A cooling circulation system for the laser head of a laser cutting machine

Abstract

The present invention discloses a cooling circulation system for a laser head on a laser cutting machine, comprising a laser head, an air pump, a chiller, a circulation pump, and a control system, wherein the laser head comprises: a laser generator, which is fixed in a connecting plate; an air guide tube, which is sleeved on the outer wall of the laser generator and forms a certain gap therewith; a cooling tube, which is sleeved on the outer wall of the upper part of the air guide tube, one side of the cooling tube is connected to an air inlet pipe, and the air inlet pipe is connected to the air pump; a water distribution tray, which is fixed to the upper end of the cooling tube, and the water distribution tray is connected to a water inlet pipe and a water outlet pipe, and the water inlet pipe and the water outlet pipe are connected to the chiller through a circulation pump; a cooling layer, which is made of a heat-conducting material and is fitted on the outer wall of the laser generator; a cooling pipe, which is made of a heat-conducting material, and a plurality of cooling pipes are distributed in the cooling tube, and one end of each cooling pipe is connected to the water distribution tray, and the other end is connected to the cooling layer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of laser cutting, in particular to a cooling circulation system for a laser head on a laser cutting machine. Background Art

[0002] Laser cutting technology, a key technology in modern manufacturing, has been widely used in metal processing, automotive manufacturing, aerospace, and other fields due to its high precision, high efficiency, and high flexibility. Laser cutting machines use a laser beam to perform non-contact cutting of workpieces, offering advantages such as a small heat-affected zone, high cutting speed, and excellent edge quality. However, the laser cutting process generates a large amount of heat. If not cooled promptly, this can seriously affect the laser's stability and service life, and may even lead to a decline in cutting quality. Therefore, the cooling system of a laser cutting machine is particularly important.

[0003] Currently, laser cutting machines primarily use the following cooling systems: An air-cooled cooling system draws outside air into the laser head via a fan or air pump, removing heat through air convection. This method is simple in structure and relatively low in cost, but its cooling effect is limited. Air cooling may not meet the heat dissipation requirements of the laser head, particularly during high-power laser cutting. A water-cooled cooling system uses a circulating pump to deliver cooling water into cooling channels within the laser head, removing heat through the water's high thermal conductivity. This method offers significant cooling effects and is suitable for high-power laser cutting. However, because the cooling channels are primarily located on the outer wall of the laser, it is difficult to effectively cool the laser tip and the workpiece surface. The laser tip is also affected by high temperatures during the cutting process, and the workpiece surface may deform or crack due to the high temperature of the laser beam. Therefore, this cooling method may not meet heat dissipation requirements in some cases.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a cooling circulation system for a laser head of a laser cutting machine to solve the problems raised in the above background technology. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a cooling circulation system for a laser head on a laser cutting machine, comprising a laser head, an air pump, a chiller, a circulation pump, and a control system, wherein the laser head comprises:

[0006] a laser generator fixed in the connecting plate;

[0007] An air guide tube is sleeved on the outer wall of the laser generator and forms a certain gap therebetween;

[0008] A cooling cylinder is sleeved on the outer wall of the upper part of the air guide cylinder. One side of the cooling cylinder is connected to an air inlet pipe, and the air inlet pipe is connected to an air pump;

[0009] A water distribution plate, which is fixed to the upper end of the cooling cylinder, is connected to a water inlet pipe and a water outlet pipe, and the water inlet pipe and the water outlet pipe are connected to the chiller through a circulating pump;

[0010] A cooling layer is made of a heat-conducting material and is fitted onto the outer wall of the laser generator;

[0011] The cooling pipe is made of heat-conducting material. A plurality of the cooling pipes are distributed in the cooling cylinder, and one end of each cooling pipe is connected to the water distribution plate, and the other end is connected to the cooling layer.

[0012] The water distribution plate is divided into a water outlet cavity and a water inlet cavity inside and outside, the water inlet cavity is connected to the water inlet pipe, and the water outlet cavity is connected to the water outlet pipe;

[0013] A plurality of water inlet holes are distributed in the water inlet cavity, and the water inlet holes are respectively connected to one end of each cooling pipe. A plurality of water outlet holes are distributed in the water outlet cavity, and the water outlet holes all penetrate into the cooling layer.

[0014] The air guide cylinder is slidably connected to the interior of the cooling cylinder. A sliding ring is provided between the side wall of the air guide cylinder and the side wall of the cooling cylinder. The sliding ring is fixed to the top of the air guide cylinder. The sliding ring is slidably connected to the cooling cylinder and each cooling pipe.

[0015] The air inlet pipe is located above the sliding ring.

[0016] The bottom of the air guide tube is funnel-shaped, and the bottom of the air guide tube is lower than the bottom of the laser generator.

[0017] A plurality of sealing baffles and through baffles are evenly distributed on the inner circumference of the cooling layer. The sealing baffles and through baffles are arranged at intervals. The sealing baffles seal the upper and lower parts of the cooling layer, and the through baffles seal the upper part of the cooling layer and penetrate the lower part.

[0018] The spaces separated on both sides of each through baffle are respectively connected to the cooling pipe and the water outlet.

[0019] A screw device is provided in the connecting plate, and the screw device is used to drive the air guide tube to slide up and down.

[0020] There are multiple air guide blades distributed circumferentially between the inner wall of the air guide tube and the outer wall of the cooling layer. The outer wall of the cooling layer is provided with multiple vertical slide grooves. A rotating shaft is fixed at the center of the air guide blades. One end of the rotating shaft can be rotatably passed through the outer wall of the air guide tube, and the other end can be slidably connected to the slide groove of the outer wall of the cooling layer.

[0021] The air guide plate is fixed with a connecting rod in the rotating shaft of the outer wall of the air guide plate;

[0022] The sliding sleeve on the outer wall of the air guide cylinder is provided with a connecting ring, and a plurality of guide rails are distributed circumferentially below the connecting ring. A slider is slidably provided in the guide rail, and the connecting rod is hinged to the slider.

[0023] A spring is connected between the connecting ring and the bottom of the cooling cylinder.

[0024] The control system also includes a temperature monitoring module, a flow monitoring module, a pressure monitoring module and a fault diagnosis module, which monitor the operating status of the laser generator 1, the cooling medium and the entire cooling system in real time, and automatically adjust the cooling parameters according to the monitoring results to ensure the efficient and stable operation of the laser cutting machine.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0026] In this system, a circulating pump flows cold water from a chiller into the cooling pipes. Simultaneously, air generated by an air pump enters the cooling cylinder through the air inlet pipe and is cooled to cold air as it flows through the cooling pipes. This combination of air and water cooling not only cools the outer wall of the laser generator, but also the end of the laser generator and the object being cut, significantly improving the cutting efficiency and stability of the laser cutting machine.

[0027] In the present invention, the air guide tube can be slidably connected to the inside of the cooling tube. By sliding the air guide tube up and down, the contact area between the air and the cooling pipe can be changed, thereby adjusting the proportion of the cold water distributed to the cooling tube and the cooling layer, so that the system can be flexibly adjusted according to different cutting conditions, such as large light spot and small light spot, to meet different cooling needs.

[0028] In this invention, multiple sealing baffles and through-baffles are evenly distributed around the inner circumference of the cooling layer, ensuring that the cold water in each cooling tube flows up and down the cooling layer to fully absorb the heat from the outer wall of the laser generator. Furthermore, multiple air guide vanes are circumferentially distributed between the inner wall of the air guide tube and the outer wall of the cooling layer. When the air guide tube slides, the air guide vanes rotate and tilt accordingly, causing the cold air passing through the air guide vanes to rotate in a spiral motion, thereby improving cooling efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a laser head cooling circulation system on a laser cutting machine;

[0030] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the internal structure of the laser generator;

[0031] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the laser generator cross section;

[0032] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of the water outlet cavity cross section;

[0033] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure of the air guide;

[0034] In the figure: 1. Laser generator; 2. Connecting plate; 21. Screw device; 3. Air guide tube; 31. Sliding ring; 4. Cooling tube; 41. Air inlet pipe; 5. Water distribution plate; 51. Water inlet pipe; 52. Water outlet pipe; 53. Water inlet cavity; 54. Water inlet hole; 55. Water outlet cavity; 56. Water outlet hole; 57. Sealing baffle; 58. Through baffle; 6. Cooling layer; 7. Cooling tube; 8. Air guide vane; 81. Connecting rod; 82. Connecting ring; 83. Guide rail; 84. Slider; 85. Spring. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] See also Figure 1 In an embodiment of the present invention, a cooling circulation system for a laser head on a laser cutting machine includes a laser head, an air pump, a chiller, a circulation pump, and a control system, wherein the laser head includes:

[0036] A laser generator 1, wherein the laser generator 1 is fixed in a connecting plate 2;

[0037] An air guide tube 3, which is sleeved on the outer wall of the laser generator 1 and forms a certain gap therebetween;

[0038] A cooling cylinder 4 is sleeved on the outer wall of the upper portion of the air guide cylinder 3. An air inlet pipe 41 is connected to one side of the cooling cylinder 4, and the air inlet pipe 41 is connected to an air pump.

[0039] A water distribution plate 5 is fixed to the upper end of the cooling cylinder 4. A water inlet pipe 51 and a water outlet pipe 52 are connected to the water distribution plate 5. The water inlet pipe 51 and the water outlet pipe 52 are connected to the chiller through a circulating pump;

[0040] The cooling layer 6 is made of a heat-conducting material and is fitted onto the outer wall of the laser generator 1;

[0041] The cooling pipe 7 is made of a heat-conducting material. A plurality of the cooling pipes 7 are distributed in the cooling cylinder 4 , and one end of each cooling pipe 7 is connected to the water distribution tray 5 , and the other end is connected to the cooling layer 6 .

[0042] That is, the cold water in the chiller flows into the cooling pipe 7 through the circulating pump, while the air generated by the air pump enters the cooling tube 4 through the air inlet pipe 41 and is cooled to cold air as it flows through the cooling tube 7. The cold air flows between the laser generator 1 and the air guide tube 3 and is ejected from the bottom of the air guide tube 3, thereby cooling the end of the laser generator 1 and the object being cut. The cold water further flows into the cooling layer 6 to cool the outer wall of the laser generator 1. In this way, air cooling and water cooling are combined to cool not only the outer wall of the laser generator 1, but also the end of the laser generator 1 and the object being cut.

[0043] In this embodiment, the water distribution plate 5 is divided into a water outlet cavity 55 and a water inlet cavity 53 inside and outside. The water inlet cavity 53 is connected to the water inlet pipe 51, and the water outlet cavity 55 is connected to the water outlet pipe 52.

[0044] A plurality of water inlet holes 54 are distributed in the water inlet cavity 53 , and the water inlet holes 54 are respectively connected to one end of each cooling pipe 7 . A plurality of water outlet holes 56 are distributed in the water outlet cavity 55 , and the water outlet holes 56 all penetrate into the cooling layer 6 .

[0045] After the cold water flows from the water inlet chamber 53 into each cooling pipe 7, it cools the air in the cooling cylinder 4 and further flows into the cooling layer 6 to cool the outer wall of the laser generator 1. After that, it is collected in the water outlet chamber 55 and discharged from the water outlet pipe 52. In this way, the cold water not only cools the air used for air cooling but also directly cools the outer wall of the laser generator 1.

[0046] In this embodiment, the air guide cylinder 3 is slidably connected to the interior of the cooling cylinder 4. A sliding ring 31 is provided between the side wall of the air guide cylinder 3 and the side wall of the cooling cylinder 4. The sliding ring 31 is fixed to the top of the air guide cylinder 3. The sliding ring 31 is slidably connected to the cooling cylinder 4 and each cooling tube 7.

[0047] The air inlet pipe 41 is located above the sliding ring 31 .

[0048] That is to say, the air entering the cooling tube 4 through the air inlet pipe 41 can only contact the cooling tube 7 above the sliding ring 31 and enter the air guide tube 3. By sliding the air guide tube 3 up and down, the area of ​​contact between the air and the cooling tube 7 can be changed, thereby adjusting the proportion of the cold water distributed to the cooling tube 4 and the cooling layer 6 to adapt to different working conditions of the laser generator 1.

[0049] In this embodiment, the bottom of the air guide tube 3 is funnel-shaped, and the bottom of the air guide tube 3 is lower than the bottom of the laser generator 1 .

[0050] When the air guide tube 3 slides downward, the bottom of the air guide tube 3 is away from the bottom of the laser generator 1, so that the gap between the bottom of the air guide tube 3 and the bottom of the laser generator 1 increases. At this time, the ejected air flow rate is small and the range is large, which can cool the more dispersed heat to adapt to the cutting conditions of large light spots. When the air guide tube 3 slides upward, the bottom of the air guide tube 3 is close to the bottom of the laser generator 1, so that the gap between the bottom of the air guide tube 3 and the bottom of the laser generator 1 decreases. At this time, the ejected air flow rate is large and the range is small, which can cool the more concentrated heat to adapt to the cutting conditions of small light spots.

[0051] In this embodiment, a plurality of sealing baffles 57 and through baffles 58 are evenly distributed on the inner circumference of the cooling layer 6. The sealing baffles 57 and through baffles 58 are arranged at intervals. The sealing baffles 57 seal the cooling layer 6 from top to bottom, and the through baffles 58 seal the upper part of the cooling layer 6 and penetrate the lower part.

[0052] The spaces separated on both sides of each through baffle 58 are connected to the cooling pipe 7 and the water outlet 56 respectively.

[0053] That is to say, after the cold water in each cooling tube 7 enters the cooling layer 6, it flows from the bottom of the corresponding through baffle 58 to the other side of the through baffle 58, and returns to the water outlet hole 56 above to be discharged into the water outlet cavity 55, ensuring that the cold water in each cooling tube 7 flows up and down from the cooling layer 6 to fully absorb the heat of the outer wall of the laser generator 1.

[0054] In this embodiment, a screw device 21 is provided in the connecting plate 2 , and the screw device 21 is used to drive the air guide tube 3 to slide up and down.

[0055] The screw device 21 is driven by a servo motor, and its rotation speed and position are precisely controlled by a control system to achieve precise up and down sliding of the air guide tube 3 .

[0056] In this embodiment, a plurality of air guide blades 8 are distributed circumferentially between the inner wall of the air guide tube 3 and the outer wall of the cooling layer 6. A plurality of vertical slide grooves are provided on the outer wall of the cooling layer 6. A rotating shaft is fixed at the center of the air guide blade 8. One end of the rotating shaft can be rotatably passed through the outer wall of the air guide tube 3, and the other end can be slidably connected to the slide groove of the outer wall of the cooling layer 6.

[0057] The air guide plate 8 has a connecting rod 81 fixed to the rotating shaft on the outer wall of the air guide plate 8;

[0058] The outer wall of the air guide tube 3 is slidably sleeved with a connecting ring 82 , and a plurality of guide rails 83 are distributed circumferentially below the connecting ring 82 . A slider 84 is slidably provided in the guide rail 83 , and the connecting rod 81 is hinged to the slider 84 .

[0059] A spring 85 is connected between the connecting ring 82 and the bottom of the cooling cylinder 4 .

[0060] That is to say, when the air guide tube 3 slides upward, the spring 85 is compressed, causing the connecting ring 82 to slide downward relative to the air guide tube 3, and causing each connecting rod 81 to rotate and drive each air guide plate 8 to rotate and tilt, so that the cold air passing through the air guide plates 8 rotates in a spiral shape, making the ejected air more stable and concentrated.

[0061] The control system also includes a temperature monitoring module, a flow monitoring module, a pressure monitoring module, and a fault diagnosis module. These modules monitor the operating status of the laser generator 1, the cooling medium, and the entire cooling system in real time, and automatically adjust cooling parameters based on the monitoring results to ensure efficient and stable operation of the laser cutting machine. Furthermore, the fault diagnosis module can promptly detect and report system faults, improving system reliability and maintainability.

[0062] The specific implementation includes:

[0063] According to the working conditions of laser cutting, the position of the air guide tube 3 is adjusted to change the contact area between the air and the cooling pipe 7, thereby adjusting the proportion of the cold water distributed to the cooling tube 4 and the cooling layer 6;

[0064] The cold air flows through the gap between the laser generator 1 and the air guide tube 3 and is ejected from the bottom of the air guide tube 3 to cool the end of the laser generator 1 and the object being cut;

[0065] The cold water flows in the cooling pipe 7 to cool the air in the cooling cylinder 4, and further flows into the cooling layer 6 to cool the outer wall of the laser generator 1;

[0066] The cold water is collected from the cooling layer 6 into the water outlet chamber 55 and is discharged into the chiller through the water outlet pipe 52, completing the cooling cycle.

[0067] Specifically:

[0068] Adjustment of the air duct position under large spot working conditions:

[0069] Under large spot conditions, the area to be cooled is large and the heat distribution is relatively dispersed;

[0070] The control system precisely controls the lead screw device 21 so that the bottom of the air guide tube 3 is away from the bottom of the laser generator 1, thereby increasing the gap between the bottom of the air guide tube 3 and the bottom of the laser generator 1. In this way, the ejected air flow rate will be relatively small but the range will be wider, which can more effectively cool the dispersed heat.

[0071] As the air guide tube 3 slides downward, the compression degree of the spring 85 will decrease, and the connecting rod 81 will drive the air guide plate 8 to rotate to a straighter angle, so that the cold air is more dispersed.

[0072] Adjustment of the air duct position under small spot working conditions:

[0073] In the case of small spot, the area to be cooled is small and the heat is concentrated;

[0074] The control system precisely controls the lead screw device 21 so that the bottom of the air guide tube 3 is close to the bottom of the laser generator 1, thereby reducing the gap between the bottom of the air guide tube 3 and the bottom of the laser generator 1. In this way, the ejected air flow rate will be relatively large but the range will be narrower, which can more effectively cool the more concentrated heat.

[0075] When the air guide tube 3 slides upward, the spring 85 will be compressed, the connecting ring 82 will slide downward relative to the air guide tube 3, and the connecting rod 81 will drive the air guide plate 8 to rotate and tilt, so that the cold air passing through the air guide plates 8 will rotate in a spiral shape, making the cold air more concentrated.

[0076] The above is only a preferred specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with this technical field, within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, who makes equivalent replacements or changes based on the technical solutions and inventive concepts of the present invention, should be covered by the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cooling circulation system for a laser head on a laser cutting machine, characterized in that: It includes a laser head, an air pump, a chiller, a circulation pump, and a control system, wherein the laser head includes: A laser generator (1), wherein the laser generator (1) is fixed in the connecting plate (2); An air guide tube (3), wherein the air guide tube (3) is sleeved on the outer wall of the laser generator (1) and forms a certain gap therebetween; A cooling cylinder (4), wherein the cooling cylinder (4) is sleeved on the outer wall of the upper portion of the air guide cylinder (3), and an air inlet pipe (41) is connected to one side of the cooling cylinder (4), and the air inlet pipe (41) is connected to an air pump; a water distribution plate (5), the water distribution plate (5) being fixed to the upper end of the cooling cylinder (4), the water distribution plate (5) being connected to a water inlet pipe (51) and a water outlet pipe (52), the water inlet pipe (51) and the water outlet pipe (52) being connected to a chiller via a circulating pump; A cooling layer (6) is made of a heat-conducting material, and the cooling layer (6) is fitted onto the outer wall of the laser generator (1); A cooling pipe (7) is made of a heat-conducting material, and a plurality of cooling pipes (7) are distributed in the cooling cylinder (4), and one end of each cooling pipe (7) is connected to the water distribution plate (5), and the other end is connected to the cooling layer (6); The water distribution plate (5) is divided into a water outlet cavity (55) and a water inlet cavity (53) inside and outside, the water inlet cavity (53) is connected to a water inlet pipe (51), and the water outlet cavity (55) is connected to a water outlet pipe (52); A plurality of water inlet holes (54) are distributed in the water inlet cavity (53), and the water inlet holes (54) are respectively connected to one end of each cooling pipe (7); a plurality of water outlet holes (56) are distributed in the water outlet cavity (55), and the water outlet holes (56) all penetrate into the cooling layer (6); The air guide tube (3) is slidably connected to the interior of the cooling tube (4); a sliding ring (31) is provided between the side wall of the air guide tube (3) and the side wall of the cooling tube (4); the sliding ring (31) is fixed to the top of the air guide tube (3); and the sliding ring (31) is slidably connected to the cooling tube (4) and each cooling pipe (7); The air inlet pipe (41) is located above the sliding ring (31).

2. The cooling circulation system for a laser head of a laser cutting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the air guide tube (3) is funnel-shaped, and the bottom of the air guide tube (3) is lower than the bottom of the laser generator (1).

3. The cooling circulation system for a laser head of a laser cutting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of sealing baffles (57) and through baffles (58) are evenly distributed on the inner circumference of the cooling layer (6), and the sealing baffles (57) and the through baffles (58) are arranged at intervals. The sealing baffles (57) seal the cooling layer (6) from top to bottom, and the through baffles (58) seal the upper part of the cooling layer (6) and penetrate the lower part. The spaces separated on both sides of each through baffle (58) are respectively connected to the cooling pipe (7) and the water outlet hole (56).

4. The cooling circulation system for a laser head of a laser cutting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: A screw device (21) is provided in the connecting plate (2), and the screw device (21) is used to drive the air guide tube (3) to slide up and down.

5. The cooling circulation system for a laser head of a laser cutting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of air guide blades (8) are distributed circumferentially between the inner wall of the air guide tube (3) and the outer wall of the cooling layer (6), and a plurality of vertical slide grooves are provided on the outer wall of the cooling layer (6). A rotating shaft is fixed at the center of the air guide blade (8), and one end of the rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the outer wall of the air guide tube (3), and the other end is slidably connected to the slide groove of the outer wall of the cooling layer (6).

6. A cooling circulation system for a laser head of a laser cutting machine according to claim 5, characterized in that: The air guide plate (8) has a connecting rod (81) fixed in a rotating shaft on the outer wall of the air guide plate (8); The outer wall sliding sleeve of the air guide tube (3) is provided with a connecting ring (82), a plurality of guide rails (83) are distributed circumferentially below the connecting ring (82), a slider (84) is slidably provided in the guide rail (83), and the connecting rod (81) is hinged to the slider (84).

7. A cooling circulation system for a laser head of a laser cutting machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: A spring (85) is connected between the connecting ring (82) and the bottom of the cooling cylinder (4).

8. The cooling circulation system for a laser head of a laser cutting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control system further comprises a temperature monitoring module, a flow monitoring module, a pressure monitoring module and a fault diagnosis module, which monitor the operating status of the laser generator (1), the cooling medium and the entire cooling system in real time, and automatically adjust the cooling parameters according to the monitoring results to ensure the efficient and stable operation of the laser cutting machine.

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