Laser heating circuit and heating method

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a laser heating circuit and a heating method, wherein the laser heating circuit is used to heat a material to be heated placed on a stage, wherein the stage is divided into a plurality of areas to be heated, and the laser heating circuit comprises: a laser heating unit having a plurality of heating arrays, wherein each heating array is used to heat at least one area of ​​the material to be heated according to a driving signal, and each heating array comprises a plurality of lasers; a control unit is used to generate a corresponding heating control signal according to a selected area to be heated on the stage and a heating requirement of the area to be heated; a driving unit comprises a plurality of driving modules corresponding to the heating areas one by one, and the driving modules are used to output a corresponding driving signal to the heating array corresponding to the selected area to be heated in response to the heating control signal. The above technical solution can improve the processing quality of the material to be heated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of laser heating technology, and in particular to a laser heating circuit and heating method. Background Technology

[0002] Laser heating technology uses laser energy to heat materials. It features high power density and precise temperature control and is widely used in industrial, scientific and medical applications. The working process is as follows: the laser beam is emitted from the laser, transmitted and focused, and then irradiates the surface of the material. Part of the beam is reflected and part of it enters the material and is absorbed, causing the surface temperature of the material to rise rapidly.

[0003] However, existing laser heating solutions still have problems in actual heating applications. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present disclosure provides a laser heating circuit and heating method that can improve the processing quality of the material to be heated.

[0005] This disclosure provides a laser heating circuit for heating a material to be heated placed on a stage, the stage being divided into multiple areas to be heated. The laser heating circuit includes a laser heating unit, a control unit, and a driving unit, wherein:

[0006] The laser heating unit has multiple heating arrays, each heating array being used to heat at least one region of the material to be heated according to a driving signal, and each heating array including multiple lasers;

[0007] The control unit, coupled to the drive unit, is used to generate a corresponding heating control signal based on the selected area to be heated on the stage and the heating requirements of the area to be heated, and output it to the drive unit.

[0008] The driving unit is coupled to the laser heating unit. The driving unit includes a plurality of driving modules that correspond one-to-one with the heating area. The driving module is used to respond to the heating control signal and output a corresponding driving signal to the heating array corresponding to the selected heating area.

[0009] In the above embodiments, on the one hand, the stage is divided into multiple areas to be heated, and the material to be heated is placed on the stage, so the current heating area of ​​the material to be heated can be determined based on the areas to be heated; on the other hand, the laser heating unit can have multiple heating arrays, so that the mapping between multiple heating arrays and multiple areas to be heated can be realized. In this way, according to the selected area to be heated on the stage and the heating requirements of the area to be heated, a heating control signal can be generated, and in response to the heating control signal, a corresponding drive signal can be output to the heating array corresponding to the selected area to be heated, so that the selected area to be heated can be heated in a targeted manner, so that the heated material to be heated has better characteristics, thereby improving the processing quality of the material to be processed.

[0010] Optionally, at least two of the heating arrays have lasers with different emitted laser characteristics, the emitted laser characteristics including at least one of the following: the type of emitted laser, the wavelength of emitted laser, and the power of emitted laser.

[0011] In the above embodiments, by making the laser emission characteristics of lasers in at least two heating arrays in the heating array possible, at least two types of lasers can be applied to the same area to be heated to achieve composite heating and further improve the processing quality of the material to be heated.

[0012] Optionally, the heating requirement of the area to be heated includes processing the same area using at least two heating arrays;

[0013] The control unit is configured to generate multiple heating control signals based on the selected heating area on the stage and the number of heating areas corresponding to the heating requirements of the heating area. The control unit outputs the multiple heating control signals to the corresponding multiple drive modules in the drive unit in at least one of the following methods: simultaneous output, output according to a preset timing sequence, and output according to a preset time ratio within the heating cycle.

[0014] In the above embodiments, by making the heating requirement of the area to be heated include processing the same area to be heated using at least two heating arrays, composite heating of the same area to be heated can be achieved. Furthermore, by generating multiple heating control signals based on the area to be heated on the selected stage and the number of areas to be heated corresponding to the heating requirement of the area to be heated, multiple driving modules can be driven by employing at least one of the following methods: simultaneous output, output according to a preset timing sequence, and output according to a preset time ratio within the heating cycle. In this way, multiple different heating methods can be achieved based on the heating requirement, resulting in better heating effect.

[0015] Optionally, when the heating requirement of the area to be heated includes processing the same area to be heated using at least two heating arrays, the control unit is further configured to output a motion control signal based on the position information between the at least two heating arrays and the position information of the area to be heated;

[0016] The laser heating circuit also includes:

[0017] A turntable assembly is disposed below the stage and electrically connected to the control unit. It is used to generate a driving force to drive the stage to rotate according to the motion control signal, so that the same area to be heated is located within the heating area of ​​at least two heating arrays.

[0018] In the above embodiments, by driving the stage to rotate, the position of the area to be heated can be changed, thereby improving the alignment accuracy between the heated area and the corresponding heating area of ​​the heating array, so that the area to be heated can be heated by at least two heating arrays.

[0019] Optionally, the turntable assembly includes:

[0020] A controller, connected to the control unit, is used to generate a control signal that is consistent with the direction of the motion control signal based on the motion control signal.

[0021] A driver, connected to the controller, is used to generate a drive electrical signal corresponding to the control signal;

[0022] A brake, connected to both the driver and the stage, is used to generate a driving force to rotate the stage according to the driving electrical signal.

[0023] Optionally, the heating requirement of the area to be heated includes using a heating array to process the same area or multiple areas to be heated;

[0024] The control unit is configured to generate a heating control signal based on a selected area to be heated on the stage. The control unit outputs multiple heating control signals to a corresponding drive module in the drive unit using at least one of the following methods: polling output during the heating cycle and cyclic output during a preset time period.

[0025] In the above embodiments, by making the heating requirement of the area to be heated include processing the same area to be heated using at least two heating arrays, composite heating of the same area to be heated can be achieved. Furthermore, by generating multiple heating control signals based on the area to be heated on the selected stage and the number of areas to be heated corresponding to the heating requirement of the area to be heated, multiple driving modules can be driven by employing at least one of the following methods: simultaneous output, output according to a preset timing sequence, and output according to a preset time ratio within the heating cycle. In this way, multiple different heating methods can be achieved based on the heating requirement, resulting in better heating effect.

[0026] Optionally, each area to be heated on the stage has a corresponding first coordinate range, and the heating array on the laser heating unit has a corresponding second coordinate range, and the first coordinate range and the second coordinate range have a preset mapping relationship.

[0027] In the above embodiments, by establishing a preset mapping relationship between the first coordinate range and the second coordinate range, the required heating area can be determined in real time according to the first coordinate range of the area to be heated. This ensures the uniqueness between the area to be heated and the heating area, and the area to be heated can be heated by the correct heating area.

[0028] Optionally, an image acquisition device is provided on the stage. The image acquisition device is used to acquire an image representing the position information of the material to be heated in the area to be heated, and to generate a corresponding image acquisition signal to the control unit.

[0029] The control unit is used to determine the area to be heated on the selected stage based on the position information contained in the image acquisition signal and the input control signal, and to determine the driven heating array based on the position information, the preset mapping relationship, and the heating requirements of the area to be heated.

[0030] In the above embodiments, by setting an image acquisition device, the location information of the heating area can be determined. Then, based on the selected area to be heated, the location information of the selected area to be heated and the preset mapping relationship, as well as the heating requirements of the area to be heated, the number of driven heating arrays, the area to be heated, and the heating power are determined to achieve targeted heating.

[0031] Optionally, the laser heating circuit further includes: a first temperature detector, electrically connected to the control unit, for detecting the temperature of the material to be heated in the selected area to be heated, generating a corresponding first temperature detection signal, and outputting it to the control unit;

[0032] The control unit is further configured to determine the detection temperature of the surface of the material to be heated based on the first temperature detection signal, and compare the detection temperature with the target temperature to adjust the heating control signal.

[0033] Optionally, the laser heating circuit further includes: a second temperature detector, disposed on the driving unit and electrically connected to the control unit, for detecting the temperature of the driving unit and generating a second temperature detection signal;

[0034] A third temperature detector is disposed on the laser heating unit and electrically connected to the control unit, for detecting the temperature of the laser heating unit and generating a third temperature detection signal;

[0035] The control unit is further configured to determine the current temperature value of the driving unit based on the second temperature detection signal, and compare the current temperature value of the driving unit with a first preset temperature value to generate a first temperature control adjustment signal; and is further configured to determine the current temperature value of the laser heating unit based on the third temperature detection signal, and compare the current temperature value of the laser heating unit with a second preset temperature value to generate a second temperature control adjustment signal;

[0036] A temperature regulation unit, electrically connected to the control unit, is used to select or disconnect the flow path of the cooling medium to the drive unit according to the first temperature control regulation signal, and to adjust the flow rate of the cooling medium according to the temperature of the cooling medium and the current temperature value of the drive unit; and to select or disconnect the flow path of the cooling medium to the laser heating unit according to the second temperature control regulation signal, and to adjust the flow rate of the cooling medium according to the temperature of the cooling medium and the current temperature value of the laser heating unit.

[0037] Optionally, the laser heating circuit further includes a power supply unit, which is electrically connected to the laser heating unit, the control unit and the drive unit respectively, for providing operating voltage.

[0038] Optionally, the laser heating circuit also includes:

[0039] A current detection unit is disposed on the output branch of the power supply unit and electrically connected to the control unit. It is used to detect the current value output by the power supply unit, generate a corresponding current detection signal, and output it to the control unit.

[0040] A voltage detection unit is disposed on the output branch of the power supply unit and electrically connected to the control unit. It is used to detect the voltage value output by the power supply unit, generate a corresponding voltage detection signal, and output it to the control unit.

[0041] The control unit is further configured to determine the current current value output by the power supply unit based on the current detection signal, compare the current current value with a preset current value, and control the working process of the power supply unit based on the comparison result; and / or, is further configured to determine the current voltage value output by the power supply unit based on the voltage detection signal, compare the current voltage value with a preset voltage value, and control the working process of the power supply unit based on the comparison result.

[0042] Optionally, the laser heating circuit further includes: a fourth temperature detector, disposed on the power supply unit and electrically connected to the control unit, for detecting the temperature of the power supply unit and generating a third temperature detection signal;

[0043] The control unit is further configured to determine the current temperature value of the power supply unit based on the third temperature detection signal, and compare the current temperature value of the power supply unit with a third preset temperature value to generate a third temperature control adjustment signal;

[0044] The temperature regulation unit is also used to select or disconnect the flow path of the cooling medium to the power supply unit according to the third temperature control regulation signal, and to adjust the flow rate of the cooling medium according to the temperature of the cooling medium and the current temperature value of the power supply unit.

[0045] Accordingly, this disclosure also provides a laser heating method applied to the laser heating circuit described in any of the foregoing examples. The laser heating circuit is used to heat a material to be heated placed on a stage, the stage being divided into multiple areas to be heated. The laser heating method includes:

[0046] Based on the selected area to be heated on the stage and the heating requirements of the area to be heated, a corresponding heating control signal is generated.

[0047] In response to the heating control signal, a corresponding drive signal is output to the heating array corresponding to the selected area to be heated;

[0048] At least one region of the material to be heated is heated according to the driving signal.

[0049] In the above embodiments, on the one hand, the stage is divided into multiple heating areas, and the material to be heated is placed on the stage, so the current heating area of ​​the material to be heated can be determined based on the heating areas; on the other hand, according to the selected heating area on the stage and the heating requirements of the heating area, a heating control signal can be generated, and in response to the heating control signal, a corresponding drive signal can be output to the heating array corresponding to the selected heating area, so that the selected heating area can be heated in a targeted manner, so that the heated material to be heated has better characteristics, thereby improving the processing quality of the material to be processed. Attached Figure Description

[0050] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0051] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a laser heating circuit according to the present disclosure;

[0052] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first heating unit in this disclosure;

[0053] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a second heating unit in this disclosure;

[0054] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another laser heating circuit in this disclosure;

[0055] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the state detection unit in this disclosure;

[0056] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of a laser heating method according to the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0057] As described in the background section, existing laser heating solutions still have problems in actual heating because: when heating the material to be heated, a single type of heating beam is used to heat the entire surface of the material, which cannot meet the heating requirements for some materials.

[0058] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this disclosure provides a laser heating circuit. On one hand, the stage is divided into multiple heating regions, and the material to be heated is placed on the stage. The current heating region of the material to be heated can be determined based on the heating regions. On the other hand, the laser heating unit can have multiple heating arrays, thus enabling mapping between multiple heating arrays and multiple heating regions. Based on the selected heating region on the stage and its heating requirements, a heating control signal can be generated. In response to the heating control signal, a corresponding drive signal can be output to the heating array corresponding to the selected heating region. This allows for targeted heating of the selected heating region, resulting in better characteristics of the heated material and improving the processing quality of the material.

[0059] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand and implement this disclosure, the following detailed description of the specific solutions, principles, advantages, and effects of this disclosure is provided with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0060] See also in this disclosure Figures 1 to 3 ,in, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a laser heating circuit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 This is a top view schematic diagram of a platform. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the partitioning principle of a laser heating unit in an embodiment of this disclosure, as shown below. Figures 1 to 3 As shown, a material to be heated is placed on a stage Z. The stage Z is divided into multiple heating regions A1 to An, where n is an integer greater than 1.

[0061] It should be noted that, Figure 2 The shape of the stage Z, the shape of the divided regions, the number of regions, and the distribution of the regions shown are for illustrative purposes only and are used to illustrate that the stage Z can be divided into multiple regions.

[0062] In some embodiments of this disclosure, since the material to be heated is placed on the stage Z, the heating area of ​​the material to be heated can be determined based on the area to be heated.

[0063] In other words, there is a corresponding relationship between the position of the material to be heated and the stage Z. By using the position information of each area on the stage Z, the heating area of ​​the material to be heated can be determined.

[0064] See Figure 1 and Figure 3 The laser heating circuit 100 can be used to heat the material to be heated placed on the stage Z. The laser heating circuit 100 includes: a laser heating unit 130, a control unit 110, and a drive unit 120, wherein:

[0065] The laser heating unit 130 has multiple heating arrays B1 to Bm (where m is an integer greater than 1, and in some examples, m may be equal to n), each heating array being used to heat at least one region of the material to be heated according to a driving signal, and each heating array including multiple lasers (not shown).

[0066] The control unit 110 is coupled to the drive unit 120 and is used to generate a corresponding heating control signal according to the selected area to be heated on the stage Z and the heating requirements of the area to be heated, and output it to the drive unit 120.

[0067] The driving unit 120 is coupled to the laser heating unit 130. The driving unit 120 includes a plurality of driving modules (not shown) that correspond one-to-one with the heating area. The driving module is used to respond to the heating control signal and output a corresponding driving signal to the heating array corresponding to the selected heating area.

[0068] Combination Figures 1 to 3 The working principle of the laser heating circuit 100 in this embodiment is briefly described below:

[0069] When heat treatment is required for the device 10A to be processed, a corresponding heating control signal can be generated based on the area to be heated on the selected stage Z (i.e. the heating area of ​​the material to be heated) and the heating requirements of the area to be heated (the heating requirements may include: the number of heating areas, the type, power, and duration of the heating beam used in each heating area, etc.). This heating control signal is used to characterize the parameter information of the heating area to be heated.

[0070] Since the driving unit includes multiple driving modules that correspond one-to-one with the heating area, when the selected area to be heated and the heating requirements of the area to be heated are determined, the heating control signal output value can be matched with the driving module corresponding to the area to be heated. Then the driving module can generate a driving signal to the corresponding heating array, so that the laser in the heating array can output a heating beam to heat the selected area to be heated.

[0071] Therefore, on the one hand, the stage is divided into multiple heating areas, and the material to be heated is placed on the stage, so the current heating area of ​​the material to be heated can be determined based on the heating areas; on the other hand, the laser heating unit can have multiple heating arrays, so it can realize the mapping between multiple heating arrays and multiple heating areas. In this way, according to the selected heating area on the stage and the heating requirements of the heating area, a heating control signal can be generated, and in response to the heating control signal, a corresponding drive signal can be output to the heating array corresponding to the selected heating area, so that the selected heating area can be heated in a targeted manner, so that the heated material has better characteristics, thereby improving the processing quality of the material to be processed.

[0072] It should be noted that, Figure 3 The shape of the laser heating unit, the shape of the divided regions, the number of regions, and the distribution of the regions shown are for illustrative purposes only and are intended to illustrate that the laser heating unit can be divided into multiple regions.

[0073] In some embodiments of this disclosure, at least two of the heating arrays B1 to Bm have lasers with different emitted laser characteristics. This allows a region to be heated to be heated by heating beams with at least two different laser characteristics, thereby achieving composite heating and further improving the processing quality of the material to be heated.

[0074] More specifically, the characteristics of the emitted laser include at least one of the following: the type of emitted laser, the wavelength of the emitted laser, and the power of the emitted laser.

[0075] By making the emitted laser characteristics include at least one of the following: the type of emitted laser, the wavelength of emitted laser, and the power of emitted laser, it is possible to flexibly select according to the type of material to be heated and the heating requirements to adapt to different heating scenarios.

[0076] As an alternative example, suppose the lasers emitted by heating arrays B1 and B2 have different laser characteristics. The laser emitted by heating array B1 is laser X1 with a wavelength of W1 and a power of E1, while the laser emitted by heating array B2 is laser X2 with a wavelength of W2 and a power of E2. In this way, heating beams with different wavelengths, laser types, and powers can be used to heat the same or different heating areas.

[0077] It should be noted that, firstly, the laser emission characteristics listed above are merely illustrative examples, used to illustrate that two different heating arrays can be used to heat the same or different heating areas; secondly, in some examples, even with the same heating array, different lasers can emit lasers with different characteristics.

[0078] As shown above, the heating process of the material to be heated varies depending on the heating requirements.

[0079] Specifically, the heating requirements of the area to be heated include using at least two heating arrays to process the same area, that is, using at least two heating arrays with different emitted laser characteristics to heat the same area to achieve composite heating in order to improve the processing effect.

[0080] In this case, the control unit can generate multiple heating control signals based on the area to be heated on the selected stage and the number of areas to be heated corresponding to the heating requirements of the area to be heated.

[0081] Specifically, when determining the heating requirements, including using at least two heating arrays to process the same area to be heated, it is necessary to make at least two heating arrays corresponding to the heating requirements work. Therefore, a heating control signal consistent with the number of areas to be heated can be generated to control the heating process of the heating arrays respectively.

[0082] In some embodiments, the control unit may output multiple heating control signals to corresponding multiple drive modules in the drive unit in the following manner:

[0083] Method 1: The control unit outputs multiple heating control signals simultaneously. That is, heating is applied to the same area to be heated at the same time.

[0084] Method 2: The control unit outputs multiple heating control signals according to a preset timing sequence. That is, during one heating process, the corresponding heating array is driven to emit light in a rotating manner.

[0085] Method 3: The control unit outputs multiple heating control signals according to a preset time ratio within the heating cycle. That is, during a heating process, one heating array illuminates for a certain period of time in the early stages, and the other heating arrays illuminate for the remaining periods.

[0086] For example, in a heating process, the first 90% of the time is spent heating with laser X1, and the last 10% of the time is spent annealing with laser X2, so that the heated material has better photoelectric properties.

[0087] Therefore, by adopting the above solution, various heating methods can be implemented based on heating requirements, resulting in better heating effects.

[0088] Depend on Figure 2 and Figure 3 As can be seen, both the heating array and the stage have multiple regions. Therefore, when the heating requirement of the area to be heated includes processing the same area using at least two heating arrays, it is necessary to change the relative position between the heating array and the stage, that is, the phase position between the heating array and the area to be heated, so that the same area to be heated receives lasers emitted from different heating arrays.

[0089] In this case, the control unit is also used to output motion control signals based on the position information between at least two heating arrays and the position information of the area to be heated, because each area to be heated on the stage corresponds to each heating area on the laser heating array.

[0090] Specifically, the location information of the area to be heated defines the area that needs to be heated, while the location information between at least two heating arrays indicates the heating array that needs to be driven. Based on at least three location information, the direction of movement and the distance of movement of the area to be heated can be determined so that the area to be heated moves into the heating area of ​​the heating array.

[0091] Accordingly, the laser heating circuit also includes a turntable assembly, disposed below the stage and electrically connected to the control unit, for generating a driving force to rotate the stage according to the motion control signal, so that the same area to be heated is located within the heating areas of at least two heating arrays.

[0092] Specifically, the motion control signal is determined based on the position information between at least two heating arrays and the position information of the area to be heated. Therefore, under the action of the motion control signal, the turntable assembly can drive the stage to move, thereby driving the material to be heated to move, so that the same area to be heated can be located within the heating area of ​​at least two corresponding heating arrays.

[0093] Assuming the heating requirement includes processing the same area to be heated using two heating arrays, and at the current moment the first heating array is used to heat the area to be heated, and the first heating array has a first position, the area to be heated has a second position, and the second heating array has a third position, then based on the first position, the second position, and the third position, the heating array can be driven to move so that the first position of the area to be heated corresponds to the third position of the second heating array, thereby allowing the second heating array to heat the area to be heated.

[0094] In some embodiments of this disclosure, see Figure 4The schematic diagram shown in this embodiment of the present disclosure illustrates the structure of a turntable assembly 140. The turntable assembly 140 may include: a controller 141, connected to the control unit 110, for generating a control signal consistent with the direction represented by the motion control signal according to the motion control signal; a driver 142, connected to the controller 141, for generating a drive electrical signal corresponding to the control signal; and a brake 143, connected to the driver 142 and the platform respectively, for generating a driving force to drive the platform to rotate according to the drive electrical signal.

[0095] Through the coordinated operation of the controller 141, the driver 142 and the brake 143, the stage can drive the movement of the material to be heated, and the movement process is easy to control, which can improve the consistency between one area of ​​the material to be heated and the heating array.

[0096] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the heating requirement of the area to be heated includes using a heating array to process the same area or multiple areas to be heated.

[0097] Accordingly, the control unit is used to generate a heating control signal based on one of the areas to be heated on the selected stage.

[0098] Specifically, when determining the heating requirements, including using a heating array to process the same area to be heated, it is necessary to make the heating array corresponding to the heating requirements work. Therefore, a heating control signal consistent with the number of areas to be heated can be generated to control the heating process of the heating array.

[0099] In some embodiments, the control unit may output the heating control signal to the corresponding drive module in the drive unit in the following manner:

[0100] Method 1: The control unit outputs heating control signals in a rotating manner during the heating cycle.

[0101] Method 2: The control unit cyclically outputs heating control signals within a preset time period.

[0102] Therefore, by adopting the above solution, various heating methods can be implemented based on heating requirements, resulting in better heating effects.

[0103] Depend on Figure 2 and Figure 3 As can be seen, both the heating array and the stage have multiple regions. Therefore, when the heating requirement of the area to be heated includes processing the same area using a heating array, it is necessary to determine the relative position between the heating array and the stage.

[0104] Specifically, the location information of the area to be heated defines the area that needs to be heated, while the location information of a heating array indicates the heating array that needs to be driven. Based on these two location information, the direction of movement and the distance of movement of the area to be heated can be determined so that the area to be heated moves into the heating area of ​​the heating array.

[0105] In some examples, a turntable assembly can be used so that one heating zone corresponds to one heating zone of the material to be heated.

[0106] In some embodiments of this disclosure, in order to ensure that the material to be heated can be heated correctly, a mapping relationship between the position of the material to be heated and the position of the heating array can also be established.

[0107] Specifically, each area to be heated on the stage has a corresponding first coordinate range, and the heating array on the laser heating unit has a corresponding second coordinate range. The first coordinate range and the second coordinate range have a preset mapping relationship.

[0108] In this way, by establishing a preset mapping relationship between the first coordinate range and the second coordinate range, the required heating area can be determined in real time based on the first coordinate range of the area to be heated. This ensures the uniqueness between the area to be heated and the heating area, and the area to be heated can be heated by the correct heating area.

[0109] In this case, an image acquisition device is set on the stage. The image acquisition device is used to acquire an image representing the position information of the material to be heated in the area to be heated, and to generate a corresponding image acquisition signal to the control unit. The control unit is used to determine the area to be heated on the selected stage according to the position information contained in the image acquisition signal and the input control signal, and to determine the driven heating array according to the position information, the preset mapping relationship, and the heating requirements of the area to be heated.

[0110] Specifically, the image acquisition device can collect the current position information of the area to be heated in real time, so that the control unit can determine whether the current position information of the area to be heated is consistent with the set position information. If they are consistent, the control unit can determine the driven heating array based on the area to be heated on the selected stage, the position information of the area to be heated, the preset mapping relationship, and the heating requirements of the area to be heated (indicating the number of heating arrays required), so as to achieve targeted heating.

[0111] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the surface temperature of the material to be heated can also be detected in real time to adjust the heating process.

[0112] Based on this, see Figure 5 The schematic diagram shown in this embodiment of the present disclosure is of another laser heating circuit. Figure 5As shown, the laser heating circuit 100 may further include:

[0113] The first temperature detector 150 is electrically connected to the control unit 110 and is used to detect the temperature of the material to be heated in the selected area to be heated, generate a corresponding first temperature detection signal, and output it to the control unit 110. The control unit 110 is also used to determine the detection temperature of the surface of the material to be heated based on the first temperature detection signal, and compare the detection temperature with the target temperature to adjust the heating control signal.

[0114] Specifically, when heating the selected area to be heated, the temperature of the heating area can be detected in real time, thereby generating a corresponding first temperature detection signal. Based on the first temperature detection signal, the control unit 110 can determine the detected temperature of the surface of the material to be heated and compare the detected temperature with the target temperature, thereby adjusting the heating control signal to change the output power of the laser heating unit 130.

[0115] Furthermore, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the inventors have discovered that if the local temperature of the laser heating circuit is too high, it will affect the stability of the heating beam, causing the power of the heating beam to change, which will affect the processing quality.

[0116] Based on this, see next. Figure 5 The laser heating circuit 100 may also include:

[0117] A second temperature detector 160 is disposed on the drive unit 120 and electrically connected to the control unit 110. It is used to detect the temperature of the drive unit 120 and generate a second temperature detection signal. The control unit 110 is also used to determine the current temperature value of the drive unit 120 based on the second temperature detection signal, and compare the current temperature value of the drive unit 120 with a first preset temperature value to generate a first temperature control adjustment signal. A temperature adjustment unit 180 is electrically connected to the control unit 110. It is used to select or disconnect the flow path of the cooling medium to the drive unit 120 based on the first temperature control adjustment signal, and to adjust the flow rate of the cooling medium based on the temperature of the cooling medium and the current temperature value of the drive unit 120.

[0118] Specifically, during the heating process of the material to be processed, the second temperature detector 160 can detect the temperature of the drive unit 120 in real time, such as the temperature of the drive module inside the drive unit 120, and then output a second temperature detection signal corresponding to the temperature of the drive unit 120 to the control unit 110. The control unit 110 can generate a first temperature control adjustment signal to the temperature adjustment unit 180 based on the relationship between the current temperature value of the drive unit 120 contained in the second temperature detection signal and the first preset temperature value.

[0119] At this time, the temperature regulation unit 180 can select (e.g., the current temperature value of the drive unit 120 exceeds the first preset temperature value) or disconnect (e.g., the current temperature value of the drive unit 120 is lower than the first preset temperature value) the flow path of the cooling medium to the drive unit 120 according to the first temperature control regulation signal. When the flow path is selected, the flow rate of the cooling medium is adjusted according to the temperature of the cooling medium and the current temperature value of the drive unit 120 to quickly cool down the drive unit 120, so that the drive unit 120 can operate at a safe temperature. As a result, the heating control signal generated by the drive unit 120 is more stable, thus improving the processing quality.

[0120] See next Figure 5 The laser heating circuit 100 may also include

[0121] A third temperature detector 170 is disposed on the laser heating unit 130 and electrically connected to the control unit 110. It is used to detect the temperature of the laser heating unit 130 and generate a third temperature detection signal. The control unit is also used to determine the current temperature value of the laser heating unit 130 based on the third temperature detection signal, and compare the current temperature value of the laser heating unit 130 with a second preset temperature value to generate a second temperature control adjustment signal. The temperature adjustment unit 180 is used to select or disconnect the flow path of the cooling medium to the laser heating unit 130 based on the second temperature control adjustment signal, and to adjust the flow rate of the cooling medium based on the temperature of the cooling medium and the current temperature value of the laser heating unit 130.

[0122] Specifically, during the heating process of the material to be processed, the third temperature detector 170 can detect the temperature of the laser heating unit 130 in real time, such as the temperature of the laser inside the laser heating unit 130, and then output a third temperature detection signal corresponding to the temperature of the laser heating unit 130 to the control unit 110. The control unit 110 can generate a second temperature control adjustment signal to the temperature adjustment unit 180 based on the relationship between the current temperature value of the laser heating unit 130 contained in the second temperature detection signal and the second preset temperature value.

[0123] At this time, the temperature regulation unit 180 can select (e.g., when the current temperature value of the laser heating unit 130 exceeds the second preset temperature value) or disconnect (e.g., when the current temperature value of the laser heating unit 130 is lower than the second preset temperature value) the flow path of the cooling medium to the laser heating unit 130 according to the second temperature control regulation signal. When the flow path is selected, the flow rate of the cooling medium is adjusted according to the temperature of the cooling medium and the current temperature value of the laser heating unit 130 to quickly cool down the laser heating unit 130, so that the laser heating unit 130 can operate at a safe temperature, thereby making the heating beam generated by the laser heating unit 130 more stable and thus improving the processing quality.

[0124] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the laser heating circuit 100 may further include a power supply unit 190, which is electrically connected to the laser heating unit 130, the control unit 110 and the driving unit 120 respectively, for providing operating voltage.

[0125] By providing power through an additional power supply unit 190, the laser heating unit 130, control unit 110, and drive unit 120 can obtain a stable operating voltage, thereby improving the operational stability of the laser heating circuit 100.

[0126] When the laser heating circuit 100 includes a power supply unit 190, the laser heating circuit may further include at least one of a current detection unit and a voltage detection unit, wherein: the current detection unit is disposed on the output branch of the power supply unit 190 and electrically connected to the control unit 110, and is used to detect the current value output by the power supply unit, generate a corresponding current detection signal, and output it to the control unit 110; the control unit 110 is also used to determine the current current value output by the power supply unit 190 according to the current detection signal, compare the current current value with a preset current value, and control the working process of the power supply unit 190 according to the comparison result.

[0127] A voltage detection unit is disposed on the output branch of the power supply unit 190 and electrically connected to the control unit 110. It is used to detect the voltage value output by the power supply unit, generate a corresponding voltage detection signal, and output it to the control unit 110. The control unit 110 is also used to determine the current voltage value output by the power supply unit 190 based on the voltage detection signal, compare the current voltage value with a preset voltage value, and control the working process of the power supply unit 190 based on the comparison result.

[0128] Furthermore, the laser heating circuit may also include: a fourth temperature detector, disposed on the power supply unit and electrically connected to the control unit, for detecting the temperature of the power supply unit and generating a third temperature detection signal; the control unit is further configured to determine the current temperature value of the power supply unit based on the third temperature detection signal, and compare the current temperature value of the power supply unit with a third preset temperature value to generate a third temperature control adjustment signal; the temperature adjustment unit is further configured to select or disconnect the flow path of the cooling medium to the power supply unit based on the third temperature control adjustment signal, and adjust the flow rate of the cooling medium based on the temperature of the cooling medium and the current temperature value of the power supply unit.

[0129] Specifically, during the heating process of the material to be processed, the fourth temperature detector can detect the temperature of the power supply unit in real time, and then output a fourth temperature detection signal corresponding to the temperature of the power supply unit to the control unit. The control unit can generate a third temperature control adjustment signal to the temperature adjustment unit based on the relationship between the current temperature value of the power supply unit contained in the fourth temperature detection signal and the third preset temperature value.

[0130] At this time, the temperature regulation unit can select (e.g., the current temperature value of the power supply unit exceeds the third preset temperature value) or disconnect (e.g., the current temperature value of the power supply unit is lower than the third preset temperature value) the flow path of the cooling medium to the power supply unit according to the third temperature control regulation signal. When the flow path is selected, the flow rate of the cooling medium is adjusted according to the temperature of the cooling medium and the current temperature value of the power supply unit to quickly cool down the power supply unit, so that the laser heating unit 130 can operate at a safe temperature, thereby making the heating beam generated by the laser heating unit more stable and thus improving the processing quality.

[0131] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the cooling medium may include at least one of water, ethylene glycol, fluorinated liquid, and air.

[0132] In one specific embodiment, the temperature control unit may refer to a water chiller system, in which case the cooling medium is water.

[0133] It is understood that the above description provides multiple embodiment solutions, and the optional methods described in each embodiment solution can be combined and cross-referenced with each other without conflict, thereby extending to a variety of possible embodiment solutions, all of which can be considered as the embodiment solutions disclosed in this disclosure.

[0134] This disclosure also provides a laser heating method, which can be applied to the laser heating circuit described in any of the foregoing examples. The laser heating circuit can be used to heat the material to be heated placed on a stage, and the stage is divided into multiple areas to be heated.

[0135] In some embodiments of this disclosure, see Figure 6 The flowchart of a laser heating method in an embodiment of this disclosure is shown below. Figure 6 As shown, it may include the following steps:

[0136] S11, Based on the selected area to be heated on the stage and the heating requirements of the area to be heated, a corresponding heating control signal is generated.

[0137] S12, in response to the heating control signal, outputs a corresponding drive signal to the heating array corresponding to the selected area to be heated.

[0138] S13, according to the driving signal, heat at least one region of the material to be heated.

[0139] Using the laser heating method described in the above example, on the one hand, the stage is divided into multiple areas to be heated, and the material to be heated is placed on the stage, so the current heating area of ​​the material to be heated can be determined based on the areas to be heated; on the other hand, the laser heating unit can have multiple heating arrays, thus enabling mapping between multiple heating arrays and multiple areas to be heated. In this way, according to the selected area to be heated on the stage and the heating requirements of the area to be heated, a heating control signal can be generated, and in response to the heating control signal, a corresponding drive signal can be output to the heating array corresponding to the selected area to be heated, thereby enabling targeted heating of the selected area to be heated, so that the heated material has better characteristics, thus improving the processing quality of the material to be processed.

[0140] It should be noted that the terms "first" and "second" in the embodiments of this disclosure are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of the invention described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein.

[0141] While the embodiments disclosed above are provided, the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can make various modifications and alterations without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention; therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A laser heating circuit, characterized in that: Used to heat a material to be heated placed on a stage, the stage being divided into a plurality of areas to be heated, the laser heating circuit comprising: a laser heating unit, a control unit, a drive unit and a turntable assembly, wherein: The laser heating unit has a plurality of heating arrays, each of which is used to heat at least one area of ​​the material to be heated according to a driving signal, and each of which includes a plurality of lasers, wherein at least two of the lasers of the heating arrays have different laser emission characteristics, and each area to be heated on the stage has a corresponding first coordinate range, and each of the heating arrays on the laser heating unit has a corresponding second coordinate range, and the first coordinate range and the second coordinate range have a preset mapping relationship; The control unit is coupled to the driving unit and is used to generate a corresponding heating control signal according to the selected area to be heated on the stage and the heating requirement of the area to be heated, and output the signal to the driving unit, wherein when the heating requirement of the area to be heated includes processing the same area to be heated using at least two heating arrays, the control unit is used to output a motion control signal according to the position information between the at least two heating arrays and the position information of the area to be heated, and the motion control signal includes the motion direction and the motion distance value of the area to be heated; The driving unit is coupled to the laser heating unit, and includes a plurality of driving modules corresponding to the heating areas one by one, wherein the driving modules are used to output corresponding driving signals to the heating array corresponding to the selected area to be heated in response to the heating control signal; The turntable assembly is arranged below the stage and is electrically connected to the control unit, and is used to generate a driving force for driving the stage to rotate according to the motion control signal, so that the same area to be heated is located within the heating areas of at least two heating arrays.

2. The laser heating circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The emitted laser characteristics include at least one of the type of the emitted laser, the wavelength band of the emitted laser, and the power of the emitted laser.

3. The laser heating circuit according to claim 2, characterized in that: The heating requirement of the area to be heated includes using at least two heating arrays to process the same area to be heated; The control unit is used to generate multiple heating control signals according to the selected heating area on the loading platform and the number of heating areas corresponding to the heating requirements of the heating areas, and the control unit outputs the multiple heating control signals to the corresponding multiple driving modules in the driving unit by at least one of simultaneous output, output according to a preset timing, and output according to a preset time ratio during a heating cycle.

4. The laser heating circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The turntable assembly comprises: A controller connected to the control unit, and configured to generate a control signal consistent with a representation direction of the motion control signal according to the motion control signal; A driver, connected to the controller, and configured to generate a driving electrical signal corresponding to the control signal; The brake is connected to the driver and the stage respectively, and is used to generate a driving force for driving the stage to rotate according to the driving electrical signal.

5. The laser heating circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: An image collector is provided on the stage, and the image collector is used to obtain an image representing the position information of the material to be heated in the area to be heated, and generate a corresponding image acquisition signal to the control unit; The control unit is used to determine the selected area to be heated on the stage according to the position information contained in the image acquisition signal and the input control signal, and to determine the driven heating array according to the position information and the preset mapping relationship and the heating requirement of the area to be heated.

6. The laser heating circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: A first temperature detector, electrically connected to the control unit, for detecting the temperature of the material to be heated in the selected area to be heated, generating a corresponding first temperature detection signal, and outputting the signal to the control unit; The control unit is further used to determine the detected temperature of the surface of the material to be heated according to the first temperature detection signal, and compare the detected temperature with the target temperature to adjust the heating control signal.

7. The laser heating circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: a second temperature detector, disposed on the driving unit and electrically connected to the control unit, for detecting the temperature of the driving unit and generating a second temperature detection signal; a third temperature detector, disposed on the laser heating unit and electrically connected to the control unit, for detecting the temperature of the laser heating unit and generating a third temperature detection signal; The control unit is further used to determine the current temperature value of the drive unit according to the second temperature detection signal, and compare the current temperature value of the drive unit with a first preset temperature value to generate a first temperature control adjustment signal; and is also used to determine the current temperature value of the laser heating unit according to the third temperature detection signal, and compare the current temperature value of the laser heating unit with a second preset temperature value to generate a second temperature control adjustment signal; A temperature regulating unit is electrically connected to the control unit, and is used to enable or disconnect the flow path of the cooling medium to the driving unit according to the first temperature control regulating signal, and to adjust the flow rate of the cooling medium according to the temperature of the cooling medium and the current temperature value of the driving unit; and is used to enable or disconnect the flow path of the cooling medium to the laser heating unit according to the second temperature control regulating signal, and to adjust the flow rate of the cooling medium according to the temperature of the cooling medium and the current temperature value of the laser heating unit.

8. The laser heating circuit according to claim 7, characterized in that: Also includes: A power supply unit is electrically connected to the laser heating unit, the control unit and the driving unit respectively, and is used to provide a working voltage.

9. The laser heating circuit according to claim 8, characterized in that: Also includes: a current detection unit, arranged on the output branch of the power supply unit and electrically connected to the control unit, for detecting the current value output by the power supply unit, generating a corresponding current detection signal, and outputting the signal to the control unit; A voltage detection unit, disposed on an output branch of the power supply unit and electrically connected to the control unit, for detecting a voltage value output by the power supply unit, generating a corresponding voltage detection signal, and outputting the signal to the control unit; The control unit is further used to determine the current current value output by the power supply unit according to the current detection signal, compare the current current value with a preset current value, and control the working process of the power supply unit according to the comparison result; and / or, is also used to determine the current voltage value output by the power supply unit according to the voltage detection signal, compare the current voltage value with a preset voltage value, and control the working process of the power supply unit according to the comparison result.

10. The laser heating circuit according to claim 8, characterized in that: Also includes: a fourth temperature detector, disposed on the power supply unit and electrically connected to the control unit, for detecting the temperature of the power supply unit and generating a fourth temperature detection signal; The control unit is further used to determine the current temperature value of the power supply unit according to the fourth temperature detection signal, and compare the current temperature value of the power supply unit with a third preset temperature value to generate a third temperature control adjustment signal; The temperature regulating unit is also used to enable or disconnect the flow path of the cooling medium to the power supply unit according to the third temperature control regulation signal, and to adjust the flow rate of the cooling medium according to the temperature of the cooling medium and the current temperature value of the power supply unit.

11. A laser heating method, characterized in that: The laser heating circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is used to heat a material to be heated placed on a stage, the stage being divided into a plurality of areas to be heated, and the laser heating method comprises: Generate a corresponding heating control signal according to the selected area to be heated on the stage and the heating requirement of the area to be heated; In response to the heating control signal, output a corresponding driving signal to a heating array corresponding to the selected area to be heated; At least one area of ​​the material to be heated is heated according to the driving signal.

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