Laser cutting head cooling structure

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of laser cutting heads, in particular to a cooling structure of a laser cutting head, which adopts a sectional type water cooling layout, three independent water cooling structures are respectively arranged at a collimating mirror part, a focusing mirror part and a nozzle part of the laser cutting head from top to bottom, each water cooling structure is independently connected with a variable frequency water pump, and the variable frequency water pump is connected with a water pump. The flow speed of a water cooling medium can be controlled according to the temperatures of different parts of the laser cutting head, the water cooling structure is provided with different types of flow channels according to the structure of the laser cutting head so as to achieve the stable water cooling effect, the water cooling structure is matched with different heating parts on the cutting head, the cooling efficiency is improved, the water cooling structure is independently controlled, and energy consumption can be reduced. Flow velocity of cooling media can be adjusted according to working conditions, and cutting stability is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of laser cutting head technology, specifically a laser cutting head cooling structure. Background Technology

[0002] Laser cutting technology, with its significant advantages such as high precision, high efficiency, and non-contact processing, has been widely used in the processing and manufacturing of metallic and non-metallic materials. As the core component of laser cutting equipment, the laser cutting head undertakes the crucial task of precisely focusing and transmitting a high-energy-density laser beam to the workpiece surface. With the continuous improvement of efficiency and quality in industrial processing, high-power laser cutting equipment has become the mainstream development trend.

[0003] However, during the transmission and focusing of the high-power laser beam inside the cutting head, a significant thermal effect is inevitably generated. Even if the cutting head uses a coated lens with high transmittance and low absorptivity, some of the laser energy will still be absorbed by the optical element itself and converted into heat, causing its temperature to rise.

[0004] If heat cannot be dissipated in time, the following problems will occur:

[0005] Uneven temperature increases in lenses can alter their refractive index and cause geometric deformation, producing a lens-like effect. This results in laser focus shift, spot shape distortion, and uneven energy distribution, severely degrading cutting quality and even leading to cutting failure. Sustained high temperatures accelerate the aging, cracking, and even melting and rupture of the substrate coating on optical components, significantly shortening the lifespan of expensive optical components and increasing maintenance costs and downtime.

[0006] When the internal metal structure of the cutting head is heated unevenly, it will undergo thermal expansion and deformation, which may lead to inaccurate positioning of optical components, optical path deviation, and seal failure, affecting the long-term stability and accuracy of the cutting head. High temperature will accelerate the aging, hardening and loss of elasticity of sealing materials such as O-rings, leading to gas leakage inside the cutting head or the intrusion of external contaminants, which will contaminate the optical components and exacerbate their temperature rise and damage risk.

[0007] Traditional air cooling or natural heat dissipation methods may be effective for low-power laser cutting heads, but their heat dissipation capacity is insufficient when dealing with the huge heat load generated by laser power of several kilowatts or even tens of thousands of kilowatts. Air cooling is difficult to provide sufficient and uniform heat dissipation airflow in the small, confined space inside the cutting head, and its heat dissipation efficiency is limited; natural heat dissipation is even less adequate. Therefore, how to efficiently and reliably manage the heat accumulated inside the laser cutting head, especially protecting core optical components and controlling the temperature rise of critical structural components, has become a key common technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in the development of high-power, high-precision laser cutting technology.

[0008] To address the above issues, a structural design with better cooling performance is needed. Utility Model Content

[0009] Based on this, this solution provides a laser cutting head cooling structure with three independent water-cooling components, which can independently cool the main heat-generating parts of the cutting head, save energy, and ensure cutting stability. Under special circumstances, the three independently controlled water-cooling components can be connected to form a unified water-cooling path cooling structure.

[0010] The technical solution of this utility model to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is as follows:

[0011] A laser cutting head cooling structure includes a laser cutting head and a water-cooling kit. The water-cooling kit is installed on the collimating lens, focusing lens, and nozzle of the laser cutting head. The water-cooling kit includes three water-cooling components: a first water-cooling component, a second water-cooling component, and a third water-cooling component. Each water-cooling component has an inlet pipe connector and an outlet pipe connector on its outer side. The inlet end of each water-cooling component is located at the bottom, and the outlet end is located at the top. Each water-cooling component has different cooling channels.

[0012] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, a spiral guide groove is provided on the inner wall of the first water-cooling component, the lower end of the spiral guide groove is connected to the corresponding water inlet pipe joint, and the upper end of the spiral guide groove is connected to the corresponding water outlet pipe joint.

[0013] Optionally, in one embodiment of this utility model, the spiral guide groove is provided with several protruding ridges to generate turbulence in the water flow and improve heat exchange efficiency.

[0014] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the inner wall of the second water-cooling component is provided with a serpentine flow channel, the lower end of the serpentine flow channel is connected to the corresponding water inlet pipe connector, and the upper end of the serpentine flow channel is connected to the corresponding water outlet pipe connector.

[0015] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the serpentine flow channel includes two branches, which are respectively attached to both sides of the focusing lens portion.

[0016] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, a mounting ring is provided at the position where the first water-cooling component and the second water-cooling component are installed on the outer periphery of the laser cutting head, and a mounting screw hole is provided on the outer periphery of the mounting ring for connection and fixation.

[0017] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the third water-cooling component has an arc-shaped flow channel that conforms to the curvature of the outer surface of the nozzle, and the two ends of the arc-shaped flow channel are respectively connected to a corresponding water inlet pipe connector and a water outlet pipe connector.

[0018] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the third water-cooling component is composed of two structural parts joined together, and a positioning structure is provided at the joint position of the two structural parts, wherein the positioning structure is a positioning protrusion and a docking hole.

[0019] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the water inlet pipe connector of the third water-cooling component and the water outlet pipe connector of the second water-cooling component are located on the same side, and the water inlet pipe connector of the second water-cooling component and the water outlet pipe connector of the first water-cooling component are located on the same side.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the laser cutting head cooling structure provided by this utility model has the following characteristics:

[0021] It is equipped with three dedicated water-cooling components, which can achieve efficient heat dissipation according to the heat load of each part and avoid insufficient cooling.

[0022] When a water-cooled component becomes clogged, the outlet of an adjacent water-cooled component can be directly connected to the inlet of the clogged component via a valve switch, forming a temporary series connection of two water-cooling paths, or even three components connected in series. In the event of a sudden failure, the equipment can continue to operate under degraded cooling conditions, avoiding production interruptions, greatly improving equipment reliability and online rate, and the switching operation is quick and easy.

[0023] The cooling ring is fixed to the main structure of the second water-cooling component as an independent part by a connecting strip, which allows the cooling ring to be replaced or repaired separately without having to replace the entire second water-cooling component.

[0024] The operating ring is larger than the maximum size of the third water-cooling component, making it easier for operators to disassemble. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the overall structure of Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0028] Reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Fiber laser connection structure; 2. Collimating lens mounting structure; 3. Focusing lens mounting structure; 4. Cooling ring; 5. Protrusion; 6. Nozzle; 7. Operating ring; 8. Second water cooling component; 9. Serpentine flow channel; 10. Heat-conducting sleeve; 11. Third water cooling component; 2. Annular flow channel; 3. Collimating lens; 4. Focusing lens; 5. Protective lens; 6. Inlet pipe connector; 7. Outlet pipe connector; 8. Sealing ring; 9. Connecting strip. Detailed Implementation

[0029] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in these embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other. The technical solutions of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described below.

[0030] It should be understood that the same or similar reference numerals in the accompanying drawings of the embodiments correspond to the same or similar components. In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that if terms such as "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "top," and "bottom" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, they are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the terms describing positional relationships in the accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting this patent. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms according to the specific circumstances.

[0031] Example 1

[0032] Since existing air-cooling methods cannot meet the cooling requirements of laser cutting heads, a water-cooling structure for laser cutting heads was designed, and the specific scheme is as follows:

[0033] like Figure 1-2 As shown, a laser cutting head cooling structure includes a laser cutting head and a water cooling kit. The water cooling kit is installed on the collimating lens, focusing lens and nozzle 5 of the laser cutting head. The water cooling kit includes three water cooling components, namely a first water cooling component, a second water cooling component 7 and a third water cooling component 8. Each water cooling component has an inlet pipe connector 12 and an outlet pipe connector 13 on its outer side. The water inlet end of each water cooling component is located at the bottom and the water outlet end is located at the top. Each water cooling component has different cooling channels.

[0034] The laser cutting head comprises, from top to bottom, a fiber laser connection structure 1, a collimating lens mounting structure 2, a focusing lens mounting structure 3, a protective lens mounting structure, and a nozzle 5. The collimating lens mounting structure 2 houses a collimating lens 9, the focusing lens mounting structure 3 houses a focusing lens 10, and the protective lens mounting structure houses a protective lens 11. The upper end of the fiber laser connection structure 1 is connected to an external laser generator, and the lower end of the fiber laser connection structure 1 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the collimating lens mounting structure 2. The lower end of the collimating lens mounting structure 2 is axially slidably connected to the upper end of the focusing lens mounting structure 3. The protective lens mounting structure is mounted at the lower end of the focusing lens structure and is connected to a gas pipe connector for inputting protective gas into the nozzle 5. The nozzle 5 is mounted at the lower end of the protective lens mounting structure.

[0035] Each adjacent heating structure is provided with a heat-insulating annular structure, which serves both as heat insulation and structural connection. An air pipe connector is connected to the annular structure above the operating ring 501. The air pipe connector is connected to an external protective gas supply device to supply protective gas into the nozzle 5.

[0036] The inner wall of the first water-cooled component is provided with a spiral guide groove. The lower end of the spiral guide groove is connected to the corresponding water inlet pipe joint 12, and the upper end of the spiral guide groove is connected to the corresponding water outlet pipe joint 13. The spiral guide groove is provided with several protruding ridges to generate turbulence in the water flow and improve the heat exchange efficiency.

[0037] The inner wall of the second water-cooling component 7 is provided with a serpentine flow channel 701. The lower end of the serpentine flow channel 701 is connected to the corresponding water inlet pipe connector 12, and the upper end of the serpentine flow channel 701 is connected to the corresponding water outlet pipe connector 13. The serpentine flow channel 701 includes two branches, which are respectively attached to both sides of the focusing lens part.

[0038] In this embodiment, the main structure of the second water-cooling component 7, namely the part installed outside the focusing lens mounting structure 3, is further provided with a heat-conducting sleeve 702 between the main structure and the housing of the focusing lens. The focusing lens mounting structure 3 is axially slidably connected inside the heat-conducting sleeve 702. The main structure of the second water-cooling component 7 is installed outside the heat-conducting sleeve 702 and is fixedly connected to the heat-conducting sleeve 702, so that the focusing lens can be axially focused and slid without being interfered with by the structure of the second water-cooling component 7, while ensuring the sealing of the focusing lens mounting structure 3.

[0039] In this embodiment, the second water-cooling component 7 also includes a cooling ring 4 installed outside the protective mirror mounting structure. The cooling ring 4 is an independent component. The cooling ring 4 has an arc-shaped flow channel inside. The protrusions 401 arranged vertically inside the flow channel form an S-shaped path. Since the protective mirror is located at the position where the heat of the entire cutting head is the highest, the cooling ring 4 is provided with a separate water inlet pipe connector 12 and a cold water pipe connector. The two connectors are respectively located on both sides of the cooling ring 4 and are arranged diagonally. Multiple connecting strips 15 are connected between the cooling ring 4 and the main structure of the second water-cooling component 7 for fixed connection between the two.

[0040] The outer periphery of the laser cutting head is provided with mounting rings at the positions where the first water-cooling component 7 and the second water-cooling component 7 are installed. The outer periphery of the mounting rings is provided with mounting screw holes for connection and fixation. Both the upper and lower ends of the first water-cooling component 7 and the second water-cooling component 7 are provided with matching mounting rings and connecting structures. The connecting structures are provided with connecting holes corresponding to the mounting screw holes. The mounting rings are also provided with axial positioning strips. Correspondingly, the inner wall of the connecting structures is provided with positioning grooves that match the positioning strips, so as to facilitate the faster installation of the first water-cooling component 7 and the second water-cooling component 7.

[0041] The third water-cooling component 8 has an arc-shaped flow channel that conforms to the curvature of the outer surface of the nozzle 5. The two ends of the arc-shaped flow channel are respectively connected to the corresponding water inlet pipe connector 12 and water outlet pipe connector 13. Multiple baffles are provided inside the arc-shaped flow channel, which divides the entire arc-shaped flow channel into multiple vertically connected ring channels. The vertically connected positions are staggered.

[0042] The third water-cooling component 8 is composed of two structural parts joined together. The joint of the two structural parts is provided with a positioning structure, which consists of a positioning protrusion 401 and a mating hole. Since the nozzle 5 is a structural part with a relatively high disassembly frequency compared to other structural parts, the third water-cooling component 8 adopts a structure that allows for faster disassembly, making disassembly convenient. In this embodiment, the lower part of the nozzle 5 has a conical structure, and the middle part of the nozzle 5 is provided with an operation ring 501. The upper part of the nozzle 5 has a threaded connection part for connecting with the protective mirror mounting structure. The size of the operation ring 501 is larger than the maximum size of the third water-cooling component 8, which facilitates the disassembly of the nozzle 5. When the pipe connection of the third water-cooling component 8 is disconnected, the nozzle 5 can be removed together with the main structure of the third water-cooling component 8, for example, when it is necessary to clean the protective mirror. There is no need to disassemble and reassemble the main structure of the third water-cooling component 8 again, making it more convenient to use and avoiding problems such as deviations that may be caused by disassembly and reassembly.

[0043] The nozzle 5 has a downward protruding positioning block at its edge. Correspondingly, the two structural components of the third water-cooling component 8 have assembly slots with matching positioning blocks to facilitate quick assembly and connection between the third water-cooling component 8 and the nozzle 5. The two structural components are roughly the same structure, with one structural component connected to the inlet pipe connector 12 and the other connected to the outlet pipe connector 13.

[0044] The inlet pipe connector 12 of the third water-cooling component and the outlet pipe connector 13 of the second water-cooling component 7 are located on the same side. The inlet pipe connector 12 of the second water-cooling component 7 and the outlet pipe connector 13 of the first water-cooling component are also located on the same side. Specifically, if the inlet pipe of the third water-cooling component 8 is blocked, but the equipment needs to continue to operate, the outlet pipe connector 13 of the second water-cooling component 7 and the inlet pipe connector 12 of the third water-cooling component 8 can be connected to connect the original two water-cooling paths together, so that the third water-cooling component 8 can continue to cool the nozzle 5 and keep the equipment running stably. Alternatively, the three water-cooling components can be connected into one water-cooling path for use. In actual use, the outlet pipe connectors 13 of the three water-cooling components adopt a T-connector and are equipped with a valve. When one of the water-cooling components has a problem, the valve can be opened quickly to connect the water-cooling paths.

[0045] The laser cutting head cooling structure of this solution sets up three dedicated water-cooling components in the most critical heat source area of ​​the laser cutting head. It can achieve efficient heat dissipation according to the heat load characteristics of each part, avoid the problem of insufficient cooling, and improve the life and working stability of optical components and nozzle 5.

[0046] The mounting ring features mounting screw holes and an axial positioning strip. The water-cooled components have matching connection holes and positioning grooves. This allows for quick and precise installation of the first and second water-cooled components 7.

[0047] When the inlet of a water-cooled component becomes blocked, the outlet of an adjacent water-cooled component can be directly connected to the inlet of the blocked component via a valve, forming a temporary series connection of two water-cooling paths, or even three components connected in series. In the event of a sudden failure, the equipment can continue to operate in degraded cooling mode, avoiding production interruption and greatly improving equipment reliability and online rate. The valves and tee fittings make the switching operation quick and easy.

[0048] The cooling ring 4 is fixed to the main structure of the second water-cooling component 7 as an independent part by the connecting strip 15, which allows the cooling ring 4 to be replaced or repaired separately without having to replace the entire second water-cooling component 7.

[0049] The size of the operating ring 501 is larger than the maximum size of the third water-cooling component 8, so that when the nozzle 5 needs to be disassembled, the operator has enough space to operate without being blocked by the cooling component.

[0050] Example 2

[0051] In this embodiment, the structure of the cooling structure is basically the same as that of Embodiment 1. The difference is that an integrated water distribution block is installed on the side or rear of the laser cutting head body. The water distribution block has a main water inlet and a main water outlet interface for connecting to the external cooling system. The water distribution block integrates an electronically controlled flow regulating valve to control the flow to the three cooling components, reducing the complexity of external pipeline connections. The water distribution block also integrates an emergency bypass channel and valve to achieve rapid switching.

[0052] Obviously, the above embodiments of this utility model are merely examples for clearly illustrating this utility model, and are not intended to limit the implementation of this utility model. Those skilled in the art can make other variations or modifications based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively describe all embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A cooling structure for a laser cutting head, characterized in that, include: A laser cutting head and a water-cooling kit are provided. The water-cooling kit is installed on the collimating lens, focusing lens and nozzle of the laser cutting head. The water-cooling kit includes three water-cooling components: a first water-cooling component, a second water-cooling component and a third water-cooling component. Each water-cooling component has an inlet pipe connector and an outlet pipe connector on its outer side. The water inlet of each water-cooling component is located at the bottom and the water outlet is located at the top. Each water-cooling component has different cooling channels.

2. The laser cutting head cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner wall of the first water-cooled component is provided with a spiral guide groove. The lower end of the spiral guide groove is connected to the corresponding water inlet pipe joint, and the upper end of the spiral guide groove is connected to the corresponding water outlet pipe joint.

3. The laser cutting head cooling structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The spiral guide channel is provided with several protruding ridges, which generate turbulence in the water flow and improve the heat exchange efficiency.

4. The laser cutting head cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner wall of the second water-cooling component is provided with a serpentine flow channel. The lower end of the serpentine flow channel is connected to the corresponding water inlet pipe joint, and the upper end of the serpentine flow channel is connected to the corresponding water outlet pipe joint.

5. The laser cutting head cooling structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The serpentine flow channel includes two branches, which are respectively attached to both sides of the focusing lens.

6. The laser cutting head cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The laser cutting head is provided with a mounting ring at the position where the first water-cooling component and the second water-cooling component are installed. The mounting ring has mounting screw holes on its outer periphery for connection and fixation.

7. The laser cutting head cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The third water-cooling component has an arc-shaped flow channel that conforms to the curvature of the outer surface of the nozzle, and the two ends of the arc-shaped flow channel are respectively connected to the corresponding water inlet pipe joint and water outlet pipe joint.

8. The laser cutting head cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The third water-cooling component is composed of two structural parts joined together. The joint of the two structural parts is provided with a positioning structure, which consists of a positioning protrusion and a docking hole.

9. The laser cutting head cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inlet pipe connector of the third water-cooling component is located on the same side as the outlet pipe connector of the second water-cooling component, and the inlet pipe connector of the second water-cooling component is located on the same side as the outlet pipe connector of the first water-cooling component.

Images