Laser processing system

Abstract

This invention provides a laser processing system that allows for easy setting of processing conditions. [Solution] The laser processing system 1 comprises a laser processing unit 2, a processing condition input unit 31 for inputting processing conditions for processing to be performed by the laser processing unit 2, a processing condition instruction unit 32 for instructing the laser processing unit 2 on the processing conditions input in the processing condition input unit 31, a recording unit 33 in which processing condition restoration data 41 including setting values ​​corresponding to each item of the processing conditions is recorded, and a restoration unit 34 that reads the processing condition restoration data 41 recorded in the recording unit 33 and can rewrite the processing conditions input in the processing condition input unit 31 based on the setting values ​​included in the processing condition restoration data 41. The processing conditions include at least items classified as common settings unique to the laser processing unit 2 and items classified as specific settings corresponding to the processing to be performed, and the restoration unit 34 can select whether or not to rewrite the processing conditions input in the processing condition input unit 31 for each of the common settings and specific settings.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] This disclosure relates to a laser processing system.

Background Art

[0002] Laser processing is used for various purposes such as welding, cutting, and marking. Patent Document 1 discloses a laser welding apparatus that executes a process including a laser irradiation, scanning, cooling period, and post-treatment.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As also exemplified in Patent Document 1, in laser processing, processing conditions including a plurality of processing steps are usually set. Such processing conditions are set on an application installed in a control device such as a computer, and a command is sent to a laser processing unit through the application to execute processing according to the set processing conditions. However, in the conventional configuration, there are problems in convenience, such as that the processing conditions can only be adjusted by a computer connected to the laser processing unit, and the storage location of a file in which the processing conditions are recorded cannot be seen by an operator and cannot be backed up.

[0005] <H An object of this disclosure is to provide a laser processing system capable of easily setting processing conditions.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A laser processing system according to an embodiment of this disclosure is a laser processing unit, and Note: The number in the Japanese Patent Application Publication No. in the original text is replaced with "********" as it is not provided completely in the original. You may need to fill in the correct number according to the actual situation.A processing condition input unit for inputting processing conditions for processing performed by the laser processing unit, A processing condition instruction unit that instructs the laser processing unit on the processing conditions input to the processing condition input unit, A recording unit that records processing condition restoration data including setting values ​​corresponding to each item of the processing conditions, A restoration unit that reads the processing condition restoration data recorded in the recording unit and can rewrite the processing conditions entered in the processing condition input unit based on the setting values ​​included in the processing condition restoration data, A laser processing system comprising, The processing conditions include at least items classified as common settings specific to the laser processing unit and items classified as specific settings corresponding to the processing to be performed. The restoration unit can select whether or not to rewrite the processing conditions entered in the processing condition input unit for each of the common settings and the specific settings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, the processing conditions for laser processing can be easily set. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a laser processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of the control device's operation screen. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, a laser processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a laser processing system 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the laser processing system 1 comprises a laser processing unit 2 and a control device 3.

[0010] The laser processing unit 2 is a device that performs laser processing by irradiating a workpiece with laser light. In this embodiment, the configuration of the laser processing unit 2 is not particularly limited. For example, the laser processing unit 2 may include a stage for placing the workpiece, a laser light source, and a scanning unit for scanning the laser light emitted from the laser light source. The scanning unit may be a galvanometer optical system.

[0011] The control device 3 controls the operation of each part of the laser processing unit 2. Based on instructions sent from the control device 3, the laser processing unit 2 irradiates and scans the workpiece with laser light to perform processing.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the control device 3 comprises a machining condition input unit 31, a machining condition instruction unit 32, a recording unit 33, and a restoration unit 34. The functions of each part of the control device 3 are realized by a processing circuit including one or more processors, and this processing circuit may further include memory, auxiliary storage device, input device, or output device.

[0013] The processing condition input unit 31 receives the processing conditions for the processing to be performed by the laser processing unit 2. The processing conditions include setting values ​​for multiple items related to the processing operation of the laser processing unit 2. The processing condition instruction unit 32 instructs the laser processing unit 2 to use the processing conditions entered in the processing condition input unit 31. Based on the processing conditions instructed by the processing condition instruction unit 32, the laser processing unit 2 operates and performs laser processing on the workpiece. The processing condition input unit 31 can also be described as the part that specifies the processing conditions instructed to the laser processing unit 2 by the processing condition instruction unit 32.

[0014] Here, the processing conditions in this embodiment will be described in detail. The processing conditions include multiple items, and each item of the processing conditions in this embodiment is classified into one of the following: common settings, shape settings, and heat input settings.

[0015] The common settings are the settings specific to the laser processing unit 2. The items included in the common settings relate to the behavior at the time of startup of the laser processing unit 2 and basic operations such as correction of the irradiation position and laser output. Examples of the items included in the common settings are processing position offset, calibration settings, power check settings, etc. Since the setting values of the items in the common settings are appropriately set according to the state of the devices constituting the laser processing unit 2, different setting values can be set for different laser processing units 2. The items included in the common settings use predetermined setting values regardless of the type of workpiece and the shape of the laser processing, etc., and are conditions that are not changed during normal use.

[0016] The shape setting is a setting regarding the shape processed by the laser processing unit 2, and includes items related to the position, speed, and laser output when scanning the spot area of the laser beam, for example. A series of processes performed by the laser processing unit 2 may be divided into a plurality of steps, and different scanning speeds, laser outputs, etc. may be set in each step.

[0017] The heat input setting is a setting regarding the processing amount by the laser processing unit 2. The processing amount by the laser processing unit 2 changes depending on the energy amount of the laser beam irradiated to the workpiece. The heat input setting includes, for example, items related to the number of repeat times of processing, and the processing amount can be adjusted by changing the number of repeat times.

[0018] The setting values of the items included in the shape setting and the heat input setting are changed according to the content of the processing performed by the laser processing unit 2. In the present disclosure, settings corresponding to the processing to be performed, such as the shape setting and the heat input setting, are called specific settings, and are distinguished from the common settings that are specific to the laser processing unit 2.

[0019] The set values of each item of the processing conditions are not limited to simple numerical values and may include conditional branches. For example, in the setting of the heat input amount, in order to make the height of the workpiece after processing constant, a conditional branch may be set such that the higher the height of the workpiece, the more the number of processing repetitions. In this case, the laser processing system 1 may further include an imaging device for obtaining the position information of the workpiece and an image processing unit for processing the image acquired by the imaging device.

[0020] Returning to FIG. 1, in the recording unit 33 of the control device 3 in the present embodiment, processing condition restoration data 41 including set values corresponding to each item of the processing conditions is recorded. The processing condition restoration data 41 recorded in the recording unit ३३ may include set values different from the processing conditions input to the processing condition input unit 31.

[0021] The restoration unit 34 can read the processing condition restoration data 41 recorded in the recording unit 33 and rewrite the processing conditions input to the processing condition input unit 31 based on the set values included in the processing condition restoration data 41. The details of the function of the restoration unit 34 will be described while referring to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the operation screen 50 of the control device 3. In FIG. 2, the symbols of the processing condition input unit 31 and the restoration unit 34 shown in FIG. 1 are assigned to specific regions on the operation screen 50. Each region is actually a user interface for executing the functions of the processing condition input unit 31 or the restoration unit 34, but for convenience, the same symbols as those in FIG. 1 are used.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the processing conditions input to the processing condition input unit 31 are displayed on the operation screen 50. In each of the tabs for common settings, shape settings, and heat input amount settings, the set values of the corresponding items are input. FIG. 2 shows the case where the tab for common settings is selected, but by selecting the tab for shape settings or heat input amount settings, the items corresponding to each setting can be displayed. In the present embodiment, the set values of each item of the processing condition input unit 31 can be changed by operating an input device such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel.

[0023] The operation screen 50 is provided with a processing start button 51. When the operator presses the processing start button 51, the processing conditions entered in the processing condition input unit 31 are instructed to the laser processing unit 2 from the processing condition instruction unit 32, and processing begins.

[0024] Next, the procedure for rewriting the processing conditions using the restoration unit 34 will be explained. The restoration unit 34 on the operation screen 50 is equipped with a data specification unit 52, a setting selection unit 53, and a restore button 54. First, the operator specifies the processing condition restoration data 41 to be restored from the data recorded in the recording unit 33 using the data specification unit 52. In Figure 2, a single bak file is specified as the processing condition restoration data 41 in the data specification unit 52. The setting selection unit 53 is equipped with checkboxes corresponding to common settings, shape settings, and heat input settings. The operator checks the checkboxes in the setting selection unit 53 for the settings in the processing condition input unit 31 that they want to rewrite. In Figure 2, the checkboxes for shape settings and heat input settings are checked. Next, by pressing the restore button 54, the setting values ​​in the processing condition input unit 31 for the setting items checked in the setting selection unit 53 are rewritten with the setting values ​​included in the processing condition restoration data 41 specified in the data specification unit 52. Through the procedure described above, the restoration unit 34 can read the processing condition restoration data 41 recorded in the recording unit 33 and rewrite the processing conditions entered in the processing condition input unit 31 based on the setting values ​​included in the processing condition restoration data 41.

[0025] Traditionally, setting data for laser processing conditions was created on an application on the computer that controlled the laser processing unit. However, the computer that actually controlled the laser processing unit had long operating hours, and it was inconvenient that setting data could only be created on that computer. Furthermore, the location where the setting data created on the application was saved was unknown to the operator, making it difficult to recover data if it was corrupted. In addition, even if it was possible to apply settings created for another laser processing unit, it was necessary to select and apply settings specific to the laser processing unit and settings corresponding to the processing shape, etc., making it difficult to set the processing conditions.

[0026] According to this embodiment, the processing conditions in the processing condition input unit 31 can be rewritten by reading the processing condition restoration data 41 recorded in the recording unit 33 using the restoration unit 34. In particular, the restoration unit 34 can select whether or not to rewrite the processing conditions for both common settings and specific settings. For example, it is possible to rewrite only the specific settings without changing the common settings unique to the laser processing unit 2. With this configuration, even if data is created in another device and the common setting values ​​are different, only the specific settings corresponding to the processing to be performed can be extracted and the processing conditions can be rewritten, making it easy to set the processing conditions of the control device 3. Furthermore, by saving the processing condition restoration data 41 as a backup in a recording device separate from the control device 3, it can be used even if the processing conditions entered in the processing condition input unit 31 are lost due to damage to the control device 3, etc. According to this embodiment, when restoring from the processing condition restoration data as a backup, the common settings can also be restored, making restoration easy.

[0027] In this embodiment, the processing conditions entered in the processing condition input unit 31 may be output as new processing condition restoration data 41. In the example shown in Figure 2, a backup button 55 is provided on the operation screen 50. When the operator presses the backup button 55, the processing conditions, including the setting values ​​for each item of the common setting, shape setting, and heat input setting that are entered in the processing condition input unit 31 at that time, are output as new processing condition restoration data 41 and can be recorded, for example, in the recording unit 33. With this configuration, even if the setting values ​​of the processing condition input unit 31 are changed or overwritten by the processing conditions of other processing condition restoration data 41, the processing conditions set in the past can be easily restored. The recording unit 33 may be configured to be accessible from an external information processing device such as a PC or an external recording device such as a USB memory, and the information recorded in the recording unit 33 may be configured to be backed up to an external information processing device or recording device as needed.

[0028] Furthermore, in this embodiment, specific settings include shape settings and heat input settings, and the restoration unit 34 can select whether or not to rewrite the processing conditions for each of the shape settings and heat input settings. Since the shape settings and heat input settings need to be optimized according to the target processing and the type of workpiece, it may be necessary to frequently change the respective setting values. As in this embodiment, by allowing the restoration unit to select whether or not to rewrite the shape settings and heat input settings, processing conditions can be set easily.

[0029] The recording unit 33 may record multiple machining condition restoration data 41, each identifiable. For example, the recording unit 33 may record multiple data sets, each containing machining conditions for performing different machining operations, under different file names. According to this embodiment, the restoration unit 34 can easily set the machining conditions in the machining condition input unit 31 by reading and restoring one of the multiple machining condition restoration data 41.

[0030] Although the laser processing system of this disclosure has been described in detail above with reference to specific embodiments, this disclosure is not limited to these examples.

[0031] In the restoration unit 34 shown in Figure 2, it was possible to select whether or not to rewrite any settings by switching the checkbox in the setting selection unit 53 each time the machining condition restoration data 41 was read. However, this disclosure is not limited to this configuration. For example, it is possible to set in advance whether or not to rewrite any settings, and when the machining condition restoration data 41 is read, a configuration may be adopted in which only the setting items specified in the pre-setting among the machining conditions of the machining condition input unit 31 are rewritten with the setting values ​​described in the machining condition restoration data. With such a configuration, for example, by setting the common settings not to be rewritten under normal circumstances, errors can be reduced, while in the event of damage to the machining condition data, the machining conditions can be restored by setting the common settings to be rewritten as well. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0032] 1. Laser processing system 2 Laser processing unit 3. Control device 31 Processing Condition Input Section 32 Machining condition instruction section 33 Records Section 34 Restoration Section 41 Processing Conditions Reconstruction Data 50 Operation screen 51. Start Processing Button 52 Data Specification Section 53. Setting Selection Section 54 Restore button 55 Backup button

Claims

1. Laser processing unit and A processing condition input unit for inputting processing conditions for processing performed by the laser processing unit, A processing condition instruction unit that instructs the laser processing unit on the processing conditions input to the processing condition input unit, A recording unit that records processing condition restoration data including setting values ​​corresponding to each item of the processing conditions, A restoration unit that reads the processing condition restoration data recorded in the recording unit and can rewrite the processing conditions entered in the processing condition input unit based on the setting values ​​included in the processing condition restoration data, A laser processing system comprising, The processing conditions include at least items classified as common settings specific to the laser processing unit and items classified as specific settings corresponding to the processing to be performed. The restoration unit can select whether or not to rewrite the processing conditions entered in the processing condition input unit for each of the common settings and the specific settings. Laser processing system.

2. The aforementioned specific settings include shape settings that include items relating to the position, speed, and laser output when scanning the spot area of ​​the laser beam, and heat input settings that include items relating to the number of repetitions of the processing, The restoration unit can select whether or not to rewrite the processing conditions entered in the processing condition input unit for each of the shape setting and heat input setting. The laser processing system according to claim 1.

3. The laser processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each time the processing condition restoration data is read, the restoration unit can select whether or not to rewrite the processing conditions entered in the processing condition input unit for each of the common settings and the specific settings.

4. The laser processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of processing condition restoration data are recorded in the recording unit in a manner that allows for each individual identification.

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