Laser processing apparatus and method of controlling laser processing apparatus

Abstract

To prevent inappropriate laser irradiation while maintaining versatility.SOLUTION: The laser processing device 100 includes an oscillator that outputs laser light L, a laser head 3 that irradiates the object M with the laser light L, a sensor 36 that measures a position and a rotation angle of the laser head 3 from an origin position, and a control device 5. The control device 5 measures and stores the teaching position and the teaching rotation angle of the laser head 3 being operated by the sensor 36 during the execution of the teaching mode, measures the position and the rotation angle of the laser head 3 by the sensor 36 during the execution of the irradiation mode, and permits the irradiation of the laser light L to the object M when the measured position coincides with the teaching position and / or the measured rotation angle coincides with the teaching rotation angle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a laser processing apparatus that cleans the surface of an object or removes a coating or paint by irradiating the object with a laser beam, and a method for controlling the laser processing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a device having a laser oscillator that generates a laser beam and a torch that is movable relative to the laser oscillator and irradiates an object with the laser beam generated by the laser oscillator (see, for example, Patent Document 1). With this device, a user can hold and operate the torch to irradiate any position on the workpiece with the laser beam, enabling processing in accordance with the operation of the torch.

[0003] Even in laser processing devices that clean the surface of an object or remove coatings or paint by irradiating the object with laser light, there are some that are equipped with a laser head that can be held and operated by the user and can irradiate laser light at any position on the object. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-279956 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the conventional devices described above, in order to prevent inappropriate irradiation, such as irradiating laser light at unnecessary positions, a sensor for detecting an object is provided in the torch, and irradiation of laser light is permitted when the sensor detects the object. In this case, for example, as a result of the sensor detecting an object that does not need to be irradiated with laser light (e.g., a user), irradiation of laser light may be permitted and the object may be irradiated with laser light.

[0006] In addition, laser light irradiation is permitted when the torch is brought close to the focal length of the laser light or close to that focal length. This method, for example, cannot accommodate cases where the focal length of the laser light needs to be changed, and the settings must be changed every time the focal length is changed, making it difficult to use a general-purpose device.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to reliably prevent inappropriate irradiation of laser light while maintaining the versatility of a laser processing device that irradiates a target object with laser light. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] Below, several aspects will be described as means for solving the problems. These aspects can be arbitrarily combined as necessary. A laser processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes an oscillator, a laser head, a sensor, and a control device. The oscillator outputs a laser beam. The laser head irradiates an object with the laser beam. The laser head is also called a "torch." The sensor measures the position and rotation angle of the laser head from an origin position.

[0009] The control device of the laser processing device executes a teaching mode that teaches the operation of the laser head when irradiating a target with laser light, and during execution of the teaching mode, measures and stores the taught position and taught rotation angle of the operating laser head using a sensor. Then, during execution of an irradiation mode in which the target is actually irradiated with laser light, the control device measures the position and rotation angle of the laser head using a sensor, and permits irradiation of the target with laser light when the position measured during execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught position and / or the rotation angle measured during execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught rotation angle.

[0010] In the above-described laser processing device, irradiation of the target with laser light is permitted when the position and / or rotation angle measured by the sensor during execution of the irradiation mode in which the target is actually irradiated with laser light matches the taught position and / or taught rotation angle, respectively, that represent the operation of the laser head taught in the teaching mode. In other words, whether or not to permit irradiation of the laser light is determined not based on whether the target is present or not, or whether or not the laser head is approaching the target, but on whether or not the operation of the laser head during execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught operation of the laser head. Note that the term "match" in the above includes not only a perfect match but also a case where "it can be considered to match," as described below.

[0011] In the teaching mode, the operation of the laser head is taught so that appropriate laser light is emitted, such as by not emitting laser light at unnecessary positions. Therefore, by allowing laser light emission when the operation of the laser head during execution of the emission mode matches the taught operation of the laser head, it is possible to prevent inappropriate laser light emission, such as emitting laser light at unnecessary positions.

[0012] Furthermore, whether or not to permit laser light emission is determined not by the distance between the laser head and the object, but by whether or not the operation of the laser head during the emission mode matches the instructed operation of the laser head. This makes it possible to appropriately permit laser light emission without changing settings, for example, even if the focal length of the laser light is changed, thereby maintaining the versatility of the laser processing device.

[0013] In the above laser processing device, the control device may determine that a position measured during execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught position when it is within a first range that includes the taught position. That is, even if a position measured during execution of the irradiation mode deviates from the taught position within the first range, the position may be considered to match the taught position. This allows for laser beam irradiation to be permitted even if the position of the laser head deviates from the taught position due to operational instability, as long as the deviation is small enough to allow appropriate laser beam irradiation. As a result, it is possible to prevent laser beam irradiation from being stopped due to small operational instability.

[0014] In the above laser processing device, the control device may determine that the rotation angle measured during execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught rotation angle when it is within a second range that includes the taught rotation angle. That is, the rotation angle measured during execution of the irradiation mode may be considered to match the taught rotation angle even if it deviates from the taught rotation angle within the second range. This allows laser light emission to be permitted even if the rotation angle of the laser head deviates from the taught rotation angle due to operational instability, as long as the deviation is small enough to allow appropriate laser light emission. As a result, it is possible to prevent laser light emission from being stopped due to small operational instability.

[0015] In the above laser processing device, in the teaching mode, the boundary of the irradiation area may be taught by operating the laser head. The irradiation area is an area of ​​the object to be irradiated with the laser light. In this case, the control device may determine that a position measured during execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught position if it is included within the irradiation area. This allows for an appropriate determination of whether or not to permit irradiation of the laser light even when the laser light is irradiated within an arbitrary range of the object.

[0016] In the above laser processing device, in the teaching mode, the irradiation path of the laser beam on the target may be taught by operating the laser head. In this case, the control device may determine that the position measured during execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught position when it is on the irradiation path. This makes it possible to appropriately determine whether to permit irradiation of the laser beam even when the laser beam is irradiated on the target along an arbitrary path.

[0017] The laser processing device may further include a main body on which the laser head is mounted. In this case, the origin position may be the position on the main body where the laser head is mounted. This allows the origin position of the laser head to be appropriately set.

[0018] A control method according to another aspect of the present invention is a method for controlling a laser processing device. The laser processing device includes a laser head that irradiates a target with laser light and a sensor that measures the position and rotation angle of the laser head from an origin position. This control method for the laser processing device includes the following steps. (a) A step of executing a teaching mode for teaching the operation of the laser head when irradiating the target with laser light. (b) A step of measuring and storing the taught position and taught rotation angle of the laser head during operation using a sensor while the teaching mode is being executed. (c) A step of measuring the position and rotation angle of the laser head by a sensor while an irradiation mode is being executed in which the laser beam is irradiated onto the object. (d) A step of permitting irradiation of the object with laser light when the position measured during execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught position and / or the rotation angle measured during execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught rotation angle.

[0019] In the above-described control method for a laser processing device, irradiation of a laser beam onto an object is permitted when the position and / or rotation angle measured by the sensor during execution of the irradiation mode match the taught position and / or taught rotation angle, respectively, that represent the operation of the laser head taught in the teaching mode. In other words, whether or not to permit irradiation of a laser beam is determined not based on the presence or absence of an object or whether or not the laser head is approaching the object, but based on whether or not the operation of the laser head during execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught operation of the laser head.

[0020] In the teaching mode, the operation of the laser head is taught so that appropriate laser light is emitted, such as laser light not being emitted at unnecessary positions. Therefore, by allowing laser light emission when the operation of the laser head during execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught operation of the laser head, it is possible to prevent inappropriate laser light emission, such as laser light being emitted at unnecessary positions during execution of the irradiation mode.

[0021] Furthermore, whether or not to permit laser light emission is determined not by the distance between the laser head and the object, but by whether or not the operation of the laser head during the emission mode matches the operation of the instructed laser head. This makes it possible to appropriately permit laser light emission without changing settings, for example, even if the focal length of the laser light is changed, thereby maintaining the versatility of the laser processing device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] This makes it possible to reliably prevent inappropriate laser light irradiation while maintaining the versatility of the laser processing device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a laser processing apparatus. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a laser head. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the laser processing device. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing the execution operation of a teaching mode. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of taught operation of the laser head. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] 1. First embodiment (1) Laser processing equipment The laser processing device 100 will be described below. The laser processing device 100 is a device that irradiates the surface of the object M with laser light L to remove deposits attached to the surface of the object M and clean the object M. Deposits that can be removed by irradiation with laser light L include various substances that can be evaporated by irradiation with laser light L, such as rust, paint or other coatings, organic thin films, salt, black skin, grease, welding burns, oxide coatings, plating, concrete, resin, and asbestos. The object M is, for example, various materials such as metal members, concrete members such as block walls, ceramics, wood, glass, stone, and tiles.

[0025] The laser processing device 100 is also called a laser cleaner, a laser cleaning machine, a laser rust remover, a laser blaster, a laser scraper, a laser paint remover, or a laser degreaser, depending on the object to be removed.

[0026] The overall configuration of a laser processing device 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the laser processing device 100. The laser processing device 100 mainly includes a laser light output unit 1, a laser head 3, and a control device 5. The laser light output unit 1 generates laser light L to be irradiated onto an object M. The laser light output unit 1 includes an oscillator that outputs laser light L and an optical system through which the laser light L generated by the oscillator passes. The oscillator is, for example, a variety of laser light sources such as a fiber laser or a solid-state laser. The wavelength of the laser light L can be set appropriately depending on the material to be removed, etc. Furthermore, the output power of the laser light L can be set appropriately depending on the material to be removed, etc. The laser light source can output laser light L having an output power of, for example, several watts to several tens of kilowatts.

[0027] 1, the laser light output unit 1 is housed in a main body B. The main body B is provided with a stop button 7 for stopping the output of laser light L from the laser light output unit 1, and a touch panel 9 for displaying various information about the laser processing device 100 and for configuring various settings for the laser processing device 100. In addition, the main body B may be provided with wheels for making the main body B movable, a handle for holding the main body B when moving the main body B, and the like.

[0028] The main body B is also capable of mounting the laser head 3. For example, the laser head 3 can be mounted on the top surface of the main body B. Alternatively, for example, the top of the main body B can be made concave, and the laser head 3 can be mounted on the concave portion. Furthermore, for example, a member having a flat surface can be attached to the side of the main body B, and the laser head 3 can be mounted on the flat surface of the member.

[0029] The laser head 3 is connected to the laser light output unit 1 via a connection line 11. The connection line 11 has a light propagation member that propagates the laser light L output from the laser light output unit 1 to the laser head 3. The light propagation member is, for example, an optical fiber. The laser head 3 irradiates the laser light L, which is output from the laser light output unit 1 and propagates through the connection line 11, onto the target M. The laser head 3 can also be called a "torch."

[0030] The detailed configuration of the laser head 3 will be described with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the laser head 3. The laser head 3 has a head main body 31. Inside the head main body 31, an optical system is housed for outputting the laser light L that has propagated through the connection line 11 to the outside. This optical system has a first mirror 32, a second mirror 33, and a lens 34.

[0031] The first mirror 32 reflects the laser light L that has propagated through the connection line 11 toward the second mirror 33. The first mirror 32 is rotatable around an axis in a first direction by a first motor 32A. The second mirror 33 reflects the laser light L reflected by the first mirror 32 toward the outside of the head main body 31. The second mirror 33 is rotatable around an axis in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction by a second motor 33A.

[0032] The first motor 32A and the second motor 33A are connected to the control device 5 via a connection line 11. This allows the control device 5 to control the rotation of the first mirror 32 and the second mirror 33 by controlling the first motor 32A and the second motor 33A.

[0033] As described above, the first mirror 32 is rotatable about an axis in the first direction, and the second mirror 33 is rotatable about an axis in the second direction, so that the laser light L can be emitted outward in any direction. Furthermore, by controlling the rotation of these two mirrors, the laser light L can be emitted in any shape (for example, linear).

[0034] The lens 34 condenses the laser light L reflected by the second mirror 33. This makes it possible to increase the irradiation intensity of the laser light L per unit area onto the object M.

[0035] Inside the head main body 31, another optical system composed of other optical components (e.g., lenses) may be arranged in the optical path of the laser light L between the entrance of the laser light L in the head main body 31 and the first mirror 32.

[0036] The laser head 3 has a grip part 35. The grip part 35 is provided on a side surface (for example, the top surface) of the head main body 31. A user, a robot arm, or the like can grip the grip part 35 to hold the laser head 3 and operate the laser head 3 by moving it and rotating it around a predetermined axis. In other words, the laser head 3 is movable relative to the main body B and rotatable around a predetermined axis by operation of the user or the robot arm. This allows the laser light L to be irradiated at any position on the object M and at any angle relative to the object M.

[0037] An irradiation button 35A is provided on the grip portion 35. The irradiation button 35A is connected to the control device 5 via a connection line 11. When irradiation of the laser light L onto the object M is permitted and the irradiation button 35A is pressed, the laser light L is output from the laser light output unit 1, and the laser head 3 irradiates the laser light L onto the object M.

[0038] A teaching button 35B is provided on the gripping part 35. The teaching button 35B is connected to the control device 5 via a connection line 11. When the laser processing device 100 is in a teaching mode, which will be described later, pressing the teaching button 35B allows the user, a robot arm, or the like to teach the laser irradiation range and angle of the laser head 3.

[0039] For example, an actuator may be attached to the head body 31 of the laser head 3, and the laser head 3 may be operated by the actuator. In this case, the grip portion 35 may be omitted.

[0040] The laser head 3 has a sensor 36. The sensor 36 is connected to the control device 5 via a connection line 11. The sensor 36 measures information relating to the position and rotation angle of the laser head 3 (head body 31) from the origin position. The sensor 36 is, for example, a motion sensor capable of measuring acceleration in six axial directions. Specifically, the sensor 36, which is a motion sensor, measures acceleration in each axial direction in three dimensions and the rotational angular velocity of rotation around each axis.

[0041] The control device 5 performs a predetermined calculation (for example, integration over time) on the acceleration and rotational angular velocity measured by the sensor 36, thereby calculating the position and rotational angle of the laser head 3 from a predetermined origin position.

[0042] 1, the sensor 36 is provided in the head main body 31. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the sensor 36 may be provided in another position on the laser head 3, for example, near the lens 34.

[0043] Returning to the explanation of the overall configuration of the laser processing device 100 using Figure 1, the control device 5 is connected to the laser light output unit 1. The control device 5 is connected to the laser head 3 via a connection line 11. The control device 5 controls each component of the laser processing device 100. The control device 5 is a computer system made up of a CPU, memory devices (memory devices such as RAM, ROM, HDD, and SSD), various interfaces, and a display device (for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, etc.).

[0044] The control device 5 controls the laser processing device 100 using a program stored in a storage device. Alternatively, the control device 5 may control part of the laser processing device 100 using a program and control the other part of the laser processing device 100 using hardware.

[0045] The control device 5 executes safety control to prevent inappropriate irradiation, such as irradiation of the user with the laser light L. Specifically, the control device 5 executes the following safety control.

[0046] First, the control device 5 executes the operation of the laser head 3 when actually irradiating the target M with the laser light L. The control device 5 measures the position and rotation angle of the laser head 3 when the laser head 3 is being operated using the sensor 36, and stores the measured position (referred to as a taught position) and rotation angle (referred to as a taught rotation angle) in the storage device. This operation allows the control device 5 to be taught how to operate the laser head 3 when actually irradiating the target M with the laser light L. Hereinafter, this operation mode of the laser processing device 100 will be referred to as the "teaching mode."

[0047] After the teaching mode is executed, the laser processing device 100 is used to irradiate the object M with laser light L in order to clean the object M or the like. The mode in which the laser light is irradiated onto the object M in order to clean the object M or the like is referred to as the "irradiation mode."

[0048] During execution of the irradiation mode, the control device 5 measures the position and rotation angle of the laser head 3 during execution of the irradiation mode using the sensor 36. When the position of the laser head 3 measured during execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught position taught in the teaching mode, and when the rotation angle of the laser head 3 measured during execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught rotation angle taught in the teaching mode, the control device 5 permits irradiation of the laser light L onto the target M.

[0049] The above "match" refers not only to a case where the position and rotation angle of the laser head 3 during execution of the irradiation mode completely match the taught position and taught rotation angle, respectively, but also to a case where the position and rotation angle of the laser head 3 during execution of the irradiation mode can be considered to match only by deviating from the taught position and taught rotation angle within an allowable range, respectively. In other words, the control device 5 determines that the position measured during execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught position when it is within a first range that includes the taught position, and determines that the rotation angle measured during execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught rotation angle when it is within a second range that includes the taught rotation angle.

[0050] As a result, even if the position and rotation angle of the laser head 3 during execution of the irradiation mode deviate from the taught position and taught rotation angle due to a fluctuation in operation, it is possible to permit irradiation of the laser light L as long as the deviation is small enough to allow appropriate irradiation of the laser light L. As a result, it is possible to prevent the irradiation of the laser light L from being stopped due to a small fluctuation in operation.

[0051] The first range can be, for example, a range of several percent to several tens of percent from the taught position. The second range can be, for example, a range of several percent to several tens of percent from the taught rotation angle. The first range and the second range can be arbitrarily set by, for example, operating the GUI displayed on the control device 5 and / or the touch panel 9.

[0052] (2) Operation of the laser processing device The operation of the laser processing device 100 will be described below with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the laser processing device 100. First, a teaching mode is executed to teach the operation of the laser head 3 when irradiating the target M with laser light L (step S1). The teaching mode is executed according to the flowchart shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the execution operation of the teaching mode.

[0053] First, the laser head 3 is placed in a specified location on the main body B. Then, the start button for the teaching mode is pressed. The start button for the teaching mode is displayed, for example, as a GUI on the control device 5 and / or the touch panel 9. When this button is pressed, the control device 5 designates the current position of the laser head 3 as the origin position (step S11). For example, the control device 5 sets the coordinate value representing the position of the laser head 3 placed on the main body B to 0, and sets the rotation angle of the laser head 3 placed on the main body B to 0.

[0054] In this way, by setting the origin position of the laser head 3 to the mounting position of the laser head 3 on the main body B, the origin position of the laser head 3 can be appropriately set as a position where laser light L is not irradiated using the laser head 3.

[0055] After the origin position is specified, the laser head 3 is operated to irradiate the laser light L onto the object M (step S12). That is, the operation of the laser head 3 when actually irradiating the laser light L onto the object M is instructed to the control device 5. For example, the user or a robot arm holds the laser head 3 by gripping the gripping portion 35, and operates the laser head 3 while pressing the teaching button 35B, thereby instructing the control device 5 to operate the laser head 3.

[0056] When teaching the operation of the laser head 3 to the control device 5, weak light may be emitted from the location where the laser light L of the laser head 3 is emitted (the position where the lens 34 is disposed). This allows visual recognition of the actual position where the laser light L will be emitted by the current operation of the laser head 3, thereby enabling accurate teaching of the laser head 3. This weak light may be output, for example, from the laser light output unit 1, or may be output using a light source other than the laser light output unit 1 (for example, a laser light source, an LED light source, etc.).

[0057] For example, the operation of the laser head 3 can be taught as shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the taught operation of the laser head 3. In the example shown in Fig. 5, the operation of the laser head 3 is taught to surround a partial area of ​​the target M. When such teaching is given, the following two cases are possible.

[0058] The first case is when the boundary of the area (called the irradiation area) to be irradiated with the laser light L on the object M is taught. In other words, this is when the operation of irradiating the laser light L within the irradiation area is taught.

[0059] The second case is when the boundary of this area is taught as a path (called an irradiation path) along which the laser light L is irradiated. In other words, this is when the operation of irradiating the laser light L along the boundary of this area is taught. Note that, unlike the case shown in FIG. 5, an operation of moving and rotating the laser head 3 along an open path is taught as a case in which this path is taught as an irradiation path of the laser light L.

[0060] As described above, the operation of the laser head 3 in the teaching mode is either an operation for teaching an irradiation area or an operation for teaching an irradiation path of the laser light L. Therefore, in the laser processing device 100, whether the operation of the laser head 3 in the teaching mode is an operation for teaching an irradiation area or an operation for teaching an irradiation path of the laser light L is specified before the teaching mode is executed.

[0061] During execution of the teaching mode, the control device 5 uses the sensor 36 to measure the position and rotation angle of the laser head 3 during operation as a taught position and taught rotation angle, respectively, and stores them in the storage device (step S13). If the sensor 36 is a motion sensor, the control device 5 calculates the taught position and taught rotation angle of the laser head 3 at the current time by time-integrating the acceleration and rotational angular velocity of each axis measured by the sensor 36 from when the laser head 3 starts moving / rotating from the origin position to the current time, and stores the taught position and taught rotation angle in the storage device.

[0062] While the operation of the laser head 3 is being taught (while the teach button 35B is pressed), the control device 5 repeatedly measures the taught position and taught rotation angle and stores them in the storage device at a predetermined cycle. As a result, the operation of the laser head 3 is taught as a point cloud of the coordinate values ​​of the taught position and the taught rotation angle.

[0063] While measuring and storing the taught position and taught rotation angle, the control device 5 determines whether or not the teaching of the operation of the laser head 3 has been completed (step S14). For example, when the teaching button 35B transitions from a pressed state to a non-pressed state, it can be determined that the teaching of the operation of the laser head 3 has been completed.

[0064] For example, if the teach button 35B is pressed and the teaching of the operation of the laser head 3 is not complete ("No" in step S14), the control device 5 continues measuring and storing the above-mentioned taught position and taught rotation speed. On the other hand, if the teach button 35B is not pressed and it is determined that the teaching of the operation of the laser head 3 is complete ("Yes" in step S14), the control device 5 ends the execution of the teaching mode. Note that when the teaching mode ends, the laser head 3 is placed on the main body B in the same manner as before the execution of the teaching mode.

[0065] 5, if the position of the laser head 3 when the teaching starts does not match the position of the laser head 3 when the teaching ends, that is, if the closed area has not been taught properly, the control device 5 may output an error and prompt the user to teach again. This allows the area to be irradiated with the laser light L to be taught properly.

[0066] Returning to the explanation of the operation of the laser processing device 100 using Fig. 3, after teaching the operation of the laser head 3, the laser processing device 100 is used to irradiate the object M with laser light L, and work such as cleaning of the object M is performed. In other words, the irradiation mode is started. The irradiation mode is started, for example, by pressing a start button for the irradiation mode displayed as a GUI on the control device 5 and / or the touch panel 9.

[0067] When the irradiation mode start button is pressed with the laser head 3 placed on the main body B, the control device 5 sets the position and rotation angle of the laser head 3 placed on the main body B to 0, and sets the laser head 3 to the origin position. Thereafter, the control device 5 starts measuring the position and rotation angle of the laser head 3 using the sensor 36.

[0068] After pressing the start button for the irradiation mode, the user holds the laser head 3 by gripping the grip part 35, moves the laser head 3 from the origin position to the irradiation position of the object M with the laser light L, and rotates the laser head 3 so that the laser light L is irradiated to that position. Then, the user presses the irradiation button 35A.

[0069] After pressing the irradiation button 35A, the laser head 3 is operated (step S2). While the laser head 3 is being operated in the irradiation mode, the control device 5 measures the position and rotation angle of the laser head 3 using the sensor 36 at predetermined intervals.

[0070] When the position and rotation angle of the laser head 3 are obtained as measurement results, the control device 5 determines whether the measured position matches the taught position taught in the teaching mode and whether the measured rotation angle matches the taught rotation angle taught in the teaching mode (step S3).

[0071] In the teaching mode, when the boundary of the irradiation area is taught and the irradiation area is irradiated with the laser light L, the control device 5 determines that the measured position of the laser head 3 matches the taught position if it is included in the irradiation area. Also, if the rotation angle of the laser head 3 measured at the current position matches the taught rotation angle at the taught position corresponding to that position, the control device 5 determines that the measured rotation angle of the laser head 3 matches the taught angle.

[0072] On the other hand, in the teaching mode, when the irradiation path of the laser beam L on the target M is taught and the laser beam L is irradiated along the irradiation path, the control device 5 determines that the measured position of the laser head 3 matches the taught position if it is on the irradiation path. Also, when the rotation angle of the laser head 3 measured at the current position matches the taught rotation angle at the taught position corresponding to that position, the control device 5 determines that the measured rotation angle of the laser head 3 matches the taught angle.

[0073] The control device 5 determines that the measured position matches the taught position when the measured position perfectly matches the taught position or when the measured position deviates from the taught position within a preset first range. Similarly, the control device 5 determines that the measured rotation angle matches the taught rotation angle when the measured rotation angle perfectly matches the taught rotation angle or when the measured rotation angle deviates from the taught rotation angle within a preset second range.

[0074] If it is determined that the measured position matches the taught position and that the measured rotation angle matches the taught rotation angle ("Yes" in step S3), the control device 5 permits the laser head 3 to emit the laser light L. If the irradiation button 35A is pressed at this time, the control device 5 outputs the laser light L from the laser light output unit 1 (step S4). As a result, the laser head 3 emits the laser light L at an appropriate position on the object M.

[0075] On the other hand, if it is determined that the measured position does not match the taught position and / or the measured rotation angle does not match the taught rotation angle ("Yes" in step S3), the control device 5 does not permit the emission of the laser light L from the laser head 3. At this time, if the laser light L is not emitted from the laser head 3 even though the emission button 35A is pressed, it can be recognized that the current position and / or rotation angle of the laser head 3 is inappropriate.

[0076] At this time, the laser head 3 is operated so that the position and rotation angle of the laser head 3 are appropriate. After this operation, the position and rotation angle of the laser head 3 are measured using the sensor 36, and if the control device 5 determines that the measured position matches the taught position and that the measured rotation angle matches the taught rotation angle, it permits the laser head 3 to emit the laser light L. As a result, the laser light output unit 1 generates the laser light L, and the laser head 3 irradiates the laser light L onto the target M.

[0077] During the execution of the irradiation mode, the control device 5 determines whether the irradiation mode has ended (step S5). For example, when the irradiation button 35A transitions from a pressed state to a non-pressed state, it can be determined that the irradiation mode has ended.

[0078] For example, if it is determined that the irradiation mode has not ended because the irradiation button 35A is pressed ("No" in step S5), the control device 5 continues emitting the laser light L. Specifically, the control device 5 determines whether the position of the laser head 3 during the irradiation mode matches the taught position and whether the rotation angle of the laser head 3 matches the taught rotation angle, and if they match, repeatedly executes the operation of permitting the emission of the laser light L from the laser head 3.

[0079] For example, when it is determined that the irradiation mode should be ended because the irradiation button 35A is not pressed ("Yes" in step S5), the control device 5 stops the output of the laser light L from the laser light output unit 1.

[0080] In this way, in the laser processing device 100, when the position and / or rotation angle of the laser head 3 measured by the sensor 36 while the laser beam L is actually being irradiated onto the object M, i.e., while the irradiation mode is being executed, match the taught position and / or taught rotation angle that represent the operation of the laser head 3 taught in the teaching mode, the irradiation of the laser beam L onto the object M is permitted. In other words, whether or not to permit irradiation of the laser beam L is determined not based on whether the object M is present or not, or whether the laser head 3 is approaching the object M or not, but based on whether or not the operation of the laser head 3 while the irradiation mode is being executed matches the taught operation of the laser head 3.

[0081] In the teaching mode, the operation of the laser head 3 is taught so that the laser light L is irradiated appropriately, such as not irradiating unnecessary positions. Therefore, by allowing the irradiation of the laser light L when the operation of the laser head 3 during execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught operation of the laser head 3, it is possible to prevent inappropriate irradiation of the laser light L, such as irradiating the laser light L to unnecessary positions where the user, etc., would not normally irradiate the laser light L, during execution of the irradiation mode.

[0082] Furthermore, whether or not to permit irradiation of the laser light L is determined not by the distance between the laser head 3 and the object M, but by whether or not the operation of the laser head 3 during execution of the irradiation mode matches the instructed operation of the laser head 3. This makes it possible to appropriately permit irradiation of the laser light L without changing settings, for example, even if the focal length of the laser light L is changed, thereby maintaining the versatility of the laser processing device 100, which is capable of appropriately changing the focal length of the laser light L.

[0083] 2. Other Embodiments Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention. In particular, the multiple embodiments and modifications described in this specification can be arbitrarily combined as necessary. (A) The processing content of each step in the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and / or the execution order of each step can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0084] (B) The technology described above can be applied not only to a laser processing device 100 having a laser head 3 that can be operated by a user or a robot arm, etc., but also to a laser processing device 100 in which the laser head 3 is movable and / or rotatable.

[0085] For example, if the orientation of the laser head 3 relative to the object M is fixed at an appropriate orientation (rotation angle) and the position of the laser head 3 can be changed arbitrarily, irradiation of the laser light L onto the object M may be permitted if the position of the laser head 3 measured during execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught position.

[0086] For example, if the position of the laser head 3 relative to the object M is fixed at an appropriate position and the rotation angle of the laser head 3 can be changed arbitrarily, irradiation of the laser light L onto the object M may be permitted if the rotation angle of the laser head 3 measured during execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught rotation angle.

[0087] 3. Notes (1) A laser processing device (e.g., laser processing device 100) includes an oscillator, a laser head (e.g., laser head 3), a sensor (e.g., sensor 36), and a control device (e.g., control device 5). The oscillator outputs a laser (e.g., laser light L). The laser head irradiates the laser light onto an object (e.g., object M). The sensor measures the position and rotation angle of the laser head from an origin position.

[0088] The control device of the above laser processing device executes a teaching mode that teaches the operation of the laser head when irradiating a target with laser light, and during the execution of the teaching mode, measures and stores the taught position and taught rotation angle of the operating laser head using a sensor. Then, during the execution of an irradiation mode in which the target is actually irradiated with laser light, the control device measures the position and rotation angle of the laser head using a sensor, and allows the irradiation of the target with laser light when the position measured during the execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught position and / or the rotation angle measured during the execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught rotation angle.

[0089] In the above-described laser processing device, when the position and / or rotation angle measured by the sensor during execution of the irradiation mode in which the laser beam is actually irradiated onto the target matches the taught position and / or taught rotation angle, respectively, that represent the operation of the laser head taught in the teaching mode, irradiation of the target with the laser beam is permitted. In other words, whether or not to permit irradiation of the laser beam is determined not based on the presence or absence of the target or whether or not the laser head is approaching the target, but based on whether or not the operation of the laser head during execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught operation of the laser head.

[0090] In the teaching mode, the operation of the laser head is taught so that appropriate laser light is emitted, such as by not emitting laser light at unnecessary positions. Therefore, by allowing laser light emission when the operation of the laser head during execution of the emission mode matches the taught operation of the laser head, it is possible to prevent inappropriate laser light emission, such as emitting laser light at unnecessary positions.

[0091] Furthermore, whether or not to permit laser light emission is determined not by the distance between the laser head and the object, but by whether or not the operation of the laser head during the emission mode matches the instructed operation of the laser head. This makes it possible to appropriately permit laser light emission without changing settings, for example, even if the focal length of the laser light is changed, thereby maintaining the versatility of the laser processing device.

[0092] (2) In the laser processing device described in (1) above, the control device may determine that a position measured during execution of the irradiation mode coincides with the taught position when the position is within a first range that includes the taught position. That is, even if the position measured during execution of the irradiation mode deviates from the taught position within the first range, the position may be considered to coincide with the taught position. As a result, even if the position of the laser head deviates from the taught position due to operational instability, laser light emission can be permitted as long as the deviation is small enough to allow appropriate laser light emission. As a result, it is possible to prevent laser light emission from being stopped due to small operational instability.

[0093] (3) In the laser processing device described in (1) or (2) above, the control device may determine that the rotation angle measured during execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught rotation angle when it is within a second range that includes the taught rotation angle. That is, the rotation angle measured during execution of the irradiation mode may be considered to match the taught rotation angle even if it deviates from the taught rotation angle within the second range. This allows laser light emission to be permitted even if the rotation angle of the laser head deviates from the taught rotation angle due to operational instability, as long as the deviation is small enough to allow appropriate laser light emission. As a result, it is possible to prevent laser light emission from being stopped due to small operational instability.

[0094] (4) In any of the laser processing devices (1) to (3) above, in the teaching mode, the boundary of the irradiation area may be taught by operating the laser head. The irradiation area is an area of ​​the object to be irradiated with the laser light. In this case, the control device may determine that a position measured during execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught position when it is included within the irradiation area. This allows appropriate determination of whether or not to permit irradiation of the laser light even when irradiating the laser light within an arbitrary range of the object.

[0095] (5) In any of the laser processing devices (1) to (3) above, in the teaching mode, the laser head may be operated to teach the irradiation path of the laser beam on the object. In this case, the control device may determine that the position measured during execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught position when it is on the irradiation path. This makes it possible to appropriately determine whether to permit the laser beam irradiation even when the laser beam is irradiated on the object along an arbitrary path.

[0096] (6) Any of the laser processing devices (1) to (5) above may further include a main body (for example, main body B) on which the laser head is placed. In this case, the origin position may be the position on the main body where the laser head is placed. This allows the origin position of the laser head to be appropriately set.

[0097] (7) A method for controlling a laser processing device includes the following steps: Note that the following descriptions (a) to (d) do not limit the processing order of each step. (a) A step of executing a teaching mode for teaching the operation of the laser head when irradiating a target with laser light (for example, steps S1, S11 to S14). (b) A step of measuring and storing the taught position and taught rotation angle of the laser head during operation using a sensor while the teaching mode is being executed (for example, step S13). (c) A step of measuring the position and rotation angle of the laser head with a sensor while an irradiation mode is being executed in which laser light is irradiated onto the target (for example, step S3). (d) A step of permitting irradiation of the object with laser light when the position measured during execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught position and / or the rotation angle measured during execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught rotation angle (e.g., step S4).

[0098] In the above-described control method for a laser processing device, irradiation of a laser beam onto an object is permitted when the position and / or rotation angle measured by the sensor during execution of the irradiation mode match the taught position and / or taught rotation angle, respectively, that represent the operation of the laser head taught in the teaching mode. In other words, whether or not to permit irradiation of a laser beam is determined not based on the presence or absence of an object or whether or not the laser head is approaching the object, but based on whether or not the operation of the laser head during execution of the irradiation mode matches the taught operation of the laser head.

[0099] In the teaching mode, the operation of the laser head is taught so that appropriate laser light is emitted, such as laser light not being emitted at unnecessary positions. Therefore, by allowing laser light emission when the operation of the laser head during the irradiation mode matches the taught operation of the laser head, it is possible to prevent inappropriate laser light emission, such as laser light being emitted at unnecessary positions during the irradiation mode.

[0100] Furthermore, whether or not to permit laser light emission is determined not by the distance between the laser head and the object, but by whether or not the operation of the laser head during the emission mode matches the instructed operation of the laser head. This makes it possible to appropriately permit laser light emission without changing settings, for example, even if the focal length of the laser light is changed, thereby maintaining the versatility of the laser processing device. [Industrial Applicability]

[0101] The present invention can be widely applied to laser processing apparatuses that clean objects by irradiating the objects with laser light. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 100: Laser processing device B: Main body 1: Laser light output unit 3: Laser head 31: Head body 32: First mirror 32A: First motor 33: Second mirror 33A: Second motor 34: Lens 35: Grip part 35A: Irradiation button 35B: Teaching button 36: Sensor 5: Control device 7: Stop button 9: Touch panel 11: Connection line L: Laser light M: Object

Claims

1. an oscillator that outputs laser light; a laser head that irradiates the laser light onto an object; a sensor for measuring the position and rotation angle of the laser head from an origin position; a control device; Equipped with The control device a teaching mode for teaching an operation of the laser head when irradiating the object with a laser beam; During execution of the teaching mode, the teaching position and teaching rotation angle of the laser head being operated are measured by the sensor and stored; measuring a position and a rotation angle of the laser head by the sensor during execution of an irradiation mode in which the laser light is irradiated onto the object; permitting the irradiation of the laser light onto the object when a position measured during execution of the irradiation mode coincides with the taught position and / or a rotation angle measured during execution of the irradiation mode coincides with the taught rotation angle; Laser processing equipment.

2. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control device determines that a position measured during execution of the irradiation mode coincides with the taught position when the position is within a first range including the taught position.

3. The laser processing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control device determines that the rotation angle matches the taught rotation angle when the rotation angle measured during execution of the irradiation mode is within a second range including the taught rotation angle.

4. In the teaching mode, the boundary of an irradiation area of ​​the object to be irradiated with the laser light is taught by operating the laser head; The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control device determines that a position measured during execution of the irradiation mode coincides with the taught position when the position is included in the irradiation area.

5. In the teaching mode, the irradiation path of the laser light on the object is taught by operating the laser head; The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control device determines that a position measured during execution of the irradiation mode coincides with the taught position when the position is on the irradiation path.

6. Further comprising a body on which the laser head is mounted, The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the origin position is a mounting position of the laser head on the main body.

7. A control method for a laser processing device including a laser head that irradiates a target with laser light and a sensor that measures a position and a rotation angle of the laser head from an origin position, a step of executing a teaching mode for teaching an operation of the laser head when irradiating the object with a laser beam; a step of measuring and storing a taught position and a taught rotation angle of the laser head during operation by the sensor while the teaching mode is being executed; measuring a position and a rotation angle of the laser head by the sensor during execution of an irradiation mode in which the laser light is irradiated onto the object; permitting irradiation of the laser light onto the object when a position measured during execution of the irradiation mode coincides with the taught position and / or a rotation angle measured during execution of the irradiation mode coincides with the taught rotation angle; A control method comprising:

Images