An automatic beam alignment method, system, laser cutting machine, and storage medium based on laser cutting.

Abstract

The application provides a kind of laser cutting based light beam automatic centering method, system, laser cutting machine and storage medium, belong to laser cutting technical field, before executing laser cutting, install nozzle;Control laser cutting head moves to light source above;Turn on light source, shoot nozzle image, analyze nozzle image, get nozzle center and radius;Execute laser cutting process, real-time acquisition molten pool center position, and monitor the relative position of molten pool center and nozzle center;If the offset distance of the molten pool center and the nozzle center is greater than the preset offset threshold, then it is judged that the nozzle center is not centered, and recorded in memory, and control lens movement to realize centering.The application can realize automatic centering, improve laser centering efficiency, reduce the error caused by manual operation.When deviation occurs, automatically adjust the centering in real time to ensure the consistency of cutting quality, effectively prevent the phenomenon of slag, burr and other phenomena during cutting.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of laser cutting technology, and particularly relates to an automatic beam alignment method, system, laser cutting machine and storage medium based on laser cutting. Background Technology

[0002] Laser cutting refers to the process where a laser beam, focused by a lens inside the laser cutting head, is projected onto the material surface through the nozzle of the laser cutting head, generating heat to complete the cutting process. During the cutting process, to ensure cutting quality, the laser should normally be centered within the nozzle—a process known as alignment in laser cutting. If the laser deviates from the nozzle center, it will reduce the nozzle's lifespan, and in severe cases, burn it out. It will also cause problems such as slag buildup and burrs on the processed parts. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the laser alignment in real time during the cutting process and adjust it promptly if the laser deviates from the nozzle center.

[0003] In existing technologies, adhesive tape is adhered to the nozzle surface, a low-power laser is used to spot-shoot the tape, and the position of the holes formed by the spot-shooting is observed within the nozzle to determine if the laser is aligned. This method needs to be performed before cutting and cannot monitor the laser alignment in real time during the cutting process, affecting the laser cutting quality and precision. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides an automatic beam alignment method based on laser cutting, which can ensure that the laser beam is always kept in the optimal alignment state during the laser cutting process, and ensure that the laser is located at the center of the nozzle, thereby improving cutting accuracy and processing quality.

[0005] The methods include:

[0006] S101. Before performing laser cutting, install the nozzle and configure the nozzle information;

[0007] S102. Control the laser cutting head to move above the light source, and then lower the laser cutting head to a preset height position relative to the light source;

[0008] S103. Turn on the light source, capture an image of the nozzle, analyze the nozzle image to obtain the center and radius of the nozzle, move the laser cutting head above the plate, and prepare to perform the cutting operation.

[0009] S104. Execute the laser cutting process, obtain the center position of the molten pool in real time, and monitor the relative position between the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle.

[0010] S105. If the offset distance between the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle is greater than a preset offset threshold, it is determined that the nozzle center is not aligned, and the information is recorded in the memory. At the same time, an alignment prompt message is issued.

[0011] It should be further noted that in step S103, the method of parsing the nozzle image includes: enhancing the nozzle image and adjusting the brightness and contrast of the nozzle image.

[0012] The nozzle image is converted into a grayscale image, and edge detection is performed on the grayscale image to obtain the nozzle edge contour information;

[0013] Based on the contour information, a circular curve is fitted to obtain the center and radius of the nozzle.

[0014] It should be further explained that in the method, grayscale conversion is performed based on the HSV color space to segment the molten pool region and determine the head and tail positions of the molten pool region.

[0015] Obtain the center of the molten pool head as the molten pool center.

[0016] It should be further explained that in the method, a coordinate system is defined in the laser cutting area, and the coordinates of the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle are obtained based on the coordinate system;

[0017] Determine if the center coordinates (x, y) of the molten pool are all greater than 0;

[0018] If all values ​​are greater than 0, then the offset distance between the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle is determined to be greater than the preset offset threshold.

[0019] It should be further explained that the offset distance between the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle is determined based on the following formula.

[0020]

[0021] Where A(x1,y1) represents the coordinates of the center of the molten pool, and B(x2,y2) represents the coordinates of the center of the nozzle.

[0022] It should be further noted that, in the method, the number of times the offset distance between the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle is greater than a preset offset threshold is recorded;

[0023] If the number of times is greater than or equal to the preset number of times, it is determined that the cutting position of the current laser cutting head has deviated, and a correction process is executed to adjust the coordinate position of the nozzle center so that the offset distance between the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle is within the preset offset threshold range.

[0024] It should be further explained that, in the method, the average coordinate of the molten pool center in N laser misalignment records is calculated as the starting coordinate for adjustment. The calculation formula is as follows:

[0025]

[0026] Where, x avgThe x-axis coordinate of the center of the molten pool is the average value, and the y-axis coordinate is the average value. avg The x-axis represents the average value of the y-coordinate of the center of the molten pool. i y i This represents the coordinates of the center of the molten pool in the N laser misalignment records.

[0027] This application also provides an automatic beam alignment system based on laser cutting, the system including: a nozzle mounting device, a laser head control module, an image analysis module, a position monitoring module, an alignment judgment module, and a memory;

[0028] A nozzle mounting device is used to install nozzles into a laser cutting machine and configure nozzle information before performing laser cutting.

[0029] The laser head control module is used to control the laser cutting head to move above the light source and to descend to a preset height position from the light source;

[0030] The image analysis module is used to control the light source to turn on and control the industrial camera to capture images of the nozzle. The nozzle images are analyzed to obtain the center and radius of the nozzle, and the laser cutting head is moved above the plate to prepare for the cutting operation.

[0031] The position monitoring module is used to execute the laser cutting process, obtain the center position of the molten pool in real time, and monitor the relative position of the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle.

[0032] The alignment judgment module is used to determine that when the offset distance between the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle is greater than a preset offset threshold, the nozzle center is considered to be misaligned, and the error is recorded in the memory, while a misalignment prompt message is issued.

[0033] According to another embodiment of this application, a laser cutting machine is provided, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the program to implement the steps of an automatic beam alignment method based on laser cutting.

[0034] According to another embodiment of this application, a storage medium is also provided, on which a computer program is stored, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the laser-cut-based automatic beam alignment method.

[0035] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0036] The automatic beam alignment method for laser cutting disclosed in this application acquires the position of the molten pool center in real time during the laser cutting process and monitors the relative position between the molten pool center and the nozzle center. If the offset distance between the molten pool center and the nozzle center exceeds a preset offset threshold, it is determined that the nozzle center is not aligned, and this is recorded in the memory, while a misalignment warning message is issued. In this way, by monitoring the relative position between the molten pool center and the nozzle center in real time and recording and issuing warnings when the offset exceeds the preset threshold, it is ensured that the laser beam remains in an optimal alignment state during the laser cutting process, ensuring that the laser is located at the nozzle center, thereby improving cutting accuracy and processing quality.

[0037] This application reduces waste caused by inaccurate cutting by enabling timely detection and correction of beam deviation, thereby improving production efficiency and material utilization. Furthermore, automated monitoring and adjustment reduce the need for manual intervention and enhance the automation level of the production line. Attached Figure Description

[0038] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0039] Figure 1 The flowchart shows a laser-cut-based automatic beam alignment method.

[0040] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a ring-shaped LED light source;

[0041] Figure 3 Example image of a nozzle;

[0042] Figure 4 Example diagram for nozzle calibration;

[0043] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of automatic beam alignment during laser cutting.

[0044] Figure 6 Example image of a normally cut molten pool;

[0045] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the molten pool during the piercing process;

[0046] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of an abnormally cut molten pool image. Detailed Implementation

[0047] The following details the steps of the automatic beam alignment method based on laser cutting provided in this application. Specific details, such as particular system structures and techniques, are set forth for illustrative purposes and not for limitation, to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of this application. However, those skilled in the art will understand that this application can also be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details.

[0048] In the laser-cut-based automatic beam alignment method provided in this application, the term "comprising" as used in the specification indicates the presence of the described feature, integral, step, operation, element, and / or component, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or collections thereof. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof all mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0049] It should be understood that "one or more" as mentioned in this application refers to one, two, or more, and "multiple" as mentioned in this application refers to two or more. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " means "or," for example, A / B can mean A or B. The "and / or" in this document is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone.

[0050] The terms "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" used in this application mean that one or more embodiments of this application include the specific features, structures, or characteristics described in that embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of this application do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0051] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0052] Please see Figure 1 The diagram shows a flowchart of an automatic beam alignment method based on laser cutting in a specific embodiment. The method includes:

[0053] S101. Before performing laser cutting, install the nozzle and configure the nozzle information.

[0054] In some embodiments, nozzles are installed on the laser cutting head of the laser cutting machine according to the cutting process parameters. Nozzle information is configured into the laser cutting machine. Nozzle information may include, but is not limited to, nozzle model, nozzle center point, and radius.

[0055] S102. Control the laser cutting head to move above the light source, and lower the laser cutting head to a preset height position away from the light source.

[0056] In some embodiments, the laser cutting head is precisely moved above the light source using the mechanical positioning system of the laser cutting machine. Then, based on the design parameters of the nozzle and the light source, the control system sets the laser cutting head to descend to a preset height position, which ensures that the light source can illuminate the inside of the nozzle.

[0057] S103. Turn on the light source, capture an image of the nozzle, analyze the nozzle image to obtain the center and radius of the nozzle, move the laser cutting head above the plate, and prepare to perform the cutting operation.

[0058] In this embodiment, the laser or light source can be turned on, followed by the high-resolution camera. The camera can capture a clear image of the nozzle, ensuring that the image includes the entire outline of the nozzle.

[0059] Optionally, this embodiment utilizes image processing algorithms to analyze the nozzle image and extract the center coordinates and radius of the nozzle. The image processing algorithm can be an edge detection algorithm or a Hough transform algorithm, etc.

[0060] In this embodiment, based on the nozzle position information obtained from the analysis, the laser cutting head is controlled to move above the material to be cut and adjusted to a suitable cutting height.

[0061] S104. Execute the laser cutting process, obtain the center position of the molten pool in real time, and monitor the relative position between the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle.

[0062] According to embodiments of this application, a laser cutting process can be executed according to preset parameters such as cutting power, cutting speed, and gas flow rate. The center position of the molten pool formed during the cutting process is monitored in real time using a high-speed camera or infrared sensor. The real-time acquired center position of the molten pool is compared with the nozzle center position obtained in step S103 to calculate the relative offset between the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle.

[0063] S105. If the offset distance between the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle is greater than a preset offset threshold, it is determined that the nozzle center is not aligned, and the information is recorded in the memory. At the same time, an alignment prompt message is issued.

[0064] In this embodiment, the calculated offset distance is compared with a preset offset threshold. If the offset distance is greater than the threshold, it is considered that the nozzle center is not aligned and the position needs to be adjusted so that the offset distance between the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle is within the preset offset threshold range.

[0065] This embodiment can also record misalignment situations in the laser cutting machine's memory for subsequent analysis and improvement. Simultaneously, misalignment alerts are sent to the operator via display screen, audible alarm, or other means, prompting them to check and adjust.

[0066] In some specific embodiments, monitoring the relative position of the molten pool center and the nozzle center is a crucial step affecting cutting quality. Maintaining the relative position of the molten pool center and the nozzle center within a preset range ensures cutting quality and stability. The following is a detailed method for this monitoring:

[0067] This embodiment utilizes a high-speed camera to monitor the process of the molten pool center and the nozzle center in real time.

[0068] Specifically, cameras with high frame rates and high resolutions, ranging from tens of thousands to millions of frames per second, can be used to ensure that the rapidly changing state information of the molten pool can be clearly captured.

[0069] In this embodiment, the light source is turned on, an image of the nozzle is captured, the nozzle image is analyzed to obtain the center and radius of the nozzle, and the laser cutting head is moved above the plate to prepare for the cutting operation.

[0070] Alternatively, a high-speed camera can be mounted at an appropriate location on the laser cutting machine, typically near the nozzle, to clearly capture the molten pool area. The camera lens should be positioned at a specific angle and distance from the molten pool area to obtain the best imaging results.

[0071] In this embodiment, a semi-transparent mirror or beam splitter is placed in the optical path of the laser beam, allowing the laser source to pass through while the reflected light signal from the molten pool region is transmitted back. The image of the molten pool is then captured by a high-speed camera placed coaxially. This reduces image distortion caused by shooting angle and position, improving monitoring accuracy.

[0072] Optionally, a suitable filter type and wavelength range can be selected based on the radiation characteristics of the molten pool.

[0073] This embodiment can continuously capture images of the molten pool area.

[0074] The acquired nozzle and molten pool images are preprocessed, including noise reduction, contrast enhancement, and background subtraction, to improve image quality and highlight the center and radius of the nozzle and the features of the molten pool.

[0075] This embodiment can use image processing algorithms such as edge detection, threshold segmentation, and morphological processing to extract the center and radius of the nozzle and the features of the molten pool.

[0076] Based on the extracted coordinates of the molten pool center and the nozzle center, the relative positional relationship between them is calculated. Optionally, image processing software or a self-developed algorithm can be used to perform the position calculation.

[0077] This embodiment can display the calculated offset on the interface in real time for operators to monitor. The interface can be designed as an intuitive chart or numerical display. Alternatively, it can be based on a communication module to transmit the monitoring data to the user terminal.

[0078] In this embodiment, an offset threshold can be set according to the cutting process. When the offset exceeds the threshold, an alarm will be automatically issued to alert the operator.

[0079] This embodiment allows operators to adjust the nozzle position or laser cutting parameters in real-time based on monitored offset, ensuring the molten pool center remains aligned with the nozzle center. Alternatively, it can automatically adjust the laser cutting head position to re-align the nozzle, ensuring the molten pool center remains aligned with the nozzle center.

[0080] The automatic beam alignment method based on laser cutting provided in this embodiment acquires the center position of the molten pool in real time during the laser cutting process and monitors the relative position between the molten pool center and the nozzle center. If the offset distance between the molten pool center and the nozzle center is greater than a preset offset threshold, it is determined that the nozzle center is not aligned, and this is recorded in the memory, while a misalignment prompt message is issued. In this way, laser alignment is monitored in real time during the laser cutting process, and alignment adjustments are made in real time when the laser deviates, ensuring that the laser is located at the nozzle center, thereby effectively improving the laser cutting quality.

[0081] Furthermore, as a refinement and extension of the specific implementation of the above embodiments, in order to fully illustrate the specific implementation process in this embodiment, the automatic beam alignment method based on laser cutting includes the following specific steps: before performing laser cutting, a nozzle is installed and nozzle information is configured.

[0082] S2001. Move the laser cutting head above the light source and control the laser cutting head to descend to a distance of 2cm to 3cm above the light source.

[0083] Optionally, the light source is a ring-shaped LED light source, as shown in the attached image. Figure 2 As shown, it is fixed to the edge of the machine tool headstock and is used to illuminate the nozzle.

[0084] S2002, Turn on the light source.

[0085] S2003. Start the industrial camera, set the camera exposure to 100000μs and the gain to 10dB, and capture an image of the nozzle, as shown in the attached image. Figure 3 As shown.

[0086] S2004. Enhance the nozzle image to improve its brightness and contrast, and convert the image to grayscale.

[0087] Edge detection is performed on the grayscale image to obtain the nozzle edge contour. A circular curve is then fitted to the nozzle edge contour to obtain the nozzle's center and radius. The recognition results are shown in the attached figure. Figure 4 As shown.

[0088] S2005. Turn off the light source and move the laser cutting head above the material to prepare for cutting. Cutting can be done in batches or individually.

[0089] It should be noted that after each nozzle replacement, the nozzle needs to be recalibrated to determine the center coordinates and radius of the new nozzle.

[0090] S2006. During laser cutting, the center of the molten pool is detected in real time, and the relative position of the molten pool with respect to the nozzle center is monitored. When the offset distance between the molten pool center and the nozzle center exceeds a threshold, automatic centering is performed. The specific steps are as follows: Figure 5 As shown.

[0091] S2007, set the industrial camera exposure to 5000μs and gain to 0dB.

[0092] S2008. Set the cutting parameters and start the cutting process.

[0093] S2009. During the cutting process, the molten pool image is acquired in real time, and the normal cutting molten pool image is selected, while the molten pool images during the piercing process and the abnormal cutting molten pool images are filtered out.

[0094] In this embodiment, the image of the molten pool is extracted based on the center and radius of the nozzle, as shown in the attached figure. Figure 6 , Figure 7 as well as Figure 8 The image of the molten pool region shown is used to identify the molten pool image during normal cutting, the molten pool image during the piercing process, and the molten pool image during abnormal cutting through an image classification algorithm.

[0095] Alternatively, to meet real-time requirements, a lightweight MobileNet convolutional neural network, or the MobileOne model, or the ShuffleNet model can be used to implement the image classification algorithm.

[0096] This embodiment provides a normal image of the cut molten pool, as shown in the attached image. Figure 6As shown, the molten pool region can be precisely segmented based on HSV color space extraction, grayscale conversion, and contour extraction. Then, the head and tail positions of the molten pool are determined, and the center of the molten pool head is obtained, thus yielding the coordinates of the molten pool center. For the molten pool image during the drilling process, see the attached diagram. Figure 7 As shown, and the image of the abnormally cut molten pool, as attached. Figure 8 As shown, do not perform any processing and continue with this step.

[0097] In some embodiments, the melt pool region is extracted based on the HSV color space, and grayscale conversion and contour extraction operations are performed to segment a precise melt pool region. The head and tail positions of the melt pool are determined, and the center of the melt pool head position is obtained, thereby obtaining the center coordinates of the melt pool. The following is an exemplary description of the melt pool region extraction process based on the HSV color space.

[0098] The HSV color space involved in this embodiment consists of three components: hue (H), saturation (S), and value (V). Compared with the RGB color space, HSV more intuitively reflects the essential attributes of color and is easier to perform color segmentation.

[0099] This embodiment converts the molten pool image from the RGB color space to the HSV color space. In the HSV space, appropriate threshold ranges for hue (H), saturation (S), and brightness (V) can be set based on the color characteristics of the molten pool (such as red, orange, etc.) in the molten pool image. Using these threshold ranges, a mask is created in the HSV image, containing only pixels that meet the specified conditions.

[0100] The mask is applied to the original molten pool image, and the molten pool region is extracted through bitwise operations.

[0101] The grayscale conversion in this embodiment can be achieved using a weighted average method.

[0102] Optionally, the grayscale conversion formula is: Gray = 0.3R + 0.6G + 0.116B.

[0103] This embodiment can also use the findContours contour detection function in OpenCV, an image processing library, to extract contours from the binary image of the molten pool region. After contour extraction, the boundary information of the molten pool region can be obtained.

[0104] This embodiment uses morphological operations to preprocess the contour in order to more accurately identify the head and tail positions of the molten pool.

[0105] The head and tail positions of the molten pool are determined based on its aspect ratio, area, convex hull shape, and location. The head and tail positions can be determined based on the geometric features of the contour.

[0106] To obtain the center coordinates of the molten pool head, we first determine the outline of the molten pool head, and then calculate its centroid by calculating the weighted average position of all pixels within that outline. The centroid coordinates are the center coordinates of the molten pool head, and also an approximation of the center coordinates of the entire molten pool.

[0107] S2010. Determine whether the center coordinates (x, y) of the molten pool are all greater than 0. If they are all greater than 0, proceed to step S2011; otherwise, continue to step S2009.

[0108] S2011. Calculate the offset distance between the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle. The formula for the distance is:

[0109]

[0110] Where A(x1,y1) represents the coordinates of the center of the molten pool, and B(x2,y2) represents the coordinates of the center of the nozzle.

[0111] S2012. If the offset distance between the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle is greater than the threshold, it is determined that the laser is misaligned and recorded in the memory.

[0112] As one embodiment of this application, the offset distance threshold can be set according to cutting requirements and cutting precision, etc. Within the threshold range, even if the laser has a certain degree of offset, there will be no cutting quality problem.

[0113] The contents recorded in the memory include the coordinates of the center of the molten pool and the offset distance between the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle.

[0114] During the cutting process, if an offset distance exceeds the threshold once, it may not affect the cutting quality. Therefore, if an offset distance exceeds the threshold once or multiple times, it will only be recorded and no adjustment process will be performed.

[0115] In this embodiment, a preset number of laser misalignments can be recorded. If the preset number of misalignments is reached, it is considered to affect the cutting quality, and an adjustment process needs to be performed to ensure that the offset distance between the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle is within the threshold range.

[0116] For example, the preset number of misalignment attempts can be set to 6. If the number of attempts exceeds 6, it is confirmed that there is indeed a laser misalignment problem, and an alignment operation needs to be performed.

[0117] S2013. Calculate the average coordinates of the molten pool center from the 6 laser misalignment records, and use this as the starting coordinate for adjustment. The calculation formula is:

[0118]

[0119] Where, x avg The x-axis coordinate of the center of the molten pool is the average value, and the y-axis coordinate is the average value. avg The x-axis represents the average value of the y-coordinate of the center of the molten pool. i y i (i = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) represent the coordinates of the molten pool center in the records of 6 laser misalignments. The final coordinates of the alignment adjustment are the coordinates of the nozzle center.

[0120] S2014. By controlling the internal alignment device of the laser cutting head, the moving position of the internal lens of the laser cutting head is adjusted, and the laser beam is moved from the starting coordinate to the center coordinate of the nozzle, so that the laser is located at the center of the nozzle, and the laser misalignment record stored in the memory is cleared.

[0121] It should be noted that the laser cutting head does not need to be stopped during the laser beam adjustment process, and no operator intervention is required; the laser cutting head will continue to perform the cutting task normally.

[0122] In this embodiment, the operator can reasonably set the number of times the laser misalignment is recorded based on the cutting system, laser cutting head model, cutting quality requirements, etc.

[0123] S2015. If the offset distance between the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle is less than the threshold, clear the laser misalignment record in the memory and execute step S2009.

[0124] During the batch cutting process, steps S2009 to S2015 are continuously executed until the cutting is completed.

[0125] The entire cutting process requires no operator intervention. The method of this invention monitors the laser alignment during the cutting process and automatically adjusts the laser beam to position it at the center of the nozzle when the offset distance is exceeded.

[0126] The automatic beam alignment method based on laser cutting provided in this embodiment acquires the center position of the molten pool in real time during the laser cutting process and monitors the relative position between the molten pool center and the nozzle center. If the offset distance between the molten pool center and the nozzle center is greater than a preset offset threshold, it is determined that the nozzle center is not aligned, and this is recorded in the memory, while a misalignment prompt message is issued. In this way, laser alignment is monitored in real time during the laser cutting process, and alignment adjustments are made in real time when the laser deviates, ensuring that the laser is located at the nozzle center, thereby effectively improving the laser cutting quality.

[0127] The following are embodiments of the automatic beam alignment system based on laser cutting provided in this disclosure. This system and the automatic beam alignment method based on laser cutting in the above embodiments belong to the same inventive concept. For details not described in detail in the embodiments of the automatic beam alignment system based on laser cutting, please refer to the embodiments of the automatic beam alignment method based on laser cutting described above.

[0128] The system includes: a nozzle mounting device, a laser head control module, an image analysis module, a position monitoring module, an alignment judgment module, and a memory;

[0129] A nozzle mounting device is used to install nozzles into a laser cutting machine and configure nozzle information before performing laser cutting.

[0130] The laser head control module is used to control the laser cutting head to move above the light source and to descend to a preset height position from the light source.

[0131] The image analysis module controls the light source to turn on and controls the industrial camera to capture images of the nozzle. It analyzes the nozzle images to obtain the center and radius of the nozzle, and moves the laser cutting head above the material to prepare for the cutting operation.

[0132] The position monitoring module is used to execute the laser cutting process, obtain the real-time position of the center of the molten pool, and monitor the relative position of the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle.

[0133] The alignment judgment module is used to determine that when the offset distance between the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle is greater than a preset offset threshold, the nozzle center is considered to be misaligned, and the error is recorded in the memory, while a misalignment prompt message is issued.

[0134] The automatic beam alignment method based on laser cutting involved in this application can also be applied to a specific laser cutting machine.

[0135] Laser cutting machines may include processors, memory interfaces, memory, universal serial bus interfaces, wireless communication modules, audio modules, speakers, sensors, buttons, displays, etc.

[0136] The processor may include one or more processing units, such as: a central processing unit (CPU), an application processor (AP), a modem processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a controller, memory, a video codec, a digital signal processor (DSP), a baseband processor, and / or a neural network processing unit (NPU). Different processing units may be independent devices or integrated into one or more processors.

[0137] The processor can be the nerve center and command center of the laser cutting machine. The controller can generate operation control signals based on the instruction opcode and timing signals to complete the control of instruction fetching and execution.

[0138] Memory is used to store executable program code, which includes instructions. The processor executes various functional applications and data processing of the laser cutting machine by running the instructions stored in the internal memory.

[0139] The automatic beam alignment method based on laser cutting disclosed in this application comprises the unit and algorithm steps of various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein. These steps can be implemented in electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, the components and steps of each example have been generally described in terms of functionality in the foregoing description. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this invention.

[0140] The steps of the laser-cut-based automatic beam alignment method can also be stored in a storage medium. In some possible implementations, various aspects of this disclosure can also be implemented as a program product comprising program code that, when run on a terminal device, causes the terminal device to perform the steps described in the "Exemplary Methods" section of this specification according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0141] The storage medium may be any combination of one or more readable media. A readable medium may be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. A readable storage medium may be, for example,, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any combination thereof. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of readable storage media include: electrical connections having one or more wires, portable disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0142] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method of automatic centering of a laser cutting based light beam, characterized in that, The method comprises: S101, before performing laser cutting, installing a nozzle and configuring nozzle information; S102, controlling the laser cutting head to move above the light source and lowering the laser cutting head to a preset height position away from the light source; S103, turning on the light source, shooting a nozzle image, analyzing the nozzle image to obtain the center and radius of the nozzle, moving the laser cutting head above the plate to prepare for cutting operation; S104, performing laser cutting process, obtaining the center position of the molten pool in real time, and monitoring the relative position of the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle; S105, if the offset distance between the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle is greater than a preset offset threshold, it is judged that the center of the nozzle is not centered, and the record is recorded in the memory, and an out-of-center prompt information is sent out; In the method, the HSV color space is used for gray scale conversion, the molten pool area is segmented, and the head position and tail position of the molten pool area are determined; The center of the head position of the molten pool is obtained as the center of the molten pool; In the method, a coordinate system is defined in the laser cutting area, and the coordinates of the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle are obtained based on the coordinate system; It is judged whether the coordinate values (x, y) of the center of the molten pool are greater than 0; If they are all greater than 0, it is judged that the offset distance between the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle is greater than a preset offset threshold; In the method, the average value of the center coordinates of the molten pool in N times of laser misalignment records is calculated as the starting coordinate for adjusting the centering, and the calculation formula is: wherein, represents the average value of the x-axis coordinate of the molten pool center, represents the average value of the y-axis coordinate of the molten pool center, , represents the coordinate of the molten pool center in the N times of laser misalignment recording.

2. The laser-cut based beam auto-alignment method of claim 1, wherein, In step S103, the analysis method of the nozzle image comprises: image enhancement is performed on the nozzle image, and the brightness and contrast of the nozzle image are adjusted; The nozzle image is converted into a gray scale image, the edge of the gray scale image is detected, and the nozzle edge contour information is obtained; Based on the contour information, a circular curve fitting is performed to obtain the center and radius of the nozzle.

3. The laser-cut based beam auto-alignment method of claim 1, wherein, Based on the following formula, the offset distance between the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle is determined, where A( , ) represents the coordinate of the center of the molten pool, and B( , ) represents the coordinate of the center of the nozzle.

4. The laser-cut based beam auto-alignment method of claim 1, wherein, In the method, the number of times that the offset distance between the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle is greater than a preset offset threshold is recorded; If the number of times is greater than or equal to a preset number of times, it is determined that the cutting position of the current laser cutting head deviates, a deviation correction process is performed, the center coordinate position of the nozzle is adjusted, and the offset distance between the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle is within a preset offset threshold range.

5. A laser-cutting based beam auto-collimation system, characterized in that, The system is used to realize the laser cutting based light beam automatic centering method according to any one of claims 1 to 4; The system comprises a nozzle mounting device, a laser head control module, a shooting and analyzing module, a position monitoring module, a centering judgment module and a memory; The nozzle mounting device is used to install a nozzle to a laser cutting machine and configure nozzle information before performing laser cutting; The laser head control module is used to control the laser cutting head to move above the light source and lower the laser cutting head to a preset height position away from the light source; The shooting and analyzing module is used to control the light source to be turned on, control an industrial camera to shoot a nozzle image, analyze the nozzle image to obtain the center and radius of the nozzle, move the laser cutting head above the plate to prepare for cutting operation; The position monitoring module is used to perform laser cutting process, obtain the center position of the molten pool in real time, and monitor the relative position of the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle; The centering judgment module is configured to determine that the nozzle center is not centered when the offset distance between the center of the molten pool and the center of the nozzle is greater than a preset offset threshold, record the determination in a memory, and send an out-of-centering prompt.

6. A laser cutting machine comprising a memory, a processor and a computer program stored on the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that, The processor implements the steps of the laser cutting-based light beam automatic centering method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 when executing the program.

7. A storage medium having stored thereon a computer program, characterized in that The computer program implements the steps of the laser cutting-based light beam automatic centering method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 when executed by the processor.

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