A laser cutting device for PC boards

Abstract

This invention discloses a laser cutting device for PC boards, belonging to the field of laser cutting technology. It includes a worktable, a left-right moving mechanism on one side of the worktable, a front-back moving mechanism on the left-right moving mechanism, and the front-back moving mechanism located above the worktable. An up-down moving mechanism is mounted on the front-back moving mechanism, and a laser cutting head is mounted on the up-down moving mechanism. A first cooling mechanism is located around the outer periphery of the laser cutting head, and a second cooling mechanism is located around the outer periphery of the first cooling mechanism. The second cooling mechanism is mounted on the first cooling mechanism via a mounting assembly. This invention enables the cooling mechanisms to move synchronously with the laser cutting head, allowing for immediate, precise, and uniform cooling of the cut area of ​​the PC board. This effectively avoids thermal deformation and dimensional shrinkage caused by heat accumulation, and eliminates the need for full-area pre-cooling, thus balancing processing accuracy and cutting efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of laser cutting technology, and more particularly to a laser cutting device for PC boards. Background Technology

[0002] PC sheets, due to their excellent light transmittance, impact resistance, and weather resistance, are widely used in architectural lighting, electronic panels, and protective equipment. Laser cutting, with its advantages of high precision, narrow kerf, and high efficiency, has become a common method for PC sheet processing. However, although existing PC sheet laser cutting equipment is equipped with cooling measures such as atomizing nozzles in practical applications, the cooling components are usually fixedly installed at a certain position on the worktable or gantry, resulting in a fixed cooling area. When the cutting head moves continuously, the cut area cannot be cooled evenly and promptly, easily causing local heat accumulation in the PC sheet, leading to problems such as thermal deformation and dimensional shrinkage. If the entire worktable is cooled, the area to be cut is pre-cooled, which actually reduces cutting efficiency. Based on this, the present invention proposes a laser cutting device for PC sheets. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a laser cutting device for PC boards, which solves the problem of enabling the cooling components to move synchronously with the cutting head and provide instantaneous and uniform cooling to the cut area.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: This invention discloses a laser cutting device for PC boards, comprising a worktable, a left-right moving mechanism disposed on one side of the worktable, a front-back moving mechanism disposed on the left-right moving mechanism, the front-back moving mechanism being located above the worktable; a vertical moving mechanism disposed on the front-back moving mechanism, a laser cutting head disposed on the vertical moving mechanism, a first cooling mechanism disposed on the outer periphery of the laser cutting head, a second cooling mechanism disposed on the outer periphery of the first cooling mechanism, and the second cooling mechanism being disposed on the first cooling mechanism via a mounting assembly.

[0005] Furthermore, the mounting assembly includes a limiting mounting sleeve disposed on the inner side wall of the second cooling mechanism, the upper end of which is integrally formed with a clamp connector; a flower-shaped protrusion extends outward from the outer side wall of the limiting mounting sleeve, and a limiting groove matching the flower-shaped protrusion of the limiting mounting sleeve is provided on the inner side wall of the second cooling mechanism.

[0006] Furthermore, the clamp connector includes a fixed clamp and a movable clamp. The fixed clamp is integrally formed with the limiting mounting sleeve. One end of the fixed clamp and the movable clamp are hinged together by a hinge shaft, and the other end is set together by a bolt assembly. The circular ring structure formed by the fixed clamp and the movable clamp abuts against the outer side wall of the cooling mechanism.

[0007] Furthermore, the cooling mechanism two and the limiting mounting sleeve are connected together by a number of connecting bolts, which are distributed circumferentially.

[0008] Furthermore, the cooling mechanism includes an annular cooling cylinder, on the inner wall of which a spiral airflow channel is formed. An annular slit is integrally formed at the bottom of the annular cooling cylinder. An extension section extends upward from the central hole at the upper end of the annular cooling cylinder, and a snap-fit ​​mechanism is integrally formed at the top of the extension section. Several air inlets are formed at the upper end of the annular cooling cylinder, and the air inlets are connected to an air pipe. The other end of the air pipe is connected to a compressed air source.

[0009] Furthermore, the annular slit is tilted downwards and inwards at a angle of 15° to 25°.

[0010] Furthermore, the second cooling mechanism includes an annular frame sleeved around the outer periphery of the first cooling mechanism. The upper end face of the annular frame has several water inlet holes, and the outer side wall of the annular frame has several water outlet holes that match the water inlet holes. The water outlet holes are equipped with atomizing nozzles. The water inlet holes are equipped with water inlet pipes, and the water inlet pipes are connected to the coolant supply system.

[0011] Furthermore, the atomizing nozzle is installed vertically downwards, meaning the nozzle's spray axis is parallel to the central axis of the laser cutting head.

[0012] Furthermore, the atomizing nozzle is installed in an outward tilt direction, that is, the nozzle spray axis forms an outward tilt angle of 5° to 15° with the vertical direction.

[0013] Furthermore, the number of atomizing nozzles is 6 to 8.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial technical effects of the present invention are as follows: This invention, by incorporating two cooling mechanisms that move synchronously with the laser cutting head, enables real-time, full-coverage, and uniform cooling of the PC board's cutting area. This effectively prevents localized heat accumulation during cutting, reducing thermal deformation and dimensional shrinkage defects in the PC board. Simultaneously, it eliminates the need for pre-cooling the entire worktable, ensuring both cooling precision and effectiveness while preventing pre-cooling of the cutting area from affecting processing progress. This significantly improves the processing accuracy and efficiency of PC board laser cutting. In summary, this invention enables the cooling mechanisms to move synchronously with the laser cutting head, providing real-time, precise, and uniform cooling of the PC board's cutting area, effectively preventing thermal deformation and dimensional shrinkage caused by heat accumulation, and eliminating the need for full-area pre-cooling, thus balancing processing accuracy and cutting efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a front view of the laser cutting device for PC boards according to the present invention; Figure 2 Front views of cooling mechanism one and cooling mechanism two; Figure 3 This is a partial structural diagram of the cooling mechanism; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a spiral airflow channel; Figure 5 This is a partial structural diagram of the cooling mechanism 2; Figure 6 Two top views of the cooling mechanism; Explanation of reference numerals in the attached diagram: 1. Worktable; 2. Left-right moving mechanism; 3. Front-back moving mechanism; 4. Up-down moving mechanism; 5. Laser cutting head; 6. Cooling mechanism one; 7. Cooling mechanism two; 8. Clamp connector; 9. Water inlet pipe; 10. Limiting mounting sleeve; 501. Cutting head; 601. Annular cooling cylinder; 602. Extension section; 603. Snap-fit ​​mechanism; 604. Air pipe; 605. Air inlet; 606. Spiral airflow channel; 607. Annular slit; 701. Circular frame; 702. Water inlet; 703. Water outlet; 704. Limiting flower trough. Detailed Implementation

[0017] like Figure 1-6 As shown, a laser cutting device for PC boards includes a worktable 1. A left-right moving mechanism 2 is installed on one side of the worktable 1, and a front-back moving mechanism 3 is installed on the left-right moving mechanism 2. The front-back moving mechanism 3 is located above the worktable 1. A vertical moving mechanism 4 is installed on the front-back moving mechanism 3, and a laser cutting head 5 is installed on the vertical moving mechanism 4. The left-right moving mechanism 2, the front-back moving mechanism 3, and the vertical moving mechanism 4 can be driven by a servo motor in conjunction with a ball screw linear slide. During operation, the left-right moving mechanism 2 can drive the front-back moving mechanism 3 and the entire structure above it to move left and right along the worktable 1. The front-back moving mechanism 3 can drive the vertical moving mechanism 4 and the laser cutting head 5 to feed forward and backward. The vertical moving mechanism 4 can drive the laser cutting head 5 to vertically adjust its distance. Through the linkage of these three mechanisms, the laser cutting head 5 can move precisely in three-dimensional space above the worktable 1, completing the fully automatic laser cutting operation of the PC board.

[0018] An infrared temperature probe is fixedly mounted on the heat-insulating bracket 120 (made of glass fiber reinforced PEEK material) on the outer wall of the laser cutting head 5. The probe has a response wavelength of 8–14 μm and a temperature measurement field diameter of 3–5 mm. The angle β between the optical axis of the infrared temperature probe and the optical axis of the laser emitted from the cutting head body is set to 20°, and the intersection of the two optical axes falls on the surface of the cutting point. The signal output terminal of the infrared temperature probe is connected to the analog input terminal of the control unit, providing real-time temperature feedback throughout the cutting process. The control unit can instantly adjust the laser parameters, effectively avoiding overheating, yellowing, or incomplete cutting defects.

[0019] The laser cutting head 5 has a cooling mechanism 6 installed on its outer periphery, and a cooling mechanism 7 installed on its outer periphery. The cooling mechanism 7 is mounted on the cooling mechanism 6 via a mounting assembly. The cooling mechanisms 6 and 7 move synchronously with the cutting head 501, providing real-time cooling to the cutting area and preventing thermal deformation of the PC board.

[0020] The installation assembly includes a limiting mounting sleeve 10 installed on the inner wall of the second cooling mechanism 7. A clamp connector 8 is integrally formed at the upper end of the limiting mounting sleeve 10. A floral protrusion extends outward from the outer wall of the limiting mounting sleeve 10, and a limiting groove 704 matching the floral protrusion of the limiting mounting sleeve 10 is formed on the inner wall of the second cooling mechanism 7. The matching floral pattern of the limiting mounting sleeve 10 and the limiting groove 704 provides circumferential limiting and anti-rotation. The clamp connector 8 facilitates disassembly and fixation, enabling quick assembly, stable positioning, and convenient disassembly and maintenance of the second cooling mechanism 7 and the first cooling mechanism 6.

[0021] The clamp connector 8 includes a fixed clamp and a movable clamp. The fixed clamp is integrally formed with the limiting mounting sleeve 10. One end of the fixed clamp and the movable clamp are hinged together by a hinge shaft, and the other end is installed together by a bolt assembly. The circular ring structure formed by the fixed clamp and the movable clamp abuts against the outer wall of the cooling mechanism 6. Specifically, one end of the fixed clamp and the movable clamp are hinged by a hinge shaft to achieve rotational opening and closing, and the other end is locked and fixed by a bolt assembly. After locking, the fixed clamp and the movable clamp form a ring structure, which fits tightly against the outer wall of the cooling mechanism 6, thereby firmly holding and positioning the limiting mounting sleeve 10 together with the cooling mechanism 7 on the outer periphery of the cooling mechanism 6. The assembly and disassembly are convenient and the connection is reliable.

[0022] The cooling mechanism 2 7 and the limiting mounting sleeve 10 are connected together by a number of connecting bolts. The number of connecting bolts are distributed circumferentially, which serves three purposes: first, to ensure uniform force distribution around the circumference, guaranteeing that the two are assembled coaxially and concentrically, and avoiding skewing; second, to improve the overall integrity and structural strength of the connection, and to resist vibration and prevent loosening when moving synchronously with the cutting head 5 during operation; and third, to facilitate disassembly and assembly, making it convenient for the cooling mechanism 2 7 to be inspected, replaced, and maintained.

[0023] The cooling mechanism 6 includes an annular cooling cylinder 601. A spiral airflow channel 606 is formed on the inner wall of the annular cooling cylinder 601. An annular slit 607 is integrally formed at the bottom of the annular cooling cylinder 601. An extension section 602 extends upward from the central hole at the upper end of the annular cooling cylinder 601. A locking mechanism 603 is integrally formed at the top of the extension section 602. Several air inlets 605 are formed at the upper end of the annular cooling cylinder 601. The air inlets 605 are connected to an air pipe 604, the other end of which is connected to a compressed air source. The spiral airflow channel 606 causes the compressed air to flow spirally downwards along the channel, achieving airflow guidance and buffering. This allows the air to be ejected more evenly from the annular slit 607, thereby achieving uniform cooling of the cut area of ​​the PC board, avoiding thermal deformation caused by uneven local cooling, and improving cooling efficiency. During operation, compressed air is introduced into the annular cooling cylinder 601 through the air pipe 604 into several air inlets 605 at the upper end. After entering the annular cooling cylinder 601, the air flows downward along the spiral airflow channel 606 on the inner wall. After being guided and buffered, it is finally sprayed out evenly from the annular slit 607 integrally formed at the bottom of the annular cooling cylinder 601, precisely acting on the cut area of ​​the PC board to achieve instant cooling and avoid local heat accumulation.

[0024] The annular slit 607 is tilted downwards and inwards at 15° to 25°, which causes the cooling airflow to converge inwards and be precisely sprayed toward the laser cutting point and the area that has just been cut, thus concentrating the cooling of the areas where heat is concentrated and preventing the airflow from being scattered and lost. At the same time, the tilt angle can form a covering air curtain, which can quickly remove the residual heat from cutting, making the cooling more concentrated and uniform, effectively suppressing the heat accumulation and thermal deformation of the PC board, and also preventing dust and debris from rising and contaminating the cutting head and the surface of the board.

[0025] The second cooling mechanism 7 includes an annular frame 701 sleeved around the outer periphery of the first cooling mechanism 6. The upper surface of the annular frame 701 has several water inlet holes 702, and the outer wall of the annular frame 701 has several water outlet holes 703 matching the water inlet holes 702. Atomizing nozzles are installed on the water outlet holes 703. A water inlet pipe 9 is installed on each water inlet hole 702, and the water inlet pipe 9 is connected to the coolant supply system. During operation, coolant is supplied from the coolant supply system through the water inlet pipe 9 and the water inlet holes 702 into the annular frame 701, and then transported to the atomizing nozzles through the water outlet holes 703 on the outer wall. The atomizing nozzles atomize and spray the coolant, moving synchronously with the laser cutting head 5 to spray and atomize the PC board cutting area for cooling. This, combined with the airflow cooling of the first cooling mechanism 6, achieves a gas-liquid composite cooling system, quickly removing residual heat from the cutting process.

[0026] The atomizing nozzle is installed vertically downwards, meaning the nozzle's spray axis is parallel to the central axis of the laser cutting head 5. This ensures the atomized coolant is sprayed vertically and directly at the cutting point and the area just cut, resulting in precise and unbiased spray placement and a cooling range highly matched to the laser cutting trajectory. It avoids the coolant dispersion and uneven cooling caused by oblique spraying, efficiently removing residual heat from the cutting process. Combined with airflow cooling, this further suppresses heat accumulation and thermal deformation of the PC board, while preventing the atomized coolant mist from drifting and being wasted.

[0027] The atomizing nozzle is installed at an outward tilt, meaning the nozzle's spray axis forms an outward tilt angle of 5° to 15° with the vertical direction. This allows the atomized coolant to diffuse and spray outward, covering the heated area around the laser cutting process. This, combined with the airflow cooling at the cutting center, creates a comprehensive cooling range that works in tandem with the external cooling system. This effectively removes residual heat from the cutting center and surrounding areas, preventing excessive temperature differences in the PC board and surrounding regions from causing thermal deformation. It also forms an outer protective air-liquid curtain, preventing cutting dust and debris from drifting towards the cutting center. Furthermore, it expands the cooling coverage area, improving overall cooling uniformity and temperature reduction effect.

[0028] The number of atomizing nozzles is 6 to 8, which is a moderate number and evenly distributed along the circumference. This can form an annular atomizing cooling surface around the cutting area, ensuring full coverage of the cooling range and uniform spraying without dead corners. It can also avoid the cooling blind spots and insufficient cooling caused by too few nozzles, and prevent the waste of coolant, bulky structure and insufficient liquid supply pressure caused by too many nozzles. It can ensure the cooling effect while taking into account the compact structure and energy economy.

[0029] The aforementioned spatial layout allows the water mist sprayed from each nozzle to be drawn in by the low-pressure zone at the outer edge of the high-speed annular air curtain as it moves downwards, and deflects inwards. The droplets are evenly distributed on the outside of the air curtain, forming a cooling layer of air and mist that surrounds the air curtain. This layer eventually covers the heat-affected zones on both sides of the cut, where the droplets rapidly evaporate and absorb heat, while the air curtain assists in blowing away and exchanging heat.

[0030] The working process of this invention is as follows: First, place the PC board to be processed stably on worktable 1 to complete the board positioning. Then, start the device, and each mechanism will work together according to the following process to complete the laser cutting and accompanying cooling of the PC board: The first step is to start the drive mechanism. The left and right moving mechanism 2, the front and back moving mechanism 3, and the up and down moving mechanism 4 start to move in tandem. The left and right moving mechanism 2 drives the front and back moving mechanism 3 and the overall structure above to move horizontally along the worktable 1. The front and back moving mechanism 3 drives the up and down moving mechanism 4 and the laser cutting head 5 to feed forward and backward. The up and down moving mechanism 4 drives the laser cutting head 5 to move vertically up and down to adjust the distance. The three work together to achieve precise positioning of the laser cutting head 5 in the three-dimensional space above the worktable 1, aligning it with the point to be cut on the PC board.

[0031] In the second step, the laser cutting head 5 is started to begin laser cutting of the PC board, and the cooling mechanism 6 is started simultaneously. Compressed air is introduced into the annular cooling cylinder 601 through the air pipe 604 into several air inlets 605 at the upper end. The air flows downward along the spiral airflow channel 606 on the inner wall of the annular cooling cylinder 601. After being guided and buffered, it is evenly sprayed out from the bottom of the annular cooling cylinder 601 downward and inward at an annular slit 607 at an angle of 15° to 25°, forming a high-speed annular air curtain that precisely acts on the laser cutting point and the area just cut, quickly removing the residual heat from the cutting center.

[0032] Third, in sync with cooling mechanism 6, cooling mechanism 7 is started and put into operation; the coolant supply system introduces coolant into the annular frame 701 through the water inlet pipe 9 and water inlet hole 702, and the coolant is delivered to 6 to 8 circumferentially distributed atomizing nozzles through the water outlet hole 703. The atomizing nozzles are tilted outward (at an outward tilt angle of 5° to 15° with the vertical direction) to atomize and spray out the coolant. During the downward process of the water mist, it is entrained by the low-pressure area at the outer edge of the high-speed annular air curtain sprayed by cooling mechanism 6 and deflected inward, forming a wrap-around air mist mixed cooling layer around the air curtain, covering the heat-affected zone on both sides of the cut.

[0033] Fourth step: After the cutting operation is completed, first turn off the laser cutting head 5, then turn off the compressed air supply of cooling mechanism 1 6 and the coolant supply of cooling mechanism 2 7 in sequence. After the PC board cools down to room temperature, turn off the left and right moving mechanism 2, the front and back moving mechanism 3, and the up and down moving mechanism 4. Remove the processed PC board, clean the dust and debris on the surface of the device, and complete the entire cutting operation process.

[0034] The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention should fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A laser cutting apparatus for PC boards, characterized by: The device includes a workbench (1), a left-right moving mechanism (2) is provided on one side of the workbench (1), a front-back moving mechanism (3) is provided on the left-right moving mechanism (2), the front-back moving mechanism (3) is located above the workbench (1); a vertical moving mechanism (4) is provided on the front-back moving mechanism (3), a laser cutting head (5) is provided on the vertical moving mechanism (4), a cooling mechanism one (6) is provided on the outer periphery of the cutting head (501) of the laser cutting head (5), a cooling mechanism two (7) is provided on the outer periphery of the cooling mechanism one (6), and the cooling mechanism two (7) is provided on the cooling mechanism one (6) by means of a mounting component.

2. The laser cutting apparatus for PC boards according to claim 1, characterized by: The installation assembly includes a limiting installation sleeve (10) disposed on the inner side wall of the second cooling mechanism (7), and a clamp connector (8) integrally formed on the upper end of the limiting installation sleeve (10); a flower-shaped protrusion extends outward on the outer side wall of the limiting installation sleeve (10), and a limiting groove (704) matching the flower-shaped protrusion of the limiting installation sleeve (10) is provided on the inner side wall of the second cooling mechanism (7).

3. The laser cutting apparatus for PC boards according to claim 2, characterized in that: The clamp connector (8) includes a fixed clamp and a movable clamp. The fixed clamp is integrally formed with the limiting mounting sleeve (10). One end of the fixed clamp and the movable clamp are hinged together by a hinge shaft, and the other end is set together by a bolt assembly. The circular ring structure formed by the fixed clamp and the movable clamp abuts against the outer wall of the cooling mechanism (6).

4. The laser cutting apparatus for PC boards according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cooling mechanism 2 (7) and the limiting mounting sleeve (10) are connected together by a number of connecting bolts, which are distributed circumferentially.

5. The laser cutting apparatus for PC boards according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cooling mechanism (6) includes an annular cooling cylinder (601), a spiral airflow channel (606) is provided on the inner side wall of the annular cooling cylinder (601), an annular slit (607) is integrally formed at the bottom of the annular cooling cylinder (601), an extension section (602) extends upward from the center hole at the upper end of the annular cooling cylinder (601), and a snap-fit ​​mechanism (603) is integrally formed at the top of the extension section (602); a plurality of air inlets (605) are provided at the upper end of the annular cooling cylinder (601), the air inlets (605) are connected to an air pipe (604), and the other end of the air pipe (604) is connected to a compressed air source.

6. The laser cutting apparatus for PC boards according to claim 5, characterized in that: The annular slit (607) is tilted downward and inward at 15° to 25°.

7. The laser cutting apparatus for PC boards according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second cooling mechanism (7) includes an annular frame (701) sleeved on the outer periphery of the first cooling mechanism (6). The upper end face of the annular frame (701) is provided with several water inlet holes (702). The outer side wall of the annular frame (701) is provided with several water outlet holes (703) that match the water inlet holes (702). The water outlet holes (703) are provided with atomizing nozzles. The water inlet holes (702) are provided with water inlet pipes (9), which are connected to the coolant supply system.

8. The laser cutting apparatus for PC boards according to claim 7, characterized in that: The atomizing nozzle is installed vertically downwards, meaning that the nozzle's spray axis is parallel to the central axis of the laser cutting head (5).

9. The laser cutting apparatus for PC boards according to claim 7, characterized in that: The atomizing nozzle is installed in an outward tilt direction, that is, the nozzle spray axis forms an outward tilt angle of 5° to 15° with the vertical direction.

10. The laser cutting apparatus for PC boards according to claim 7, characterized in that: The number of atomizing nozzles is 6 to 8.

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