Laser processing control method, control system, computer readable storage medium and computer program product

Abstract

The invention discloses a laser processing control method and system, a computer readable storage medium and a computer program product, a controllable partial cut-off state is formed between a pipe and tailings through laser cutting, and the pipe and the tailings are still temporarily connected into a whole through a reserved connecting structure after cutting. After the cutting head avoids, the temporary structure composed of the pipe and the tailings is integrally, stably and accurately transferred to the material table through the axial feeding movement of the main chuck and / or the middle chuck, and finally the chucks are loosened and separated at the position of the material table. And the problems of equipment collision, notch damage or ground accumulation possibly caused by direct falling of the tailings at the cutting station are fundamentally avoided. And meanwhile, no complex special material receiving or conveying device is needed, controlled transfer of the tailings can be achieved through the inherent chuck function of the equipment, the reliability and the automation degree are improved, and the cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of laser tube cutting, and in particular to a laser processing control method, control system, computer-readable storage medium, and computer program product. Background Technology

[0002] Existing laser pipe cutting machines, especially those used for processing large-diameter pipes, typically consist of a loading mechanism, machine bed, main chuck, intermediate chuck, laser cutting head, and unloading mechanism. The standard workflow is as follows: after the pipe is fed into the machine tool by the loading mechanism, it is clamped by the main chuck (located at the fixed end, providing the main drive) and the intermediate chuck (providing auxiliary support). The laser cutting head then performs the cutting operation according to the program. Throughout this process, the main chuck remains clamped to ensure processing stability. However, due to the weight of large-diameter pipes, the main chuck's structural dimensions increase accordingly, preventing it from moving into the intermediate chuck. This results in the pipe section located between the two chucks, closer to the main chuck (referred to as the "tail"), becoming a "dead zone" that the laser cutting head cannot cut. After all cutting is complete, the main chuck releases, and all pipe sections (including the tail) fall freely under gravity onto the intermediate chuck and unloading mechanism below. This technical solution has significant drawbacks, severely restricting the automation level and overall efficiency of the equipment. The primary problem is the low level of automation and reliance on manual labor. Due to its own weight, the tailings are difficult to detach reliably and often get stuck between the two chucks, requiring manual intervention from the operator to complete the unloading, resulting in a low level of automation. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application proposes a laser processing control method, control system, computer-readable storage medium, and computer program product, which can drive the integral structure composed of tube and tail material to the material table through a chuck to achieve automatic material unloading.

[0004] This application proposes a laser processing control method for use in a dual-chuck laser tube cutting device, comprising the following steps: The cutting head is controlled to perform laser cutting on the tube held by the main chuck, so that the tail material is partially cut off from the tube and a connection structure is formed. Control the cutting head away from the pipe to reserve clearance for the main chuck and the middle chuck to move axially; Control the main chuck and the middle chuck to move axially toward the tail end of the material platform, and transfer the pipe to the material platform; The chuck holding the pipe is released, and the main chuck and the middle chuck are moved axially away from the material table and the pipe.

[0005] In some embodiments, controlling the main chuck and the intermediate chuck to move axially toward the tail end of the material table includes the following steps: Control the chuck to release the pipe and move it axially toward the material table; The main chuck is controlled to move axially to push the tube to the material table.

[0006] In some embodiments, controlling the main chuck and the intermediate chuck to move the material table axially toward the tail end further includes the following steps: The main chuck and the middle chuck are controlled to move synchronously toward the material table along the axial direction.

[0007] In some embodiments, the process of laser-cutting the pipe to partially sever the tail material from the pipe while retaining a portion of the connecting structure includes the following steps: The cutting head is controlled to perform circumferential cutting along the outer perimeter of the pipe, forming a continuous and non-closed first cutting trajectory. The length of the first cutting trajectory is greater than 0.6 times the circumference of the pipe and less than 0.8 times the circumference of the pipe. The cutting head is controlled to cut at both ends of the first cutting trajectory to form a continuous second cutting trajectory. The two ends of the second cutting trajectory are not connected to the two ends of the first cutting trajectory, thus forming the connection structure.

[0008] In some embodiments, after the chuck holding the tube is released and the main chuck and intermediate chuck are axially moved away from the table and the tube, the following steps are further included: The main chuck is controlled to rotate the pipe by a set angle so that the connecting structure is located on the underside of the pipe. Determine whether the tail material is located outside the material platform; If it is determined that the tail material is outside the material platform, the bending mechanism is controlled to apply a downward force to the tail material to break the connection structure and achieve active separation of the tail material from the pipe.

[0009] This application also proposes a control system for a dual-chuck laser tube cutting device, the control system comprising: The cutting control module is configured to control the cutting head to perform laser cutting on the tube held by the main chuck, so that the tail material is partially cut off from the tube and a connection structure is formed. The avoidance control module is configured to control the cutting head to move away from the pipe after cutting is completed, so as to reserve avoidance space for the main chuck and the middle chuck to move axially. The feeding control module is configured to control the main chuck and the middle chuck to move axially toward the material table at the tail end, so as to transport the pipe to the material table; The chuck separation module is configured to control the chuck holding the pipe to release, and to move the main chuck and the middle chuck axially away from the table and the pipe.

[0010] In some embodiments, the feeding control module is configured as follows: Control the chuck to release the pipe and move it axially toward the material table; The main chuck is controlled to move axially to push the tube to the material table.

[0011] In some embodiments, the feeding control module is further configured to control the main chuck and the middle chuck to move synchronously toward the material table along the axial direction.

[0012] In some embodiments, the cutting control module includes: The first cutting control unit is configured to control the cutting head to perform circumferential cutting along the outer periphery of the pipe to form a continuous and non-closed first cutting trajectory. The length of the first cutting trajectory is greater than 0.6 times the circumference of the pipe and less than 0.8 times the circumference of the pipe. The second cutting control unit is configured to control the cutting head to cut in the two ends of the first cutting trajectory to form a continuous second cutting trajectory. The two ends of the second cutting trajectory are not connected to the two ends of the first cutting trajectory to form the connection structure.

[0013] In some embodiments, the control system further includes: The rotation control module is configured to control the main chuck to rotate the pipe by a set angle after the chuck separation module performs its operation, so that the connecting structure is located on the lower side of the pipe. The position determination module is configured to determine whether the tail material is located outside the material platform; The bending control module is configured to control the bending mechanism to apply a downward force to the tail material when the position determination module determines that the tail material is outside the material platform, so as to break the connection structure and realize the active separation of the tail material from the pipe.

[0014] This application also proposes a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon, which, when executed by the processor of a dual-chuck laser tube cutting device, implements the above-described laser processing control method.

[0015] This application also proposes a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the laser processing control method described above.

[0016] This application discloses a laser processing control method, control system, computer-readable storage medium, and computer program product. Laser cutting creates a controllable partial cut between the pipe and the tail material, while retaining a connecting structure to temporarily link them together after cutting. After the cutting head avoids obstruction, the temporary structure consisting of the pipe and tail material is smoothly and accurately transferred to the material table via the axial feeding motion of the main chuck and / or the intermediate chuck. Finally, the chuck is released and separated at the material table. This fundamentally avoids the problems of equipment collision, cut damage, or ground accumulation that may occur if the tail material falls directly to the cutting station. Furthermore, it eliminates the need for complex dedicated receiving or conveying devices; the controlled transfer of the tail material can be achieved using the equipment's inherent chuck function, improving reliability and automation while reducing costs. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the pipe and the tail material in one embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a dual-chuck laser tube cutting device in one embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a laser processing control method in one embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a laser processing control method in another embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a flowchart of a laser processing control method in another embodiment of this application.

[0018] Label Explanation: 11. Pipe; 12. Waste material; 13. Connecting structure; 20. Main chuck; 30. Middle chuck; 40. Cutting head; 50. Material table; 60. Laser rangefinder sensor; The purpose, features, and advantages of this application will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments in this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0020] It should be noted that all directional indications in the embodiments of this application, such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc., are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a specific posture as shown in the attached figure. If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0021] It should also be noted that when a component is described as "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there may be an intervening component present. When a component is described as "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intervening component present.

[0022] Furthermore, the use of terms such as "first" and "second" in this application is for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. Additionally, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but only on the basis of being achievable by those skilled in the art. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, such a combination of technical solutions should be considered non-existent and not within the scope of protection claimed in this application.

[0023] This application provides a laser processing control method, referring to... Figures 1 to 5 This application proposes a laser processing control method for use in a dual-chuck laser tube cutting device, comprising the following steps: S10. The cutting head 40 is controlled to perform laser cutting on the tube 11 held by the main chuck 20, partially severing the tail material 12 from the tube 11 and forming a connection structure 13. In this step, the central controller of the laser tube cutting machine first instructs the laser cutting head 40 to perform cutting operations on the tube 11 held by the main chuck 20 according to a preset program. Specifically, when cutting the boundary area between the last workpiece and the tail material 12, the control system controls the cutting head 40 to precisely cut along the outer circumference of the tube 11, forming a special connection structure 13 between the tail material 12 and the workpiece. Specifically, the cutting process can be a circumferential cut on the outer circumference of the tube 11, but the cutting trajectory is a series of discontinuous arcs. This design ensures that the connection structure 13 has sufficient strength to support the subsequent transfer process, ultimately forming a connection structure 13 with a certain strength but a controllable fracture point on the tube 11.

[0024] The design principle of this connection structure 13 is that its strength is sufficient to support the tail material 12 to not detach from the workpiece during the transfer process, but weaker than the complete cross section of the pipe 11, so that it can break as expected under specific conditions (such as bending moment or secondary cutting).

[0025] S20. Control the cutting head 40 to move away from the pipe 11, reserving clearance space for the main chuck 20 and the intermediate chuck 30 to move axially; control the laser cutting head 40 to move out of the axial movement path of the pipe 11 along the Y / Z direction, reserving sufficient clearance space for the axial movement of the chuck. This clearance distance is preset according to the equipment parameters, and is usually greater than the maximum outer diameter of the intermediate chuck 30 plus a safety margin (generally 50-100mm). After clearance is completed, the system confirms through the position sensor that the cutting head 40 has reached a safe position before proceeding to the next operation. The key to clearance control is to accurately calculate the clearance distance and direction to avoid collisions with the subsequently moving chuck. Specifically, the relative position between the cutting head 40 and the chuck can be monitored in real time through equipment coordinate system transformation. The chuck is only allowed to start moving when the detected distance is greater than the preset safety threshold.

[0026] S30. Control the main chuck 20 and the middle chuck 30 to move axially toward the tail end of the material platform 50, transferring the pipe 11 to the material platform 50. In this step, the control system coordinates the axial movement mechanisms of the main chuck 20 and the middle chuck 30, so that the two chucks move synchronously or in a predetermined sequence toward the material platform 50 along the axial direction of the pipe 11. Since the tail material 12 is connected to the pipe 11 through a pre-formed connection structure 13, the entire pipe 11 assembly (including the cut workpiece and the tail material 12) is smoothly transferred to the material platform 50 located at the tail end of the equipment under the drive of the chucks. During the transfer, the control system continuously monitors the position of the pipe 11 to ensure precise alignment with the support area of ​​the material platform 50. The material platform 50 is in a ready-to-receive state during this process. When the pipe 11 reaches the designated position, the material platform 50 can quickly rise to provide reliable support. The core of this transfer strategy lies in using the existing connecting structure 13 to temporarily combine the originally separate tail material 12 with the workpiece into a whole. This allows the tail material 12 to be transferred controllably along with the workpiece, completely avoiding the equipment damage and material feeding failure caused by the tail material 12 falling due to gravity at the cutting position in traditional processes. The transfer speed is dynamically adjusted according to the specifications and weight of the pipe 11, and is usually controlled within the range of 10-50 mm / s to balance efficiency and stability.

[0027] S50, the chucks holding the tube 11 are released, and the main chuck 20 and the middle chuck 30 are moved axially away from the table 50 and the tube 11. In this step, after the tube 11 is accurately transferred to the table 50 and receives sufficient support, the control system first instructs the chucks (main chuck 20 and / or middle chuck 30) holding the tube 11 to release the clamping force, so that the tube 11 is completely supported by the table 50. During the chuck release process, the tube 11 is no longer supported, and the connection structure 13 between the tube 11 and the tail material 12 can break naturally under its own weight, allowing each workpiece and the tail material 12 to fall smoothly onto the surface of the table 50 in a controlled manner. Of course, the breakage of the connection structure 13 may not occur, depending on the position and structural strength of the connection structure 13. Subsequently, the control system drives the main chuck 20 and the middle chuck 30 to move synchronously in the opposite direction along the axial direction, away from the material table 50 and the unloaded pipe 11 assembly, so as to reserve sufficient space for the next loading and processing cycle.

[0028] The chuck retraction path is precisely planned to ensure a safe distance from the pipe 11 assembly on the material table 50, avoiding collisions. After this step, the material table 50 can perform a descent or conveying action to transfer the finished workpiece and tail material 12 to the collection area. At the same time, the main chuck 20 and the intermediate chuck 30 return to their initial working positions, ready to receive the next pipe 11 to be processed. Through this controlled separation and reset mechanism, physical isolation between the cutting station and the unloading area is achieved, fundamentally solving the problem of manual intervention caused by tail material 12 getting stuck between chucks in traditional equipment, significantly improving the automation level and operational reliability of the equipment. It fundamentally avoids the equipment collision, cut damage, or ground accumulation problems that may be caused by tail material 12 falling directly to the cutting station. At the same time, there is no need for complex special receiving or conveying devices; the controlled transfer of tail material 12 can be achieved using the inherent chuck function of the equipment, improving reliability and automation, and reducing costs.

[0029] In some embodiments, controlling the main chuck 20 and the middle chuck 30 to move axially toward the tail end of the material table 50 includes the following steps: controlling the middle chuck 30 to release the pipe 11 and move axially toward the material table 50; controlling the main chuck 20 to move axially to push the pipe 11 to the material table 50.

[0030] In the above steps, firstly, the intermediate chuck 30 is controlled to release its grip on the tube 11, allowing it to move freely; then, the intermediate chuck 30 is controlled to move along the bed guide rail in the positive X-axis direction (to the right / to the tail), passing over the working area of ​​the cutting head 40 and reaching a predetermined position on the right side of the cutting head 40; next, the main chuck 20 is controlled to move along the positive X-axis, pushing the workpiece connected to the tail material 12 via the connecting structure 13, moving together towards the material table 50; when the front end of the tube 11 reaches above the material table 50, the material table 50 rises to the support position, providing support for the tube 11. This coordinated control method, where the intermediate chuck 30 first avoids obstacles and the main chuck 20 pushes the material, fully utilizes the existing structure of the equipment, achieving overall material transfer without additional complex mechanisms. During the transfer process, due to the presence of the connecting structure 13, the tail material 12 will not fall off the workpiece, ensuring the reliability of the transfer. In practical applications, the feeding speed of the main chuck 20 is controlled within the range of 10-50 mm / s to avoid premature breakage of the connecting structure 13 due to inertial impact. Of course, the presence of the intermediate chuck 30 provides continuous and effective support for the pipe 11. This is generally applicable when the connecting structure 13 is located between the main chuck 20 and the intermediate chuck 30, preventing the pipe 11 from breaking at the connecting structure 13. Simultaneously, the system can also monitor the relative position of the pipe 11 and the material table 50 in real time via the laser rangefinder 60 to ensure accurate positioning.

[0031] In some embodiments, controlling the main chuck 20 and the middle chuck 30 to move axially toward the tail end of the material table 50 further includes the following steps: controlling the main chuck 20 and the middle chuck 30 to move synchronously toward the material table 50 axially. In this step, the feeding control step adopts a synchronous movement mode to improve the transfer efficiency, controlling the main chuck 20 and the middle chuck 30 to move synchronously toward the material table 50 axially. Specifically, the system first calculates the synchronous movement parameters of the two chucks to ensure that their relative positions remain unchanged during movement; after the cutting is completed and the material is cleared, the main chuck 20 maintains its grip on the pipe 11, and the middle chuck 30 adjusts its clamping force to a preset low-friction state (approximately 20-30% of the normal clamping force); simultaneously, the axial drive mechanism of the main chuck 20 and the middle chuck 30 is activated, moving synchronously to the right at the same speed (usually set to 30 mm / s); after reaching the predetermined position, the middle chuck 30 is completely released. If there is still a gap between the two chucks, the main chuck 20 can continue to feed independently; if there is no gap... This ensures that the pipe 11 is within the support range of the material table 50. Synchronous movement can significantly shorten the transfer time and improve production efficiency; at the same time, the chuck 30 moves with the pipe 11 in a low-friction clamping state, which can provide additional support and reduce the vibration and deformation of long pipes 11 during the transfer process, making it particularly suitable for processing large-diameter pipes 11 with a length exceeding 2m.

[0032] In some embodiments, the process of laser-cutting the pipe 11 to partially sever the tail material 12 from the pipe 11 while retaining a portion of the connecting structure 13 includes the following steps: S11. Control the cutting head 40 to perform circumferential cutting along the outer periphery of the pipe 11 and form a continuous and non-closed first cutting trajectory. The length of the first cutting trajectory is greater than 0.6 times the circumference of the pipe 11 and less than 0.8 times the circumference of the pipe 11. S12. Control the cutting head 40 to cut at both ends of the first cutting trajectory to form a continuous second cutting trajectory. The two ends of the second cutting trajectory are not connected to the two ends of the first cutting trajectory, so as to form the connection structure 13.

[0033] In S11 and S12 above, controlling the cutting nozzle to form a special connection structure 13 specifically includes: the length of the first cutting trajectory is precisely controlled to be 0.72 times the circumference of the pipe 11 to ensure the stability of the connection strength; at both ends of the first cutting trajectory, the cutting nozzle is controlled to cut close to the endpoint of the first cutting trajectory; the second cutting trajectory is designed as an arc, forming an angle of approximately 15°-25° with the first cutting trajectory to enhance the stress concentration effect and facilitate controllable fracture during material unloading. This optimized connection structure 13 can provide sufficient strength during the transfer process while ensuring reliable separation during material unloading.

[0034] In some embodiments, before the chuck holding the tube 11 is released and the main chuck 20 and the middle chuck 30 are axially moved away from the table 50 and the tube 11, the following steps are further included: S41. Control the main chuck 20 to rotate the pipe 11 by a set angle so that the connecting structure 13 is located on the lower side of the pipe 11. In this step, since the cutting nozzle is generally located on the upper side or obliquely upper side of the pipe 11 during the cutting process, the connecting structure 13 is generally located on the upper side of the pipe 11 when the second cutting trajectory is completed. Controlling the main chuck 20 to rotate the pipe 11 by 180° can make the connecting structure 13 located at the bottom of the pipe 11. Of course, the above-mentioned set angle can also be calculated based on the position of the estimated starting point of the cutting, combined with the angle of the encoder on the motor that drives the main chuck 20 to rotate.

[0035] S42. Determine whether the tail material 12 is located outside the material platform 50. In this step, the position of the tail material 12 can be determined by a vision sensor, analyzing the relative position of the tail material 12 and the material platform 50. For example, the overall length of the tail material 12 and the pipe 11 (workpiece) obtained by vision measurement is subtracted from the workpiece length set in the cutting program. The difference is compared with the length of the overhanging part. The difference is the length of the tail material 12. If the difference is less than or equal to the length of the overhanging part, it means that the tail material 12 is completely outside the material platform 50.

[0036] Of course, it is also possible to determine whether the tail material 12 is outside the material table 50 by measuring the distance (axial spacing) between the tail end of the tube 11 and the sensor by the laser rangefinder 60, and by subtracting the axial spacing value from the distance (fixed value) between the sensor and the edge of the material table 50. When the above-mentioned bearing length value is less than the workpiece length value set in the cutting program, it is determined that the tail material 12 is completely overhanging.

[0037] S43. If it is determined that the tail material 12 is outside the material platform 50, the bending mechanism is controlled to apply a downward force to the tail material 12 to break the connecting structure 13, thereby achieving active separation of the tail material 12 from the tube 11. If it is detected that the overhang length of the tail material 12 exceeds 90% of its own length, a dedicated bending mechanism (such as a pneumatic pressure head) is controlled to apply a downward force to the overhanging part of the tail material 12, causing the connecting structure 13 to break under bending moment, and the tail material 12 falls first. This active separation control method solves the reliable separation problem under the working condition of long tail material 12, and can ensure the controllability and safety of the unloading process. The system adjusts the bending force in real time to avoid excessive impact damage to the cut surface quality of the workpiece. It is worth noting that the bending mechanism mentioned above can include two parallel and movable parts. One part applies force to the tube on the material platform 50 to fix the tube 11, and the other part presses down on the tail tube 12 to drive it to bend or even break completely. Specifically, two cylinders can be used instead.

[0038] This application also proposes a control system, referring to... Figures 1 to 5 The control system, used in dual-chuck laser tube cutting equipment, includes: The cutting control module is configured to control the cutting head 40 to perform laser cutting on the tube 11 held by the main chuck 20, so that the tail material 12 is partially cut off from the tube 11 and a connection structure 13 is formed. The cutting control module instructs the cutting head 40 to perform cutting operations on the tube 11 held by the main chuck 20 according to a preset program. In particular, when cutting the boundary area between the last workpiece and the tail material 12, the cutting control module controls the cutting head 40 to make precise cuts along the outer circumference of the tube 11, so that a special connection structure 13 is formed between the tail material 12 and the workpiece. Specifically, the cutting process can be a circumferential cut on the outer circumference of the tube 11, but the cutting trajectory is a series of discontinuous arcs. This design ensures that the connection structure 13 has sufficient strength to support the subsequent transfer process, and finally forms a connection structure 13 with a certain strength but a controllable fracture point on the tube 11. The design principle of this connection structure 13 is that its strength is sufficient to support the tail material 12 to not detach from the workpiece during the transfer process, but weaker than the complete cross section of the pipe 11, so that it can break as expected under specific conditions (such as bending moment or secondary cutting).

[0039] The avoidance control module is configured to control the cutting head 40 to move away from the pipe 11 after cutting, so as to reserve clearance space for the main chuck 20 and the intermediate chuck 30 to move axially. The avoidance control module also controls the laser cutting head 40 to move out of the axial movement path of the pipe 11 along the Y / Z directions, reserving sufficient clearance space for the axial movement of the chuck. This clearance distance is preset according to the equipment parameters and is usually greater than the maximum outer diameter of the intermediate chuck 30 plus a safety margin (generally 50-100mm). After clearance, the system confirms that the cutting head 40 has reached a safe position via a position sensor before proceeding to the next step. The key to avoidance control is to accurately calculate the clearance distance and direction to avoid collisions with the subsequently moving chuck. Specifically, this can be achieved through equipment coordinate system transformation, real-time monitoring of the relative position between the cutting head 40 and the chuck, and only when the detected distance exceeds a preset safety threshold is the chuck allowed to begin moving.

[0040] The feeding control module is configured to control the main chuck 20 and the middle chuck 30 to move axially toward the tail end of the material platform 50, so as to transport the pipe 11 to the material platform 50. The feeding control module coordinates the axial movement mechanism of the main chuck 20 and the middle chuck 30, so that the two chucks move synchronously or in a predetermined sequence toward the material platform 50 along the axial direction of the pipe 11. Since the tail material 12 is connected to the pipe 11 through a pre-formed connection structure 13, the entire pipe 11 assembly (including the cut workpiece and the tail material 12) is smoothly transferred to the material platform 50 located at the tail end of the equipment under the drive of the chucks. During the transfer, the control system continuously monitors the position of the pipe 11 to ensure precise alignment with the support area of ​​the material platform 50. The material platform 50 is in a ready-to-receive state during this process. When the pipe 11 reaches the designated position, the material platform 50 can quickly rise to provide reliable support. The core of this transfer strategy lies in using the existing connecting structure 13 to temporarily combine the originally separate tail material 12 with the workpiece into a whole. This allows the tail material 12 to be transferred controllably along with the workpiece, completely avoiding the equipment damage and material feeding failure caused by the tail material 12 falling due to gravity at the cutting position in traditional processes. The transfer speed is dynamically adjusted according to the specifications and weight of the pipe 11, and is usually controlled within the range of 10-50 mm / s to balance efficiency and stability.

[0041] The chuck separation module is configured to control the release of the chuck holding the tube 11, and to move the main chuck 20 and the middle chuck 30 axially away from the material table 50 and the tube 11. The chuck separation module includes a release timing control unit, a return path planning unit, and a material unloading monitoring unit. The release timing control unit precisely controls the timing of the chuck release; the return path planning unit calculates the optimal path for the chuck to return; and the material unloading monitoring unit can confirm via a camera whether the workpiece and tail material 12 have successfully fallen. The chuck return path is precisely planned to ensure a safe distance from the tube 11 assembly on the material table 50, avoiding collisions.

[0042] In some embodiments, the feeding control module is configured to: control the middle chuck 30 to release the pipe 11 and move it axially toward the material table 50; control the main chuck 20 to move axially to push the pipe 11 to the material table 50. When the cutting head 40 completes the avoidance action and is more than 300-600mm away from the axis of the pipe 11, the middle chuck 30 releases the pipe 11. The release process is gradual: the clamping force smoothly decreases from its maximum value to zero within 0.2 seconds to avoid the pipe 11 from suddenly falling. After the middle chuck 30 is released, it moves axially toward the material table 50 at a speed of 200mm / s. During the movement, the jaws of the middle chuck 30 remain open to ensure that they do not contact the pipe 11. The main chuck 20 remains clamped and pushes the pipe 11 axially toward the material table 50 at a speed of 150mm / s. The position of the tube 11 is monitored in real time by an encoder. When the tail end of the tube 11 reaches 10mm above the material table 50, the main chuck 20 stops moving. The system can be set to dual-channel position monitoring: the main channel uses a high-precision encoder, and the backup channel uses a laser rangefinder 60. When the deviation between the monitoring results of the two channels exceeds 2mm, the system automatically pauses the transfer and alarms. Alternatively, tilt sensors can be installed at both ends of the tube 11. When the tilt angle exceeds 0.5°, the pushing speed is automatically adjusted. This mode is particularly suitable for processing long tubes 11 (>2m).

[0043] In some embodiments, the feeding control module is further configured to control the main chuck 20 and the intermediate chuck 30 to move synchronously toward the material table 50 along the axial direction. The main chuck 20 acts as the master station, and the intermediate chuck 30 acts as the slave station, achieving real-time communication with a 1ms cycle through a high-speed industrial bus (such as EtherCAT). The intermediate chuck 30 tracks the position of the main chuck 20 in real time, maintaining a constant initial distance, with the synchronization error controlled within ±0.1mm. The speed curve adopts an S-shaped acceleration and deceleration: the speed smoothly increases from 0 to 150mm / s within the first 0.8 seconds, and smoothly decelerates to 0 within the last 0.8 seconds. The clamping force of the intermediate chuck 30 dynamically decreases with the conveying distance, while the clamping force of the main chuck 20 remains constant, ensuring that the pipe 11 will not slip during the pushing process. Of course, a breakage monitoring mechanism can also be established during the conveying process, monitoring the chuck drive motor current in real time. When the current sudden change exceeds 15% of the rated value, it is determined that the connection structure 13 has broken prematurely.

[0044] In some embodiments, the cutting control module includes: a first cutting control unit configured to control the cutting head 40 to perform circumferential cutting along the outer periphery of the pipe 11, forming a continuous and non-closed first cutting trajectory. The length of the first cutting trajectory is greater than 0.6 times and less than 0.8 times the circumference of the pipe 11. The optimal trajectory can be automatically calculated based on the diameter of the pipe 11, with the trajectory length being 0.72 times the circumference of the pipe 11 for optimal performance. The trajectory adopts a non-closed circular design, starting from the top of the pipe 11 (0° position), cutting 259.2° (i.e., 360° × 0.72) clockwise before stopping. The starting point avoids the position directly below, offsetting by 15° to prevent slag accumulation in critical areas during the cutting process. Cutting parameters are adaptively controlled, and the laser power is automatically adjusted according to the material and thickness of the pipe 11. The cutting speed dynamically changes for different areas: within a 10mm range at the beginning and end of the trajectory, the speed is reduced to 50% of the baseline value to ensure cutting quality.

[0045] The second cutting control unit is configured to control the cutting head 40 to cut at both ends of the first cutting trajectory, forming a continuous second cutting trajectory. The two ends of the second cutting trajectory are not connected to the two ends of the first cutting trajectory, thus forming the connecting structure 13. At the connection point of the first and second cutting trajectories, the cutting depth can be controlled to make the connecting structure 13 a gradually thinning structure, thicker in the middle and thinner at the edges, so as to guide the subsequent fracture from the thinner edge area to the thicker area, ensuring the smoothness of the fracture surface.

[0046] In some embodiments, the control system further includes: The rotation control module is configured to control the main chuck 20 to rotate the pipe 11 by a set angle before the chuck separation module performs its operation, so that the connecting structure 13 is located below the pipe 11. The system records the angular position of the connecting structure 13 when the cutting is completed and automatically calculates the required rotation angle so that the connecting structure 13 is directly below the pipe 11. A servo system with encoder feedback is used, with an angle resolution of 0.1° and a positioning accuracy of ±0.5°. Active damping control is activated 50ms before the end of rotation to eliminate mechanical vibration through reverse torque. After rotation, the final position is confirmed by a high-precision encoder, or it can be verified by a vision system. An industrial camera captures the end face of the pipe 11, and the image processing algorithm identifies the position of the connecting structure 13. The image is cross-validated with the encoder data. If the position error exceeds 1°, the system automatically performs fine adjustments until the accuracy requirements are met.

[0047] The position determination module is configured to determine whether the tail material 12 is located outside the material platform 50. The position determination of the tail material 12 can be achieved by analyzing the relative position of the tail material 12 and the material platform 50 through a vision sensor. For example, the overall length of the tail material 12 and the pipe 11 (workpiece) obtained by visual measurement is subtracted from the workpiece length set in the cutting program. The difference is compared with the length of the overhanging part. The difference is the length of the tail material 12. If the difference is less than or equal to the length of the overhanging part, it means that the tail material 12 is completely overhanging outside the material platform 50. Of course, determining whether the tail material 12 is located outside the material platform 50 can also be based on the distance (axial distance) between the tail end of the pipe 11 and the sensor measured by the laser rangefinder sensor 60. Based on the distance value (fixed value) between the sensor and the edge of the material platform 50, the value of the axial distance is subtracted from the fixed value to obtain the bearing length value of the pipe 11 on the material platform 50. When the bearing length value is less than the workpiece length value set in the cutting program, it is determined that the tail material 12 is completely overhanging.

[0048] The bending control module is configured to control the bending mechanism to apply a downward force to the tail material 12 when the position judgment module determines that the tail material 12 is outside the material platform 50, thereby breaking the connecting structure 13 and actively separating the tail material 12 from the pipe 11. A pneumatic actuator is used, with precise air pressure control via a proportional valve, employing a three-stage contact control. The rapid approach stage approaches the tail material 12 at a speed of 40 mm / s; the slow contact stage decelerates to 5 mm / s when 10 mm away from the tail material; and the precise force application stage applies a bending force precisely according to the calculated value after contact, with optimized force application location at 40% of the cantilever length to maximize torque effect. Real-time analysis via the force-displacement curve allows for identification of fracture when the force suddenly drops and the displacement suddenly increases. Alternatively, if no fracture occurs after 200 ms of force application, the system automatically increases the force by 30%, but the total increase does not exceed 500 N. Upon confirmation of fracture, the actuator immediately retracts 50 mm to avoid interfering with subsequent material feeding.

[0049] This application also proposes a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by the processor of a dual-chuck laser tube cutting device, implements the aforementioned laser processing control method. The storage medium can be flash memory, hard disk, optical disk, cloud storage, or any other medium capable of storing program code. The stored program includes the following key functional modules: an initialization module that loads equipment parameters and establishes a motion control model; a cutting parameter calculation module that calculates optimal cutting parameters based on the diameter, wall thickness, and material of the tube 11; a connection structure 13 generation module that generates control data for the first and second cutting trajectories; an action sequence planning module that plans a complete action sequence of cutting, avoidance, transfer, and separation; a safety monitoring module that monitors the equipment status in real time to ensure operational safety; and an exception handling module that handles unexpected situations during the transfer process, such as premature breakage of the connection structure 13. The program adopts a modular design, with each functional module interacting through a standard interface for easy maintenance and upgrades. The core control algorithm is executed in a real-time operating system (RTOS) environment to ensure the accuracy of the control timing. For computationally intensive tasks (such as path planning), multi-threaded parallel processing is used to improve system response speed. In terms of physical implementation, the program can be stored in the industrial computer in the control cabinet of the laser tube cutting machine and communicate with each actuator through industrial buses such as EtherCAT or Profinet to meet the requirements of high-precision laser cutting.

[0050] In another embodiment, a computer program product is provided, which includes the aforementioned computer program. This program product can exist in the form of a software package, firmware update file, cloud deployment script, or API interface. When this program product is installed or loaded into the control system of the dual-chuck laser tube cutting equipment and executed by the processor, the entire technical process of the aforementioned laser processing control method can be fully realized.

[0051] It should be noted that during the execution of the above program, the underlying driver interface of the equipment is invoked to control the servo motor, laser generator, chuck clamping mechanism, bending mechanism and other hardware units to work together, thereby translating software logic into specific physical actions. The entire process solves the technical problems of easy material fallout, need for manual intervention and low efficiency in traditional tube cutting processes, and improves the level of automation and processing safety.

[0052] The above are only some or preferred embodiments of this application. Neither the text nor the drawings should limit the scope of protection of this application. All equivalent structural transformations made using the content of this application's specification and drawings under the overall concept of this application, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A laser processing control method, characterized in that, The method is applied to dual-chuck laser tube cutting equipment and includes the following steps: The cutting head is controlled to perform laser cutting on the tube held by the main chuck, so that the tail material is partially cut off from the tube and a connection structure is formed. Control the cutting head away from the pipe to reserve clearance for the main chuck and the middle chuck to move axially; Control the main chuck and the middle chuck to move axially toward the tail end of the material platform, and transfer the pipe to the material platform; The chuck holding the pipe is released, and the main chuck and the middle chuck are moved axially away from the material table and the pipe.

2. The laser processing control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Controlling the movement of the main chuck and the intermediate chuck axially toward the tail end of the material table includes the following steps: Control the chuck to release the pipe and move it axially toward the material table; The main chuck is controlled to move axially to push the tube to the material table.

3. The laser processing control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control of the main chuck and the intermediate chuck to move axially toward the tail end of the material table also includes the following steps: The main chuck and the middle chuck are controlled to move synchronously toward the material table along the axial direction.

4. The laser processing control method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The process involves laser cutting the pipe to partially sever the tail material from the pipe while retaining some of the connecting structure, including the following steps: The cutting head is controlled to perform circumferential cutting along the outer perimeter of the pipe, forming a continuous and non-closed first cutting trajectory. The length of the first cutting trajectory is greater than 0.6 times the circumference of the pipe and less than 0.8 times the circumference of the pipe. The cutting head is controlled to cut at both ends of the first cutting trajectory to form a continuous second cutting trajectory. The two ends of the second cutting trajectory are not connected to the two ends of the first cutting trajectory, thus forming the connection structure.

5. The laser processing control method according to claim 4, characterized in that, After the chuck holding the pipe is released and the main chuck and intermediate chuck are moved axially away from the material table and the pipe, the following steps are also included: The main chuck is controlled to rotate the pipe by a set angle so that the connecting structure is located on the underside of the pipe. Determine whether the tail material is located outside the material platform; If it is determined that the tail material is outside the material platform, the bending mechanism is controlled to apply a downward force to the tail material to break the connection structure and achieve active separation of the tail material from the pipe.

6. A control system, characterized in that, The control system, applied to a dual-chuck laser tube cutting device, includes: The cutting control module is configured to control the cutting head to perform laser cutting on the tube held by the main chuck, so that the tail material is partially cut off from the tube and a connection structure is formed. The avoidance control module is configured to control the cutting head to move away from the pipe after cutting is completed, so as to reserve avoidance space for the main chuck and the middle chuck to move axially. The feeding control module is configured to control the main chuck and the middle chuck to move axially toward the material table at the tail end, so as to transport the pipe to the material table; The chuck separation module is configured to control the chuck holding the pipe to release, and to move the main chuck and the middle chuck axially away from the table and the pipe.

7. The control system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The feeding control module is configured as follows: Control the chuck to release the pipe and move it axially toward the material table; The main chuck is controlled to move axially to push the tube to the material table.

8. The control system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The feeding control module is also configured to control the main chuck and the middle chuck to move synchronously toward the material table along the axial direction.

9. The control system according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The cutting control module includes: The first cutting control unit is configured to control the cutting head to perform circumferential cutting along the outer periphery of the pipe to form a continuous and non-closed first cutting trajectory. The length of the first cutting trajectory is greater than 0.6 times the circumference of the pipe and less than 0.8 times the circumference of the pipe. The second cutting control unit is configured to control the cutting head to cut in the two ends of the first cutting trajectory to form a continuous second cutting trajectory. The two ends of the second cutting trajectory are not connected to the two ends of the first cutting trajectory to form the connection structure.

10. The control system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The control system further includes: The rotation control module is configured to control the main chuck to rotate the pipe by a set angle after the chuck separation module performs its operation, so that the connecting structure is located on the lower side of the pipe. The position determination module is configured to determine whether the tail material is located outside the material platform; The bending control module is configured to control the bending mechanism to apply a downward force to the tail material when the position determination module determines that the tail material is outside the material platform, so as to break the connection structure and realize the active separation of the tail material from the pipe.

11. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor of the dual-chuck laser tube cutting device, it implements the laser processing control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

12. A computer program product, comprising a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the steps of the laser processing control method according to any one of claims 1-5.

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