiment does not make any limitations.

[0029] Then, prepare a standard-thickness FR4 (epoxy resin) optical board 1, fix the FR4 optical board 1 to the workbench surface of the UV laser cutting machine, start the UV laser cutting machine, and the UV laser beam cuts the material along the path created by the above program. Take the energy parameters of the laser when it just cuts through the FR4 optical board 1 as the standard energy parameters. Among them, the energy parameters of the laser include power, frequency, and number of times. Facing the FR4 optical board 1 with the same thickness, for the same device or the same type of manufacturer's device, only need to adjust the parameters once. At present, the depth control accuracy of the laser device in the industry is 50um. Adjust the power and frequency of the laser, and set the number of times to 2 - 10 times. Each time it increases by 1 time, it can burn 10um of depth. When there is a change before and after increasing by 1 time, and it is exactly between being burned through and not being burned through, then the number of times of exactly being burned through can be defined, and combined with the above power and frequency, the standard energy parameters can be obtained.

[0030] Finally, after the UV laser cutting machine runs for a period of time, detect the energy decay situation once. Specifically, it can be every month, every quarter, or every year. Set the energy parameters of the laser to the standard energy parameters, and then use the UV laser cutting machine to cut the octagram pattern 2 on the standard-thickness FR4 optical board 1 again. If the state of not being cut through appears, it is determined that the laser energy has decayed. If it can be cut through, it indicates that the laser energy has not decayed.

[0031] In this embodiment, the FR4 optical board 1 is selected as the FR4 optical board 1 with a high TG (glass transition temperature) to minimize the influence of the board itself on laser cutting. At the same time, as Figure 2 shown, the octagram pattern 2 is composed of two squares with coincident centers, and the diagonals of the two squares are set at a 45° angle. In the octagram pattern 2, vertical lines, horizontal lines, and angular lines are all included, which requires a high depth control ability for the laser. Whether it can be cut through can more accurately reflect whether the laser energy has decayed. In addition, when cutting the FR4 optical board 1 each time, multiple octagram patterns 2 can be cut, and the specific quantity is not limited in this embodiment.

[0032] It can be seen that in this application, the UV laser cutting machine cuts an octagonal pattern on the FR4 light board 1 at calibrated standard energy parameters at regular intervals. By determining whether it cuts through or not, it can be judged whether the energy of the laser has declined. The operation is simple and intuitive. Without slicing, the depth control ability and the ability when the laser declines can be known, and the monitoring of the laser energy decline is more accurate.

[0033] To further improve the accuracy of detecting the decline of the laser energy, when calibrating the standard energy parameters, it is necessary to calibrate the penetration parameters required for FR4 light boards 1 with different thicknesses. In this embodiment, the standard thicknesses of the FR4 light board 1 include: 0.05 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.15 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.25 mm, 0.3 mm. For each standard thickness of the FR4 light board 1, the laser calibrates a corresponding standard energy parameter. In this way, when cutting the octagonal star pattern on the FR4 light board 1 with a standard thickness again by the UV laser cutting machine, multiple standard thicknesses of the FR4 light board 1 can be selected for cutting. If any standard thickness of the FR4 light board 1 fails to be cut through, it is determined that the laser energy has declined. Only when each thickness of the FR4 light board 1 can be cut through can it be determined that the laser energy has not declined, thereby further improving the accuracy of detecting the decline of the laser energy.

[0034] From the above description, it can be seen that the above embodiments of the present invention achieve the following technical effects:

[0035] In this application, the UV laser cutting machine cuts an octagonal pattern 2 on the FR4 light board 1 at calibrated standard energy parameters at regular intervals. By determining whether it cuts through or not, it can be judged whether the energy of the laser has declined. The operation is simple and intuitive. Without slicing, the depth control ability and the ability when the laser declines can be known, and the monitoring of the laser energy decline is more accurate.

[0036] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "center", "front, rear, upper, lower, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, perpendicular, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is usually based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description. Without contrary instructions, these orientation words do not indicate and imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, so it cannot be understood as a limitation on the protection scope of the present invention; the orientation words "inside, outside" refer to the inside and outside relative to the contour of each component itself.

[0037] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "installed", "connected", and "coupled" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific situations.

[0038] In addition, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to limit components is only for the convenience of distinguishing the corresponding components. Without further statement, the above terms have no special meanings, so they cannot be understood as limiting the protection scope of the present invention.

[0039] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention can have various modifications and changes. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A detection method for the energy decay of a laser in a UV laser cutting machine, characterized in that, Including: Cut an octagonal star pattern on a standard-thickness FR4 optical board with a UV laser cutting machine, and calibrate the energy parameters of the laser when the FR4 optical board is just cut through as the standard energy parameters; After the UV laser cutting machine runs for a period of time, set the energy parameters of the laser to the standard energy parameters, and cut the octagonal star pattern on the standard-thickness FR4 optical board again with the UV laser cutting machine. If the state of not being cut through appears, it is determined that the energy of the laser has declined.

2. The detection method for the energy decay of the laser in the UV laser cutting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The standard thickness of the FR4 optical board includes: 0.05mm, 0.1mm, 0.15mm, 0.2mm, 0.25mm, 0.3mm. For each standard-thickness FR4 optical board, the laser calibrates a corresponding standard energy parameter.

3. The detection method for the energy decay of the laser in the UV laser cutting machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The step of cutting the octagonal star pattern on the standard-thickness FR4 optical board again with the UV laser cutting machine includes selecting at least two standard-thickness FR4 optical boards for cutting. If the state of not being cut through appears on any standard-thickness FR4 optical board, it is determined that the energy of the laser has declined.

4. The detection method for the energy decay of the laser in the UV laser cutting machine according to claim 1, wherein: The FR4 optical board is a high-TG FR4 optical board.

5. The detection method for the energy decay of the laser in the UV laser cutting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The octagonal star pattern is composed of two squares with coincident centers, and the diagonals of the two squares are arranged at a 45° angle.

6. The detection method for the energy decay of the laser in the UV laser cutting machine according to claim 1, wherein: The energy parameters of the laser include power, frequency, and number of times.

7. The detection method for the energy decay of the laser in the UV laser cutting machine according to claim 1, wherein: The period when the UV laser cutting machine runs for a period of time includes running every month, every quarter, or every year.

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