Multi-head laser operating machine and corresponding control method

Abstract

To provide a laser operation machine having a plurality of laser operation heads attached to a cantilever.SOLUTION: A plurality of laser processing heads (OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4) mounted on each cantilever (141142143144) and configured to perform laser processing, wherein the cantilevers are mounted on at least base elements (11l, 11r) of elongated shape and are movable at least along base elements longitudinal axes (X) of the base elements, wherein each of the cantilevers extends substantially orthogonal to the base elements longitudinal axes, and wherein each of the cantilevers is driven by a respective drive system comprising at least one translational movement along the base elements longitudinal axes and cantilever longitudinal axes (Y) orthogonal to the base elements longitudinal axes.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a laser scanning machine having multiple laser scanning heads mounted on cantilevers.

[0002] One or more embodiments relate to a method for controlling an operating machine, particularly for laser processing, such as those used in laser cutting machines. Other embodiments may refer to laser welding machines or other laser machines. [Background technology]

[0003] Head laser manipulation machines having multiple laser heads are known which are moved by a movement system to a manipulation area, for example for cutting or welding.

[0004] Multiple head laser processing machines may be used to increase the efficiency of large part cutting or welding operations, but the movements of current multiple head machines are difficult to program, for example, as a part program, because it is generally desirable to avoid overlapping operation areas of each head to avoid collisions.

[0005] For example, CN106181068 discloses a solution with a laser cutting machine having three laser cutting heads (not three-dimensional in appearance) that operate relatively independently and are located at the top right end of the laser cutting table and on the two sides where there are two base elements or supports.

[0006] Also, this solution has achieved limited success as the arrangement appears to have inherent limitations in manipulating the laser head in the same area between the base elements. Summary of the Invention

[0007] It is an object of one or more embodiments to contribute to adequately addressing the above-mentioned problems.

[0008] According to one or more embodiments, this object may be achieved through a laser manipulation machine having the features set out in the following claims.

[0009] One or more embodiments may relate to a corresponding control method or process.

[0010] One or more embodiments may be mounted on a substrate of any processing machine, such as, for example, a laser cutting operation machine.

[0011] One or more embodiments may include a computer program product loadable into the memory of at least one processing circuit (e.g., a computer) and including software code portions for performing the steps of the method when the product is executed on the at least one processing circuit. As used herein, references to the computer program product to coordinate the implementation of the method according to one or more embodiments are understood to be equivalent to references to a computer-readable medium including instructions for controlling a processing system. References to "at least one computer" are intended to highlight the possibility of one or more embodiments being implemented in a modular and / or distributed fashion.

[0012] The claims are an integral part of the technical teachings provided herein with reference to the embodiments.

[0013] One or more embodiments facilitate manipulation of a base element or a plurality of cantilever beams facing the base portion.

[0014] One or more embodiments facilitate the introduction or removal of a fixture from a work area. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] One or more embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Figure 1] 1 is an isometric view of an operational laser machine according to the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of an operating mode of a laser machine according to the present disclosure; [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of further details of an operating mode of a laser machine according to the present disclosure; [Figure 4] 1 is an exploded view from above of a portion of the steerable laser machine according to the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 1 is an exploded view from a point below a portion of the steerable laser machine according to the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1 is a diagram of the scanning head of the scanning laser machine according to the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 8 is an isometric view of the laser machine during the fastener removal / installation phase of operation; [Figure 8] Isometric view of the laser machine equipment in the fixture removal / introduction working phase. [Figure 9] Left side view of the portion of the laser machine apparatus operated in Figures 4 and 5.

[0016] Corresponding numbers and characters in the different drawings generally refer to corresponding parts unless otherwise indicated.

[0017] The drawings are intended to clearly depict relevant matter of the embodiments and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0018] The edges of features depicted in the drawings do not necessarily indicate the end of the extension of the feature. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] In the following description, one or more specific details are shown for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of example embodiments herein. An embodiment may be achieved without one or more specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other cases, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described so as not to obscure certain aspects of the embodiments.

[0020] References to "an embodiment" or "one embodiment" within the framework of this specification are intended to indicate that a particular configuration, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is present in at least one embodiment. Thus, phrases such as "in one embodiment" or "in one embodiment," which may appear in one or more places in this specification, do not necessarily refer to one and the same embodiment.

[0021] Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0022] References used herein are provided merely for convenience and, as such, do not define protection or an extension of the scope of the embodiments.

[0023] For convenience, in the detailed description that follows, the same reference numbers may be used to designate both a node / line in a circuit and a signal that may occur at the node or line.

[0024] 1 is an exemplary diagram of an isometric view of a laser manipulation machine apparatus 10, preferably configured to perform three-dimensional (3D) laser cutting of material. Because not all components of apparatus 10 are shown in the figure, the following description also refers to elements, components, or details shown in the exploded views of one portion of the apparatus (a first base element with a corresponding cantilever and manipulation head) in FIGS. 4 and 5, and the detailed view of FIG. 6, which shows the laser head.

[0025] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the laser manipulation machine device 10 has a generally rectangular, in particular parallelepiped, shape, i.e., a beam, and comprises a first base element 11l, first base part 11l, or first base portion 11l, and a second base element 11r, which are arranged parallel to each other along their longest side, i.e., longitudinal axis (e.g., along the X-axis of the Cartesian coordinate axes).

[0026] In the illustrated example, the foundation elements 11l, 11r are elevated relative to the ground level of an environment, such as a factory housing the laser manipulation machine 10, via a plurality of pillars 12l—three in the exemplary embodiment, referring to the first foundation element 11l. As illustrated in FIG. 1 , two pillars 12l may be positioned at opposite ends of each foundation element 11l, 11r, while a third pillar 12l may be positioned at a central portion along the longitudinal axis X of each foundation element 11l, 11r. This arrangement of the pillars 12l defines openings 19l between each pair of pillars 12l. These openings 19l, which allow access to the work area 30 of the machine 10, facilitate the introduction of fixtures with parts within an area, such as the work area 30 of the laser machine 10, and relatively easy fixture replacement without the need to remove components at the side of the work area 30. This allows for the determination that, if safety conditions permit, the removal of the fixture is feasible while the cantilevers and operating heads, e.g., laser cutting heads, in other parts of the work area 30, e.g., those not corresponding to the opening 19r where the fixture is being replaced, continue to operate. A fixture is a support used in laser 3D cutting to position a part to be cut and to hold it in a reproducible manner in the work area of ​​the machine. Fixtures are also known as reference fixtures, fixture gauges, and jigs. Naturally, a similar arrangement with posts 12r and openings 19r is provided in the second base element 11r. It is emphasized that openings 19l and 19r exist below both base elements 11s and 11r; the opening below one of the base elements, e.g., base element 11s, may be used for the fixture, and the other opening below the other base element may be used to remove waste material resulting from the processing, e.g., laser cutting waste, as described above.

[0027] It is emphasized that the cantilever supports are described herein as base elements 11l, 11r supported on columns 12l, 12r, particularly to emphasize the formation of side openings 19l, 19r that provide access to the working area 30 below the beams of the base elements 11l, 11r. Each base element 11l, 11r and corresponding column 12l, 12r may be considered to correspond to the overall base, or base portion, for each cantilever.

[0028] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the upper surface of each of the base elements 11l, 11r supports guide tracks (or linear guides) 13r, 13l, which have at least one rail each and extend across the X direction of the base elements 11l, 11r.

[0029] As illustrated in FIG. 1, each operating head carriage element, i.e., one that supports the head, in particular the cantilever beams 141, 142, 143, 144 configured to slide along the guide tracks 13r, 13l, is mounted and arranged on a base element that engages with said guide tracks 13l, 13r.

[0030] In the example of FIG. 1, with reference to the first base element 11l, a first pair of cantilever beams 141, 142, which also have a parallelepiped shape, are parallel to each other and are arranged with the longest sides, i.e. the cantilever longitudinal axes, of the cantilever beams 141, 142 perpendicular to the longest sides, i.e. the base element longitudinal axis, of the first base element 11l, and the first pair of cantilever beams 141, 142 are connected to the first base element 11l and move along the rails of a guide track 13l, which is supported in particular by a supporting linear shoe, a first movable support, for example comprising ball bearings 151a, 154a as shown in FIG. 1, a first pair of cantilever beams 141, 142 connected to the first guide track 13l via first movable supports 151, 152 connected to the first base element 11l so as to slide or rotate along the first base element 11l, and the first pair of cantilever beams 141, 142 moving along rails of the guide track 13l provided on a supporting linear shoe, the first movable supports 151, 152 being provided with ball bearings 151a, 154a as shown in FIG. 1, for example; Similarly, with reference to the second base element 12r, a first pair of cantilever beams 143, 144 are arranged with their longest sides parallel to each other and perpendicular to the longest side of the second base element 11r, and a second pair of cantilever beams 143, 144 are connected to the second guide track 13r to slide along the second base element 11r via movable supports 153, 154 connected to the second base element 11r. The supports 153, 151 are not shown in the drawings.

[0031] As will be apparent, the elements associated with each cantilever 14i, with index i ranging from 1 to 4 in the examples 14, 15 and 16, 17 described below or head OH, are designated with the same index i. Also, for better clarity, even if not all of them are shown due to the type of drawing, reference will be made in the specification, where necessary, to all corresponding elements, e.g. cantilever beams 141, 142, 143, 144, since, as mentioned above, components with the same index i are essentially the same components with respect to the cantilever or its actuation along the X and Y directions (i.e. excluding the right and left base elements 11r, 11l and elements, e.g. 12, 13, 14, 19).

[0032] As is conventional, the base element longitudinal axis is denoted herein as X, as is the generally parallel reference axis X, while the cantilever longitudinal axis is correspondingly denoted as Y.

[0033] 1, each of the movable supports 151, 152, 153, 154 supports a drive mechanism 161, 162 on the top or surface of each movable support 151, 152, 153, 154, which corresponds to a moving carriage moving along the track 13l, 13r and is connected to a respective drive unit on the facing portion or surface of the cantilever beam 141, 142, 143, 144, performing a translation movement perpendicular to the guide track 13l, 13r of the base element 11l, 11r (e.g., parallel to the orthogonal axis X). The drive mechanisms 161, 162 are provided on the top or surface of the guide track and are connected to a respective drive unit on the facing portion or surface of the cantilever beam 141, 142, 143, 144, performing a translation movement perpendicular to the guide track 13l, 13r of the base element 11l, 11r (e.g., parallel to the orthogonal axis X). Each of the cantilever beams 141, 142, 143, 144 is therefore movable in the X direction, i.e. along the base element longitudinal axis, via the movable supports 151, 152, 153, 154 along the guide tracks 13l, 13r, for example by moving on the bearing tracks 13l, 13r of the movable supports 151, 152, and in the Y direction, i.e. along the cantilever longitudinal axis, via drive mechanisms 161, 162, 163, 164 on the upper surface or top of the movable supports 151, 152, 153, 154, via respective further drive parts 171, 172, 173, 174 on the cantilever beams 141, 142, 143, 144.

[0034] As will be apparent from this specification, apparatus 10 includes identical components in each of elements 11l, 11r, and each of cantilever beams 141, 142, 143, 144 also includes substantially identical elements in its drive system (A1, A2, A3, A4 as shown below), and therefore, already above and below, it has been emphasized that, for the sake of simplicity, in describing the structure and operation of apparatus 10, reference will be made only to one base element, e.g. 11l, and one cantilever beam, e.g. 141, and the same description applies equally to the other base elements and cantilevers.

[0035] Thus, for example, the first cantilever beam 141 is connected to a respective further driver 171 at its first end 141a, i.e., the fixed end of the cantilever (close to the respective base element 11r, 11l), where the full range of movement along the Y axis possible via the driver 171 overlaps. In the exemplary situation still considered, the second end 141b of the exemplary cantilever beam 141, i.e., the free end of the cantilever, pushes out along the Y direction from the respective base element 11l, 11r.

[0036] As illustrated in FIG. 1, each (eg, laser) manipulation head (known per se) is connected to a second end 141 b of an exemplary cantilever beam 141 .

[0037] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the second ends 141b of the cantilever beams 141, 142, 143, and 144 , 142b , 143b , The collection of 144b is oriented towards a region 20 (eg, the interior of parallel base elements 11l, 11r) that represents a (eg, 3D) surface XY of the working volume 30.

[0038] It is emphasized that each of the cantilever beams 141, 142, 143, 144 is driven by a respective drive system A1, A2, A3, A4 configured to move each cantilever beam 141, 142, 143, 144 along a translation axis X along the base element longitudinal axis and a further Y axis orthogonal to the X axis along the cantilever longitudinal axis. Although the drive system shown in the embodiment, e.g. A1 of beam 141, comprises track 131, moving support 151, and drives 161, 171 for moving cantilever 141 along the Y axis, it will be apparent that several variants may be possible, such as rack and pinion or ball screw drives, to obtain translational movement of the cantilever beam along the X and Y axes.

[0039] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the principles upon which one or more embodiments are based.

[0040] As illustrated in FIG. 2 , the manipulation machine device 10 comprises a plurality of work subsystems, i.e., respective actuating tool heads OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4, in the example of a laser cutting head, but the device 10 may also use a laser welding head or similar type of laser manipulation, with cantilevers 141, 142, 143, 144 connected to respective drive systems A1, A2, A3, A4 configured to move the manipulation heads OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4 in three-dimensional (3D) space to perform the mechanical manipulation within the work volume 30.

[0041] In the considered exemplary situation, the plurality of work subsystems 141, 142, 143, 144 comprise laser tool heads OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4 (known per se), preferably configured to perform 3D laser manufacturing (e.g. cutting). As also explained with reference to Figures 1, 4, 5, 6, this may mean that the laser spot is movable along the three dimensions X, Y, Z in the working area 30, which also applies to the operating heads and their terminal ends 201 and working tips 201a.

[0042] A1, A2, A3, A4 indicate the drive system along the X axis (eg the support 152 on the guide track 13r in FIG. 1) and the drive system along the Y axis (eg the drives 161, 171 in FIGS. 4, 5).

[0043] In an embodiment, the drive systems A1, A2, A3, A4 comprising drives along the longitudinal (Y) and transverse (X) axes of at least the cantilevers, e.g. 141, may comprise other electromechanical linear actuators (known per se) connected to the movable supports, e.g. 151, for movement along the respective guide tracks 13r, 13l based on control signals received from the CNC control unit 100, which converts user inputs (e.g. provided via a processing device and / or a computer readable medium CP) into 3D coordinates X, Y, Z of the machine (e.g. Cartesian coordinate system).

[0044] The processing device CP may be part of a general computer, such as a personal computer, a UNIX workstation, a server, a mainframe computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and / or combinations thereof. The computer-readable medium CP may include programming code, such as source code, object code, or executable code, that may be loaded into the memory of the processing device and processed by it to perform the required functions of the part program generator as discussed below.

[0045] The processing device includes a CAD interface that may receive a part definition from a CAD system such as AutoCAD by Autodesk, Inc. of San Rafael, California, SolidWorks by SolidWorks, Inc. of Concord, Massachusetts, or CATIA by Dassault Systèmes, Inc. of Suresnes, France. The part definition may be received in any suitable data file format, including a vector image format such as the dwg or dxf file formats (used by AutoCAD), a boundary display format based on geometric topological boundaries such as the B-RFP file format (used in CATIA V4), or a parametric solid / surface feature-based format (used in CATIA V5).

[0046] In one or more embodiments, the method for controlling a manipulating mechanism as discussed herein may be used as a control process for the mechanical work device 10 or the mechanical work device 100 .

[0047] Still, for the sake of simplicity, one or more embodiments are discussed below primarily with reference to an operating mechanism 10 comprising four working subsystems 141, 142, 143, 144 each mounted with one respective operating head OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4, it being understood that the number of working subsystems and operating heads is merely exemplary and not limiting in any way, provided that they are arranged in parallel on facing base elements with movement along the X and Y axes, as claimed.

[0048] In one or more embodiments, the apparatus 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 includes any integer number of working subsystems, ie, two or more cantilevers 141, 142, 143, 144 and / or manipulation heads OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4.

[0049] FIG. 3 is a further diagram illustrating, by way of example, the principles upon which one or more embodiments are based.

[0050] As illustrated in FIG. 3 , which shows the machine 10 in a top or plan view, i.e., a schematic view from above, the operating machine 10 is configured to perform a cut along a (e.g., circular) shape from at least one target surface of a 3D object located in the manufacturing space 30. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the target surface may be placed on a custom-made fixture (known per se) configured to provide a framework for performing laser cutting and shaping thereon. As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the spaces between the columns 12l of the base sections 11l, 11l that define openings 19l, 19r at ground level are typically configured to facilitate fixture replacement when the manufacturing process is stopped. As shown in FIG. 8 , which is an isometric view of the laser machine 10 during a fixture removal / installation operation, with only one of the base elements 11l shown for simplicity and with the machine 10 stopped, a fixture 25 may be placed into the machine 10 by passing the machine 10 through the opening 19l between the central and outer columns 12l. 8, the fixture 25 is moved along an extraction track 27 on an extraction cart 28 which in particular carries the fixture 25 to a support and positioning element, i.e. a lifting system 26, which holds the fixture 25 and brings it into position for operation by lifting it. As mentioned above, it is not excluded that the described solution may allow the removal of the fixture while the cantilever and the operating head, e.g. a laser cutting head, continue to operate in other parts of the working area 30, e.g. parts not corresponding to the opening 20s where the fixture is to be replaced, if safety conditions permit.

[0051] The laser manipulation machine 10 therefore comprises base elements, e.g. 11l, 11r, supporting cantilevers and corresponding heads attached to pillars, e.g. 12l, 12r, which are on the road surface, i.e. the road surface on which the beams are supported by the pillars, and thus defines openings, e.g. 19l, 19r, between said pillars, e.g. 12l, 12r, and base elements having a size suitable to allow the passage of fixtures, e.g. 25, for the work parts, and in particular a track 27 passing through said openings 19l, 19r.

[0052] For example, each of the drive systems A1, A2, A3, A4 in the plurality of subsystems 141, 142, 143, 144 may be configured to move a respective machine tool head OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4 along five axes, or degrees of freedom, such as the X, Y, Z axes of a Cartesian coordinate system and the A and B axes of two further heads (e.g., tilt and rotation of the head relative to the Z axis).

[0053] Therefore, the spatial position of each of the operating heads OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4 may be expressed by numerical coordinates relative to the drive axes.

[0054] As illustrated in FIG. 3, drive systems A1, A2, A3, and A4 are configured to move each operating head OH1, OH2, OH3, and OH4 to a respective (e.g., partially overlapping) portion of the object manufacturing volume 30 available within the apparatus 10.

[0055] for example, a first drive system A1 configured to move a first operating head OH1 so that the first drive system A1 may manufacture a 3D object OB (e.g. a car door ring) in a first portion 301 of the manufacturing volume 30; the second drive system A2 is configured to move the second manipulation head OH2 so that the second drive system A2 may fabricate the 3D object OB in the second portion 302 of the manufacturing volume 30; a third drive system A3 configured to move the third manipulation head OH3 so that the third drive system A3 may fabricate the 3D object OB in the third portion 303 of the fabrication volume 30; The fourth drive system A4 is configured to move the fourth manipulation head OH4 so that the fourth drive system A4 may fabricate the 3D object OB in the fourth portion 304 of the fabrication volume 30.

[0056] 2 and 3, it is possible to have a partial overlap between the portions 301, 302, 303, 304 of the production volume 30 allocated to the operating heads OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4, respectively. The overlap facilitates an increase in the production speed while at the same time providing an improved targeting accuracy in the movement control of the operating heads OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4 to address possible collisions between the operating heads during operations in the overlapping area.

[0057] As illustrated in FIG. 3 , one or more robotic arms R13 may be present in the system 100, preferably on one of the open sides adjacent to the two foundation beams of the apparatus 10. For example, the robotic arm R13 may be used to place a new sheet of material on the fixture and / or to move a part at the end of a manufacturing cycle (e.g., to move a completed door ring part after it has been cut). In one or more embodiments, this movement of the machined part can be performed as soon as the manipulation head slides along the X-axis to move toward another fixture present in the workspace. Thus, the robotic arm R13 may be operated during “downtime,” thereby facilitating increased productivity of the machine 10. As illustrated in FIG. 3 , at the end of a processing cycle, rails RLS passing through windows between the columns supporting each foundation beam may be used to change fixtures, as discussed above with reference to FIG. 8 .

[0058] For example, as illustrated in Figure 3, Each of the sections 301, 302, 303, 304 has a respective sub-volume defined by a parallelepiped having, for example, a length along X of about 4350 mm, a width along Y of 1530 mm, and a height along Z of 650 mm; The total manufacturing volume 30 is a function of the volume of each section 301, 302, 303, 304 and their overlap, such that the total volume 30 is equivalent to a parallelepiped having a length along X of approximately 4750 mm, a width along Y of approximately 2860 mm, and a height along Z of approximately 650 mm.

[0059] As illustrated in Figure 3, The first volume 301 and the second volume 302 have a first overlap 312 between them that is equal to or greater than 83%, e.g., the first overlap volume 312 has a length along X of about 4750 mm, a width along Y of about 1530 mm, and a height along Z of about 650 mm, for a total of 4.724 m 3 may be defined as a parallelepiped of the third volume 303 and the fourth volume 304 have a second overlap 334 that is equal to or greater than 83%, e.g., the second overlap volume 334 has the same size as the first overlap volume 312; The first volume 301 and the third volume 303 have a third overlap 313 that is equal to or less than 7%, e.g., the third overlap volume 313 has a length along X of about 4350 mm, a width along Y of about 200 mm, and a height along Z of about 650 mm, for a total of about 0.565 m. 3 may be defined as a parallelepiped of volume The second volume 302 and the fourth volume 304 have a fourth overlap 324 that is equal to or less than 7%, for example, the fourth overlap volume 324 has the same size as the third overlap volume 313 .

[0060] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the apparatus 10 is a computer numerically controlled (CNC) operating machine, with particular reference to the support 151 (having a linear motor 151 moving along a track 13l as illustrated in FIG. 9) and the cantilever 141 with drive elements such as drives 161, 171, in which drive devices of the drive system A1, A2, A3, A4 are connected to a CNC control device 20 configured to provide drive signals to move each operating head, in this case particularly OH1, within the manufacturing volume 30 according to the tool path trajectory calculated using the method as disclosed herein.

[0061] In a known manner, the CNC control device 100 is further configured to receive signals from sensors and other components mounted on the base of the apparatus 10 (not shown in FIG. 1 ) in order to apply a feedback control mechanism to the drive devices A1, A2, A3, A4 and drive the laser processing via the operating heads OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4 in a plurality of subsystems 141, 142, 143, 144.

[0062] As illustrated with respect to FIG. 2, the CNC controller 100 is configured to be connected to a processing device CP to perform computer-aided design (CAD) and / or computer-aided manufacturing of parts produced by the operating machine 10.

[0063] CAD files generated by a CAD system are a common input for a CAM system. In some cases, CAD data may be input directly into a CAM system, which may provide basic CAD functionality.

[0064] In a known manner, the main purpose of a CAM system is to convert a CAD file containing geometric information about a part into a part program file PP containing sequential commands for a particular CNC machine 10. The part program file PP may also be called a machine command or tool path file.

[0065] As illustrated herein, the CNC controller 100 is configured to process a part program file PP and converts the commands into drive signals that set the speeds, feeds, accelerations, and various other parameters of the actuators A1, A2, A3, A4 of the multiple machine subsystems 13, 14, 16, 17.

[0066] As illustrated herein, the CNC controller 100 includes a human-machine interface HMI, or user interface UI, configured to receive user data (e.g., via a touchscreen) and / or machine data (e.g., provided by machine sensors) and enable data exchange between the user and the machine regarding input / output data.

[0067] As illustrated in FIG. 3, when an object OB is manufactured by a multi-head operating machine 10, the part program PP may be How to separate the total cutting shape of the object OB in the various cross sections CS1, CS2, CS3, CS4 in order to obtain individual tool paths for the various actuators A1, A2, A3, A4 in the device 10; It should be configured to consider how to manage possible collision areas at the boundaries of the individual sub-volumes 301, 302, 303, 304 and / or overlapping sub-volumes 312, 324, 313, 334.

[0068] A toolpath is not just a geometry, but the path of the tool, i.e., the tool as it moves along the path. Every machine has areas and directions in which the toolpath may be difficult to navigate. Part programs PP contain toolpaths specified in coordinates of lines and circles, or splines that use the calculation of the cross section of two surfaces between the tool radius and a surface mathematically defined by the CAD system.

[0069] As illustrated in FIG. 3, overlapping edges of objects that straddle adjacent volumes 312, 324 become problematic in machine space due to the placement of operating heads OH1, OH2, OH3, and OH4, and the corresponding CNC machine limits (e.g., speed, acceleration) to achieve the placement change.

[0070] Thus, based on the above, in the laser manipulation machine 10, one or more of the cantilevers, e.g., 141, 142, mounted on one or more base elements, e.g., 11l, and one or more cantilevers, e.g., 143, 144, mounted on another base element, e.g., 11r, have respective lengths and ranges of movement along the cantilever axes that determine at least one overlap, such as 312, 313, 334, of each laser head manipulation region, e.g., 301, 302, 303, 304.

[0071] 4 shows an exploded view of the device 10 from a point above the device 10, with reference to the first base element 11l and primarily one cantilever beam 141s. With reference to FIG. 6, the laser head OH1, whose structure will be described in more detail below, is shown spaced apart from the cantilever 141 supporting it. The cantilevers 141 are shown spaced apart above the base element 11l to allow observation of the movable supports 151, i.e., carriages on bearings that move along the tracks 13l, supporting each catenary 181 connected to the cantilever 141 during operation, to which the power and signals necessary for driving are supplied, for example, from a CNC control unit. For example, the catenary 181 connecting the movable supports 151 to the cantilevers 141 is supplied with power and signals for driving the movement along the Z-axis and the axis of the operating head OH1, while another catenary supplies power and signals to a linear motor.

[0072] In an example where a linear motor is implemented, the cantilever is driven by drive units 161, 171 shown in FIG. 4, which magnetically move the cantilever 141, which moves by sliding or rotating on tracks 171b on each shoe 161a on the upper part of the support 151, where the side of the cantilever 141 along the X-axis is located when the cantilever 141 is assembled to the movable support 151.

[0073] 1 and 4, head OH1 is mounted on the distal end 141b of cantilever 141, not in the center of cantilever end 141b relative to the X-axis, but in the corner region of the cantilever formed by the part of cantilever end 141b that is closer to or closest to actuation region 30, i.e., facing or closer to actuation region 30, in particular the longest side that is substantially closer to or facing actuation region 30, and the shorter side of distal end 141b, i.e., the side of the cantilever along the X-axis. This determines that head OH1 is mounted asymmetrically, i.e., closer to actuation region 30, rather than in the middle of the dimension of cantilever end 141b. 2 and 3, this may also apply to the heads OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4 operating in respective (e.g., partially overlapping) portions of the object production volume available in the apparatus 10, i.e., the working area 30. In particular, all four heads OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4 are positioned facing or closer to the working area 30, in particular the longest side substantially closer to or facing the working area 30, and the far end 141b. , 142b , 143b , 144b are positioned in the corner region of the cantilever formed by the shorter side of the cantilever corresponding to 144b. Thus, instead of being at the center or midpoint of the end, i.e., free end, of the cantilever measured along the X axis, each head is positioned closer to the manipulation region 30. This asymmetry facilitates manipulating the heads at close range without interference from the carriage.

[0074] 3 shows apparatus 10 in a top view, showing heads OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4 operating in respective (e.g., partially overlapping) portions of the object-facing volume that all face manipulation area 30, essentially in the area of ​​the corner of the cantilever formed by the longest side closer to or facing manipulation area 30 and the shorter side of the cantilever corresponding to the distal end. In other words, heads OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4 are positioned closer to or closest to manipulation area 30 along a direction parallel to the X-axis, i.e., in the portion closer to or facing manipulation area 30 on the corresponding edge or corner.

[0075] 5 shows an exploded view of the device 10, as seen from a point below the device, i.e., below road level, similar to the perspective of FIG. 4 showing the exploded components. From below, one can observe the roughly rectangular cantilevered drive unit 171, which is connected to the lower surface or bottom of the cantilever 141 at the center of the cantilever 141 in the X direction and includes strips of permanent magnets 171a arranged continuously along the cantilever's longitudinal axis (Y direction). The drive unit 171 also includes track cantilever rails 171b arranged parallel to the sides of the strips of permanent magnets 171a, which are movably connected to corresponding guide shoes 161a on the drive unit 161. The drive unit 161 on the support 151 cooperates with the drive unit 171 to magnetically move the cantilever 141, which comprises a stator 161b with coils (not shown) arranged along the Y axis, which magnetically interacts with the magnet 171a of the drive unit 171 and moves the cantilever 141, i.e., the moving part of the drive mechanism, sliding or rotating in the shoe 161a along rails 171b in the Y direction. The drives 161, 171 thus constitute two parts of a linear motor, the operation of which is known in the art and will not be described further, on the shoe 161a arranged side by side on the side of the stator 161b, which guides the rails 171c arranged side by side with the drive unit 171, i.e., parallel to the cantilever longitudinal axis, i.e., moving the cantilever 141 along the Y axis.

[0076] The features of the device 10, i.e., the exemplary base element 11l described with reference to Figures 4 and 5, can also be observed in the side or lateral view of Figure 9, which shows the base element 11l from a point of view along an axis parallel to the Y axis.

[0077] As mentioned above, Figure 9 is a left-side view, i.e. shows the left base element 11l along its longest dimension, i.e. along the X-axis, and the cantilever end 141b is not connected to the operating head OH1 and is not covered in order to allow observation of the drive of the cantilever 141, in particular along the Y-axis 161, 171, as well as the drive of the movable support 151 along the Y-axis.

[0078] 6 shows an isometric view of an exemplary laser head OH1, comprising a first body 202, or base, connected to an outer part, e.g., 141b, of the cantilever 141. At its lower end, the body 202 comprises a rotating flange 202b that pivots or rotates about a longitudinal axis A of the tubular element, which is parallel to or coincides with a vertical axis, i.e., the Z-axis. The body 202 may move vertically along the Z-axis relative to the outer part, e.g., 141b, of the cantilever 141, via a vertical rail 202a connected to a corresponding shoe on the outer part 141b, not shown. As mentioned above, the body 202 is attached via a connecting shoe connected to the vertical rail 202a and the outer part 141b of the cantilever 141, particularly at a portion closer to or facing the working area 30 along a direction parallel to the X-axis on a corresponding edge or corner.

[0079] The head OH1 comprises a second rotating body 203 rotatably supported by a first cylindrical body 202 via bearings (not shown) about a horizontal axis B. In the embodiment shown as an example in the figures, the rotating body 203 is formed by a cylindrical element arranged coaxially with the B axis.

[0080] The end body 201 is fixed to the second tubular element 203 so that it may be rotated about the B axis.

[0081] The terminal body 201 is also a cylindrical element with a longitudinal axis parallel to the vertical axis Z in the drawing (origin position), which may rotate about the axis B as described above, but which is fixed to the second cylindrical element 203 in an upper region substantially below the upper end of the second cylindrical element 203, and which comprises a lower end of the terminal body and an actuating end 201a from which the laser beam is emitted in the direction of the region 20. The actuating end 201a may be fixed or movable relative to the latter along a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the terminal body 201, shown in the drawing as axis C. As described above, the operating head OH1 is vertically movable relative to the latter along a vertical axis parallel to the axis Z, and inside the said cylindrical element an optical system may transmit a light beam via lenses and mirrors in a known manner, for example according to the optical system described in EP 2 177 299 of the same applicant.

[0082] It is emphasized that the laser manipulation head described with reference to Figure 6 is just one example of a laser manipulation head that may be mounted on a cantilever. Naturally, the cantilever may mount different types of laser manipulation heads, e.g., with different axes of movement or different types of manipulation (e.g., cutting, welding) and other properties.

[0083] Based on the above, the solution previously described therefore refers to a laser manipulation machine comprising a plurality of laser manipulation heads, e.g. OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4, adapted to carry out laser processing, mounted on each cantilever, e.g. 141, 142, 143, 144, said cantilevers, e.g. 141, 142, 143, 144, being mounted on at least one base element, e.g. cantilever, or arranged between at least one said base element, e.g. two cantilevers 11l, 11r, having an elongated shape, movable along a base element longitudinal axis, e.g. X-axis, of each base element, Each of the cantilevers, e.g., 141, 142, 143, 144, extends substantially perpendicular to the base element longitudinal axis, e.g., the X-axis; Each of the cantilevers, e.g., 141, 142, 143, 144, is driven by a respective drive system, e.g., A1, A2, A3, A4, which provides translational movement along the base element longitudinal axis, e.g., X-axis, and a cantilever longitudinal axis, e.g., Y-axis, which is perpendicular to the base element longitudinal axis, e.g., Y-axis.

[0084] More specifically, the solution described above comprises a plurality of laser heads, e.g. OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4, adapted to carry out laser processing, mounted on respective cantilevers, e.g. 141, 142, 143, 144, movable along the longitudinal axis of one or more base elements 11l, 11r, e.g. having an elongated shape; Referring to a laser manipulation machine comprising two base elements, i.e. a pair 11l, 11r, parallel to each other along their longitudinal dimension and spaced apart from each other, defining a working area, e.g. 20, 30, in the space between said base elements, e.g. 11l, 11r, each of the base elements, e.g., 11l, 11r, supports at least two cantilevers, e.g., 141, 142, 143, 144, extending inwardly in the spaces between the base elements, e.g., 11l, 11r, substantially perpendicular to the base element longitudinal axis, e.g., the X-axis; Each of the cantilevers, e.g., 141, 142, 143, 144, is driven by a respective drive system, e.g., A1, A2, A3, A4, with translational movement along the base element longitudinal axis, e.g., Y-axis, and a cantilever longitudinal axis, e.g., Y-axis, perpendicular to the base element longitudinal axis, e.g., Y-axis.

[0085] As shown, preferably there are at least two of said one or more cantilevers on each of the base elements 11l, 11r, in particular two on each of the base elements 11l, 11r.

[0086] According to a related aspect, the manipulation heads, e.g., OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4, are arranged on each cantilever, e.g., 141, 142, 143, 144, on the side or corner that is closer to or facing the working area, e.g., 30. A plurality of, in particular four, heads OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4 are arranged on the longest side that is substantially closer to or facing the working area, 30, and on the far end 141b. , 142b , 143b , In the area of ​​the corner of the cantilever formed by the shorter side of the cantilever corresponding to 144b, they may all be positioned facing or closer to the manipulation area 30 along a direction parallel to the X axis.

[0087] The manipulation heads, e.g., OH1, OH2, OH3, and OH4, are attached to the distal or free ends, e.g., 141b, of the cantilevers, e.g., 141, 142, 143, and 144, which are closer to or closest to the manipulation region 30. , 142b , 143b , In particular, the operating heads, e.g., OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4, are mounted at positions facing or closer to the operating area 30. In particular, the operating heads, e.g., OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4, are mounted at positions facing or closer to the operating area 30, and at positions on the far end 141b. , 142b , 143b , It is attached to the corner region of the cantilever formed by the shorter side of the cantilever corresponding to 144b.

[0088] The drive systems, e.g. A1, A2, A3, A4, also comprise cantilever beams, e.g. 141, 142, 143, 144, mounted on respective supports, e.g. 151, 152, 153, 154, fixed for movement of the supports, e.g. 151, 152, 153, 154, along the base element longitudinal axis, e.g. X-axis, and the cantilevers are movably mounted relative to corresponding supports, e.g. 151, 152, 153, 154, along the cantilever longitudinal axis, e.g. Y-axis.

[0089] The moving supports, eg 151, 152, 153, 154, are mounted in tracks along the longitudinal axis, eg the X-axis, of the base element, which are movable by sliding or rotating on bearings.

[0090] The cantilevers are assembled on top of, e.g., plates of, corresponding supports, e.g., 151, 152, 153, 154, which are movable by translational drives, e.g., 161, 171, i.e., actuators that translate along an axis or linear actuator, which moves the cantilever, e.g., 141, relative to a fixed part, e.g., 161, on said support, e.g., 151.

[0091] The translation drive, e.g., 161, 171, which moves the cantilever, e.g., 141, then comprises a magnetic linear motor, e.g., 161, fixedly connected to the upper part of the support, e.g., 141, and the cantilever comprises a magnetically drivable part, e.g., 171, 171a, at the lower part.

[0092] A further related aspect consists in that the above-mentioned base elements, e.g. 11l, 11r, having a rectangular shape, are resting on a number of pillars, e.g. 19l, 19l, which define openings, e.g. 20l, 20r, between the pillars for accessing the working areas, e.g. 20, 30, in particular for introducing or removing fixtures.

[0093] As illustrated in the flow diagram of FIG. 7, a method for operating a multi-head operation machine (while reducing the possibility of collisions) includes: a block 400 applying an (offline) CAM process based on a model of the device 10 and a CAD file of the object to be manufactured, resulting in a tool path TP for producing the object for the outline of a shape to be laser cut from a surface (e.g., the top surface) of the object OB; a block 402 via a digital twin model DT of the machine 10 configured to reflect the dynamic performance of the physical machine 10, emulating or simulating the execution of movements of the tool heads OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4 of the multiple subsystems 141, 142, 143, 144, thereby arranging or dividing the overall tool path TP into multiple tool paths TP1, TP2, TP3, TP4 for allocation (e.g., via an auto-balancing algorithm) to the operating machine heads OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4 of the machine 10; for example, the digital twin DT may be a model of the Digital Twin Model DT provided by Siemens AG. This may be provided in a known manner by a commercial solution marketed under the name Twin, for example, where the auto-balancing algorithm comprises applying an artificial neural network (ANN) process to simulated toolpath segments to select a way to arrange the toolpaths with reduced time and / or reduced risk of collision, and to do so the ANN process stage may be trained using given training data on verified or calculated toolpaths or collision-free toolpaths SCFTP (obtained as discussed below) to apply a pattern recognition process (known in the art) to the toolpath segments, block 402; For example, multiple tool paths TP1 to TP2 may be simulated by detecting whether the pairwise distance between the heads falls below a threshold value (e.g., 20 mm with an overrun sensitivity of approximately 0.03 mm) at any point during the simulated manufacturing process. nblock 404, checking for the presence of a potential risk of collision in the collision areas CS12, CS23, CS34, CS41 in the block 404, and returning to block 402 if the checking result is positive, indicating the presence of a collision; block 404, which, if the result of the check in block 403 is negative, results in providing a plurality of collision-free tool paths CFTP1, CFTP2, CFTP3, CFTP4; emulating (or simulating) (e.g., using the well-known Handbox software suite) each received collision-free tool path CFTP1, CFTP2, CFTP3, CFTP4 for each machine operating head OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4 (block 406) to provide enhancements of performance factors of interest to the user (e.g., optimizing speed, reducing variations in actuator kinematic parameters such as jerk, minimizing total production time, etc.); and verifying that modifications of a single tool path do not induce collisions between operating heads in the multiple operating heads OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4, any modification affecting a single tool path (e.g., TP1 of the first head OH1 is modified to take into account the fact that the head has an old actuator for movement along the horizontal axis X) triggers a retry of the operation of blocks 402, 404, and as a result of the second iteration of blocks 402, 404, 406, a collision-free tool path group SCFTP is provided (block 406).

[0094] Preferably, in block 408, the collision-free toolpaths SCFTP are tagged 408 as collision-free and saved in memory so that they may be identified and retrieved. For example, if the new modifications effected in block 406 fail to calculate a new stable collision-free path, it is possible to revert to the previously calculated collision-free paths CFTP1, CFTP2, CFTP3, CFTP4 and provide them as the collision-free toolpath group SCFTP.

[0095] In one or more embodiments, a collision-free toolpath introduces a delay between potentially colliding heads, as opposed to a toolpath where collisions occur because one is operating while the other is stopped. For example, if two or more heads (e.g., OH1 and OH2) are about to collide, a synchronization system will stop one or more heads (e.g., OH1 or OH2) until the other is out of range.

[0096] The delays are introduced in a way that balances the workload and at the same time minimizes the total manufacturing cycle time for a particular object; for example, if some collision heads have a reduced workload than others, it is the latter that are delayed to balance the workload and reduce the total time; this method of delay allocation facilitates synchronizing the total time each tool is running. For example, checking for potential collisions in the tool path may comprise calculating the total cycle time based on the operation length and the set speed of the machine.

[0097] As illustrated in FIG. 7, the method includes: In a manufacturing environment, for each of the plurality of operating heads OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4 (e.g., starting from the first operating head OH1), a preparatory run of each collision-free tool path (e.g., TP1) of the collision-free tool path group is performed (e.g., via the HMI of the CNC control device) with a movement speed of each head (e.g., OH1) below a certain threshold (e.g., 10% of the maximum speed) in order to detect whether there is still a possibility of a collision between the operating heads in the manufacturing environment, and if a collision is still detected, one head is stopped until the other heads are out of range (synchronization system), and in case of an erroneous program or procedure, the method comprises performing a real-time collision check on the machine 10 during the preparatory run and stopping the actuator just before a possible collision, block 410; for each operating head of the plurality of operating heads OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4 (e.g., starting from the first operating head OH1), a preparatory run of each collision-free tool path (e.g., TP1) of the group of collision-free tool paths is performed (e.g., via the HMI of the CNC control device) while the speed limit set in block 410 is released, block 412, in case of an erroneous program or procedure, the method comprises performing a real-time collision check on the machine 10 during the preparatory run and stopping the actuator just before a possible collision, block 412; block 414 applying the laser cutting process for the tool path that has passed through blocks 410, 412, and if there is still a desire to apply changes after the first cut has been made, the manufacturing process can be stopped and a return to the tool path planning stage 402 can be made, and the machine 10 can be configured to introduce a further delay via a synchronization system that stops one head relative to another if a potential collision is detected, and in the case of an erroneous program or procedure, the method can include performing a real time collision check on the machine 10 during pre-runs and stopping the actuator just before a potential collision, block 414; and block 416 for manufacturing an object OB via the apparatus 10 (e.g., laser cutting a vehicle component such as a door shield).

[0098] In one or more embodiments, if a modification is requested during production 416, the program can stop attempting to execute the toolpath without running a simulation on the digital twin, while running the entire procedure again.

[0099] The validation process of the machine program file PP on the digital twin DT of the device 10 prior to actual execution on the machine facilitates subsequent on-machine validation, which depends on the CNC machine used and the complexity of the part being validated, and may result in significant non-cutting or waiting time, and therefore may be undesirable in some situations.

[0100] Thus, one or more embodiments assist a user in dealing with head or machine contact, such as a collision.

[0101] It is to be separately understood that the various individual implementation options illustrated in the figures attached hereto are not necessarily intended to be employed in the same combinations illustrated in the figures. Thus, one or more embodiments may employ these (otherwise non-essential) options individually and / or in different combinations relative to the combinations illustrated in the attached figures.

[0102] Thus, the structure and operation of the solution, as well as its advantages, are clear.

[0103] The solution described by providing an operating machine with multiple cantilevers that have translational movement along the cantilever longitudinal axis as well as translational movement along the base element longitudinal axis allows simultaneous operations in the working area.

[0104] The solution is described as providing an operating machine having two opposing base elements supporting cantilever beams and defining a working area in the area between the cantilever beams, and placing on at least one of the base elements at least two cantilever beams arranged in parallel support an operating laser head, said cantilevers having translational movement not only along the base element longitudinal axis but also along the cantilever longitudinal axis, so that the working areas may be operated simultaneously with an overlap to avoid collisions and other types of interference.

[0105] The operating machine also preferably includes a side opening below each base element to allow access to the work area for introducing and removing fixtures supporting the work parts.

[0106] Without prejudice to the underlying principles, details and embodiments may vary significantly from what has been described purely by way of example without departing from the scope of protection, which is defined by the appended claims.

[0107] In the exemplary embodiment, a machine with two base elements arranged in parallel, each supporting two cantilevers, is described, showing advantages in terms of operational efficiency and management of overlap areas, but the solution described herein generally relates to a machine with multiple cantilevers, each moving along the X and Y axes, arranged on at least one base element, in the exemplary embodiment where two base elements support two cantilevers each, although reference may also be made to different arrangements such as multiple cantilevers on a single base element, or one cantilever on each of two base elements, or a different number of cantilevers, for example one on one base element and two on the other.

Claims

1. Each cantilever (14 １ , 14 ２ , 14 ３ , 14 ４ ) and configured to perform laser processing. １ , OH ２ , OH ３ , OH ４ ) The cantilever (14 １ , 14 ２ , 14 ３ , 14 ４ ) is attached to at least one base element (11l, 11r) having an elongated shape and is movable along the base element longitudinal axis (X) of said at least base element (11l, 11r), The cantilever (14 １ , 14 ２ , 14 ３ , 14 ４ ) each extending substantially perpendicular to the base element longitudinal axis (X), The cantilever (14 １ , 14 ２ , 14 ３ , 14 ４ ) each of which has at least one translation along the base element longitudinal axis (X) and a cantilever longitudinal axis (Y) perpendicular to the base element longitudinal axis (X) １ , A ２ , A ３ , A ４ ) driven by a laser manipulation machine.

2. The laser manipulation machine (10) comprises two base elements (11l, 11r) arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal dimension of the base elements (11l, 11r), and defines manipulation areas (20, 30) in the space between the base elements (11l, 11r); Each of the base elements (11l, 11r) has at least two cantilevers (14) extending inwardly into the spaces between the base elements (11l, 11r), substantially perpendicular to the base element longitudinal axis (X). １ , 14 ２ , 14 ３ , 14 ４ ) and The cantilever (14 １ , 14 ２ , 14 ３ , 14 ４ Each of the drive systems (A) has at least a translation along the base element longitudinal axis (X) and the cantilever longitudinal axis (Y) perpendicular to the base element longitudinal axis (X). １ , A ２ , A ３ , A ４ 10. The laser manipulation machine of claim 1, wherein the laser manipulation machine is driven by a

3. The at least base element (11l, 11r) has at least two cantilevers (14) extending substantially perpendicular to the base element longitudinal axis (X). １ , 14 ２ , 14 ３ , 14 ４ 3. A laser manipulation machine according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

4. The drive system (A) comprises at least one translation along the base element longitudinal axis (X) and the cantilever longitudinal axis (Y) perpendicular to the base element longitudinal axis (X). １ , A ２ , A ３ , A ４ ) is a support (15) along the base element longitudinal axis (X). １ , 15 ２ , 15 ３ , 15 ４ ) with respect to the operation of each support (15 １ , 15 ２ , 15 ３ , 15 ４ a cantilever beam (14) fixedly attached to the １ , 14 ２ , 14 ３ , 14 ４ ), and the cantilever (14) １ , 14 ２ , 14 ３ , 14 ４ ) is the cantilever (14 １ , 14 ２ , 14 ３ , 14 ４ The support (15) corresponds to １ , 15 ２ , 15 ３ , 15 ４ 3. The manipulating machine according to claim 1, wherein the cantilever is movably mounted along the longitudinal axis (Y) relative to the cantilever.

5. The support (15 １ , 15 ２ , 15 ３ , 15 ４ 5. A laser manipulation machine according to claim 4, wherein the base element is mounted on a track along the longitudinal axis (X) and is movable by sliding or rotating on bearings.

6. The cantilever is attached to the corresponding support (15 １ , 15 ２ , 15 ３ , 15 ４ ) and assembled on top of the support (15 １ ) on the fixing part (16) １ ) to the cantilever (14 １ ) to move the translation drive unit (16) １ , 17 １ 5. The laser manipulation machine of claim 4, wherein the laser manipulation machine is movable by a

7. The cantilever (14 １ ) to move the translation drive unit (16) １ , 17 １ ) is the support (15 １ a magnetic linear motor (16) fixedly connected to the upper part of the １ ), and the cantilever has a magnetically actuable part (17) at the bottom. １ , 17 １ 7. The laser manipulation machine of claim 6, comprising: a).

8. 8. A laser manipulation machine according to claim 1, wherein the base element (11l, 11r) having a rectangular, in particular parallelepiped, shape rests on a plurality of pillars (12l, 12r) defining openings (19l, 19r) between the pillars (12l, 12r) for accessing the manipulation area (20, 30), in particular for introducing or removing fixtures (25).

9. One or more of said cantilevers (14) mounted on one or more of said base elements (11l). １ , 14 ２ ), and one or more of said cantilevers (14) mounted on the other said base elements (11r). ３ , 14 ４ ) is the laser head operation area (30 １ , 30 ２ , 30 ３ , 30 ４ 9. The laser steering machine of claim 1, wherein the laser beams have respective lengths and movements along the cantilever axis that determine at least one overlap (312, 313, 324, 334) of the laser beams.

10. The operating head (OH １ , OH ２ , OH ３ , OH ４ ) is particularly suitable for the operating head (OH １ , OH ２ , OH ３ , OH ４ ) each cantilever (14 １ , 14 ２ , 14 ３ , 14 ４ 10. A laser manipulation machine according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the laser manipulation machine is movable along a vertical axis relative to the laser beam.

11. 11. A laser manipulation machine according to claim 1, wherein the base elements (11l, 11r) are mounted on the posts (12l, 12r) on the road surface and define openings (19l, 19s) between the posts (12l, 12r) and the base elements (11l, 11r) having dimensions suitable to allow the passage of the fixtures (25) for the work parts.

12. The operating head (OH １ , OH ２ , OH ３ , OH ４ 12. A laser manipulation machine according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the laser cutting head or the laser welding head is a laser cutting head or a laser welding head.

13. The operating head (OH １ , OH ２ , OH ３ , OH ４ ) on the side or corner of each cantilever (14) that is closer to or facing the working area (30). １ , 14 ２ , 14 ３ , 14 ４ 13. The laser manipulation machine according to claim 1, wherein the laser manipulation machine is arranged on a surface of the laser beam.

14. The tool path group (SCTFP, PP) is operated by a plurality of operation heads (OH) of the operation machine device (10). １ , OH ２ , OH ３ , OH ４ ), wherein the operating head (OH １ , OH ２ , OH ３ , OH ４ ) includes a plurality of subsystems (14) of the operating mechanism (10). １ , 14 ２ , 14 ３ , 14 ４ , A １ , A ２ , A ３ , A ４ ) through each operation area (30 １ , 30 ２ , 30 ３ , 30 ４ ) and can be moved within The method comprises: generating (400) a global tool path (TP) based on a calculated object model (OB) provided via a computer-aided design, CAD, processing stage (CP); Each of the operation areas (30 １ , 30 ２ , 30 ３ , 30 ４ ), in particular partially overlapping (312, 313, 324, 334) said plurality of operating heads (OH １ , OH ２ , OH ３ , OH ４ ) each of the operation areas (30 １ , 30 ２ , 30 ３ , 30 ４ ) and a target travel time, dividing (402) the entire tool path (TP) into tool path segments (TP １ , TP ２ , TP ３ , TP ４ ) tool path sections of the plurality of operation heads (OH １ , OH ２ , OH ３ , OH ４ ) to each operation head; providing a calculated machine model (DT) configured to emulate the dynamic behavior of the operating mechanism (10); The tool path segments (TP) are calculated through the calculated machine model (DT). １ , TP ２ , TP ３ , TP ４ ) the plurality of operating heads (OH １ , OH ２ , OH ３ , OH ４ emulating (402) the movement of the manipulation head in Based on the emulated movement, the plurality of machine operating heads (OH １ , OH ２ , OH ３ , OH ４ Detecting a collision between the machine operating heads (404); In response to detecting the presence of a mutual collision, the plurality of machine operating heads (OH １ , OH ２ , OH ３ , OH ４ ) for each operating head of the tool path section group (TP １ , TP ２ , TP ３ , TP ４ reassigning (402, 404, 406) the toolpath segments of In response to failing to detect the presence of mutual collisions, a collision-free toolpath cluster (CFTP) １ , CFTP ２ , CFTP ３ , CFTP ４ , SCFTP) as the tool path partition group (TP １ , TP ２ , TP ３ , TP ４ ) (406); The Collision-Free Tool Paths (CFTP) １ , CFTP ２ , CFTP ３ , CFTP ４ , SCFTP) associated with each of the collision-free tool paths, １ , OH ２ , OH ３ , OH ４ ) so as to move each of the operation heads of the subsystem group (14) １ , 14 ２ , 14 ３ , 14 ４ , A １ , A ２ , A ３ , A ４ ) to drive (100) the subsystems of the collision-free toolpath set (CFTP １ , CFTP ２ , CFTP ３ , CFTP ４ 14. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing (410) a file (SFTP) of the operating machine (10) containing the file (SFTP).

15. Partitioning (402) and Toolpath Partitions (TP １ , TP ２ , TP ３ , TP ４ ) tool path partitions are allocated to the subsystems (14 １ , 14 ２ , 14 ３ , 14 ４ , A １ , A ２ , A ３ , A ４ ) each subsystem of the tool path partition group (TP １ , TP ２ , TP ３ , TP ４ ) through each of the tool path sections of the plurality of operating heads (OH １ , OH ２ , OH ３ , OH ４ ) and preferably, the target movement time for moving each of the operation heads of the tool path segment group (TP １ , TP ２ , TP ３ , TP ４ 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the target move times for each of the tool path segments are substantially the same.

16. The plurality of operation heads (OH １ , OH ２ , OH ３ , OH ４ Detecting mutual collisions between the operational heads (404) During the emulated movement (402), the plurality of operation heads (OH １ , OH ２ , OH ３ , OH ４ Calculating the pairwise distance between the positions of the operation heads of the 16. The method of claim 14 or 15, comprising comparing (404) the calculated pairwise distance to a threshold, indicating the presence of a collision in response to the comparison not exceeding the threshold.

17. and adjusting the plurality of operation heads (OH １ , OH ２ , OH ３ , OH ４ For each operation head of the tool path section group (TP １ , TP ２ , TP ３ , TP ４ The reallocation (402, 404, 406) of toolpath segments of the collision-free set of toolpaths (CFTP) comprises introducing a delay in the movement of at least one of the operating heads relative to the other operating heads involved in the detected collision, in particular １ , CFTP ２ , CFTP ３ , CFTP ４ 17. The method of claim 14, further comprising tagging (408) the tagged set of collision-free toolpaths (., SCFTP) to a computer-readable medium.

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