Laser Cleaning Equipment

Abstract

To provide a laser cleaning device capable of expanding the cleaning range by widening the scanning width of a laser beam, continuously irradiating the laser beam for a long period of time, and preventing dirt and damage caused by dust on a field lens provided at an opening for emitting the laser beam of a cleaning head. [Solution] The laser cleaning device includes a laser light source and an air compressor that cools the inside of a cleaning head 3 connected to the laser light source via an optical fiber cable 7, and flows compressed air inside the cleaning head 3 so that the compressed air is sprayed outward from the laser light emission opening 33 of the cleaning head 3, forming an air curtain on the laser light emission side of a field lens 34 arranged in the laser light emission side opening 33 of the cleaning head 3.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This invention relates to a laser cleaning device that irradiates a workpiece with a laser beam to remove any deposits adhering to the workpiece and clean it. [Background technology]

[0002] When cleaning and removing rust from metal products, dirt on the surfaces of buildings and structures, paint on the surfaces of various workpieces, and other adhesions, it is common to use sandblasting or high-pressure washing to spray abrasives such as sand or high-pressure water onto the workpiece to remove the adhesions. In addition, chemical cleaning or ultrasonic cleaning may be used to remove the adhesions depending on the type of workpiece and adhesions.

[0003] However, in the case of sandblasting and high-pressure washing, there is a risk that the workpiece may be deformed by being partially scraped off by the spraying of abrasives and water, and from the viewpoint of environmental conservation, it is very time-consuming to collect the sprayed abrasives and water (polluted water).In addition, in the case of chemical cleaning, not only is a chemical cleaning agent required depending on the deposit, but the chemical cleaning agent must be collected after removal to prevent environmental pollution, so it lacks versatility, and in the case of ultrasonic cleaning, a special cleaning solution is required and the cleaning range (removal range) is narrow and limited, resulting in poor work efficiency.

[0004] Meanwhile, with the advancement of laser technology, a laser cleaning device has been devised that irradiates a workpiece with a laser beam, peeling off adhesions by the impact pressure of the laser beam irradiation, or evaporating them with heat to remove them (see Patent Documents 1 and 2). This type of laser cleaning device has the advantages of eliminating the risk of deformation of the workpiece, as occurs with sandblasting and high-pressure washing, eliminating the need to recover abrasives and water (wastewater) used in sandblasting and high-pressure washing, and chemical cleaning agents used in chemical cleaning, and also eliminating the limitation of the cleaning range (peeling range) as occurs with ultrasonic cleaning. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-232315 A [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2022-180903 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the case of conventional laser cleaning devices, in order to obtain a laser beam of a predetermined output intensity, the device becomes large and often lacks portability, and the narrow irradiation range of the laser beam hinders the improvement of work efficiency. Moreover, the lens and the like provided at the emission opening of the cleaning head that emits the laser beam become dirty due to the adhesion of dust from peeled off deposits or become damaged due to the collision of dust, so that the lens needs to be frequently cleaned or replaced, which increases the running cost. Therefore, there is a need to develop a laser cleaning device that can expand the cleaning range with a large scanning width when scanning and irradiating the laser beam, can continuously irradiate the laser beam for a long period of time, and can reduce the frequency of cleaning and replacing the lens.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a device that can widen the scanning width of the laser light to expand the cleaning range, irradiate continuously for a long period of time, and prevent the field lens installed in the cleaning head's laser light emission opening from becoming dirty or damaged by dust. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the laser cleaning device of the present invention is a laser cleaning device that irradiates a workpiece with laser light to remove and clean the workpiece, and is characterized in that it includes a laser light source that outputs laser light, a cleaning head that can be held by an operator and is connected to the laser light source via an optical fiber cable, an air-cooled cooling unit that cools the laser light source and the inside of the cleaning head, a scanning unit that is built into the cleaning head and deflects the optical axis of the laser light from the laser light source that enters via the optical fiber cable in a predetermined direction to scan the laser light, a control unit that controls the output of the laser light source and the scanning control of the optical axis of the laser light by the scanning means, a field lens that is arranged in an opening for emitting the laser light of the cleaning head and irradiates the workpiece with the laser light whose optical axis has been deflected, and an air curtain forming unit that forms an air curtain by flowing a portion of the air used for air cooling by the cooling unit to the laser light emission side of the field lens of the cleaning head.

[0009] According to this configuration, since the laser light source and the cleaning head are cooled by the cooling section, the temperature rise of the laser light source and the cleaning head can be suppressed, and continuous irradiation of the laser light becomes possible.

[0010] In addition, since a field lens is placed at the opening for emitting the laser light of the cleaning head and the laser light whose optical axis is scanned through the field lens is irradiated onto the workpiece, the spot diameter (aperture) of the laser light can be widened by the field lens, and the scanning width of the laser light irradiated onto the workpiece can be further widened, and the cleaning range of the deposits on the workpiece can be expanded. Furthermore, since the laser light from the laser light source can be prevented from concentrating on one point on the field lens, the life of the field lens itself can be extended.

[0011] Furthermore, the air curtain forming section forms an air curtain by flowing some of the air used for cooling by the cooling section to the laser light output side of the field lens of the cleaning head, thereby preventing dust from the workpiece caused by the irradiation of the laser light from adhering to and contaminating the field lens or colliding with the field lens and damaging it, thereby protecting the field lens.This eliminates the need to frequently clean or replace the lens as in the past, and also allows a single air supply source to be used both for cooling and the air curtain, simplifying the configuration and preventing costs from increasing.

[0012] It is also desirable that the air curtain forming section has a supply means for supplying compressed air for air-cooling by the cooling section, a supply path for feeding a portion of the compressed air from the supply means into the cleaning head, and an inlet for the compressed air formed in the cleaning head, and that the compressed air that flows into the cleaning head from the inlet via the supply path is caused to flow out from the outlet opening to the outside, forming the air curtain at the outlet opening in front of the field lens.

[0013] With this configuration, a portion of the compressed air for cooling by the supply means flows into the cleaning head via the feed path and the inlet, and the flow-in compressed air flows out to the outside through the outlet opening, forming an air curtain at the outlet opening in front of the field lens.The air curtain prevents dust from the workpiece attached by the irradiation of the laser light from adhering to or colliding with the field lens, and a single supply means can supply compressed air for cooling and for the air curtain, thereby simplifying the configuration and reducing costs.

[0014] In addition, the scanning unit may include a scanner that reflects and deflects the laser light from the laser light source that enters through the optical fiber cable, and a driving means that varies the angle of the scanner under the control of the control unit to scan the laser light deflected by the scanner back and forth in one direction.

[0015] According to this configuration, it is possible to irradiate the workpiece with laser light having a predetermined scanning width in one direction.

[0016] The scanning unit may further include a first scanner that reflects and deflects the laser light, a second scanner that reflects and deflects the laser light deflected by the first scanner in a direction perpendicular to the deflection direction of the first scanner, a first driving means that varies an angle of the first scanner under the control of the control unit to reciprocately scan the laser light deflected by the first scanner in one direction, and a second driving means that varies an angle of the second scanner under the control of the control unit to reciprocately scan the laser light deflected by the first scanner in a direction different from the one direction, and the control unit may control a scanning width and a scanning period of the laser light by the first driving means and the second driving means, respectively, to values ​​set by a setting means.

[0017] According to this configuration, the scanning direction of the second scanner is set to a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction of the first scanner, and the control unit controls the scanning width and scanning period of the laser light by each of the first scanner and the second scanner to values ​​set by the setting means. Therefore, by scanning each of the first scanner and the second scanner, the laser light having various scanning patterns such as circular, elliptical, square, rectangular, etc. can be irradiated onto the workpiece, and cleaning can be performed by selecting a scanning pattern according to the shape of the workpiece and the removal range of the adhering matter thereto.

[0018] In addition, the cooling section may have a first temperature sensor that detects the temperature around the laser light source and a second temperature sensor that detects the temperature around the drive motor of the scanning means, and may cool the laser light source and the cleaning head under the control of the control means so that the temperatures detected by the first and second temperature sensors are each below a set temperature.

[0019] According to this configuration, the cooling section cools the laser light source and the cleaning head so that the detected temperatures of the first and second temperature sensors are below the respective set temperatures, thereby suppressing temperature rise in the laser light source and the cleaning head and enabling continuous irradiation of laser light for long periods of time. Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a simple and inexpensive device that can expand the scanning width of the laser light to increase the irradiation range, can continuously irradiate the laser light for a long period of time, and can prevent the field lens installed in the laser light emission opening of the cleaning head from being soiled or damaged by dust. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of a laser cleaning device according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the laser cleaning device shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a cleaning head in the laser cleaning device of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a scanning unit in the laser cleaning device of FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] 2 is a diagram showing a display screen of an operation panel in the laser cleaning device of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] 2(a) to 2(d) are diagrams showing a plurality of scanning patterns of a laser beam in the laser cleaning device of FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the laser cleaning device of FIG. 1. [Figure 8] 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a modified example of the galvano scanner in the laser cleaning device of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] An embodiment of a laser cleaning device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0023] <Configuration> 1 shows a laser cleaning device 1 according to this embodiment, and includes a device main body 2, a cleaning head 3, and an air compressor 4. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the device main body 2 includes a housing 2b with casters 2a for mobility at the four corners of the bottom surface, a laser light source 21 and a control unit 22 housed within the housing 2b, an operation panel 23 provided on the top surface of the housing 2b, and a first temperature sensor 24 for detecting the temperature of the laser light source 21. The device main body 2 is operated by receiving power supplied from a commercial AC power source 5.

[0024] A solid-state laser, a semiconductor laser, or the like can be used as the laser light source 21, and the laser light from the laser light source 21 may be either pulsed or continuous. Examples of solid-state lasers include YAG lasers, YVO4 lasers, ruby ​​lasers, titanium sapphire lasers, and fiber lasers. It is also possible to use gas lasers such as argon lasers, helium neon lasers, and carbon dioxide lasers. However, gas lasers can provide high output power but are bulky, so that in order to achieve a compact device with high output power, it is most preferable to use a solid-state laser.

[0025] The control unit 22 is configured as a microcomputer and has an output control function that controls the output control of the laser light source 21, a display control function that controls the display control of the operation panel 23, an air supply control function that controls the air supply control that controls the air compressor 4 that supplies compressed air, a scan control function that controls scanning by the galvano scanner, which is a scanning unit built into the cleaning head 3, and a display control function of the operation panel 23, which will be described later.

[0026] The operation panel 23 is composed of a known touch panel, and various operation keys as shown in FIG. 5 can be displayed on the screen under the control of the control unit 22. In FIG. 5, the "cleaning process" key is a key for selecting a process such as rust removal, oil film removal, and coating film peeling in a pull-down manner, and the "scan mode" key is a key for selecting the scanning of the irradiated laser light in a linear manner as shown in FIG. 6(a), in a circular scanning pattern as shown in FIG. 6(b), or in a square scanning pattern as shown in FIG. 6(c) and (d). Here, the square scanning pattern is shown in FIG. 6(c) in one direction, and in FIG. 6(d) in two directions. Furthermore, the circular scanning pattern can also be a spiral scanning of the laser light. The scanning pattern of the laser light is not limited to that shown in FIG. 6, and it can also be an elliptical or rectangular scanning pattern.

[0027] 5 showing the display screen of the touch panel type operation panel 23, "output" is a key for increasing or decreasing the output intensity of the laser light, "frequency" is a key for increasing or decreasing the oscillation frequency of the laser light source 21, "pulse width" is a key for increasing or decreasing the pulse width of the pulse-oscillating laser light source 21, and "galvano speed" is a key for increasing or decreasing the scan speed of the galvano scanner described later. Also, it is a key for increasing or decreasing the scan width in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction by the galvano scanner, and for increasing or decreasing the ring width, which is the diameter of the circle in the case of a circular scan. Note that FIG. 5 shows an example of the display mode of the operation panel 23, and the display mode of the operation panel 23 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 5.

[0028] The first temperature sensor 24 is disposed near the laser light source 21 in the housing 2b to detect the temperature of the laser light source 21, and as shown in Fig. 2, compressed air from the air compressor 4 is fed into the housing 2b through the air tube 41 to cool the inside of the housing 2b, particularly the laser light source 21. At this time, the operation of the air compressor 4 is controlled by the control unit 22 so that the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor 24 does not exceed a preset housing set temperature. Here, the air compressor 4 and the air tube 41 correspond to the "cooling unit" in the present invention that cools the laser light source 21.

[0029] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the cleaning head 3 comprises a head body 30 having a hollow shape with a rectangular cross-section that is easy for an operator to see, an opening 31 for connecting an air tube and an optical fiber which serves as an inlet for compressed air and is formed on one end face of the head body 30, a galvanometer scanner 32 which is the scanning unit of the present invention housed inside the head body 30, a field lens 34 arranged inside the head body 30 near an opening 33 for emitting laser light formed in the head body 30, and a second temperature sensor 35 arranged in the vicinity of the galvanometer scanner 32 for detecting the temperature of the galvanometer scanner 32.

[0030] A hose-shaped protective covering 6 is connected to a connection opening 31 at one end of the head body 30, and this protective covering 6 contains an optical fiber cable 7 connected to the laser light source 21 and an air tube 42 connected to the air compressor 4 to supply compressed air. The optical fiber cable 7 is inserted into the inside of the head body 30 and its end is connected to the galvanometer scanner 32. The laser light from the laser light source 21 via the optical fiber cable 7 is guided to the galvanometer scanner 32. The galvanometer scanner 32 scans the laser light in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction, and the laser light of a predetermined scanning pattern (solid arrow in Figure 3) is emitted to the workpiece W via a field lens 34.

[0031] In addition, the end of the air tube 42 housed in the protective covering 6 is inserted into the inside of the head body 30, and compressed air from the air compressor 4 is introduced into the inside of the head body 30. The compressed air introduced from the connection opening 31 flows through the flow path shown by the dotted line in Figure 3 to cool the galvanometer scanner 32, and is also sprayed to the outside from the emission opening 33 of the head body 30, blowing away dust particles adhering to the field lens 34 due to cleaning, and an air curtain is formed at the laser light emission opening 33 part of the field lens 34, preventing the dust particles from adhering to the field lens 34 or damaging the field lens 34.

[0032] The temperature of the galvano-scanner 32 is detected by a second temperature sensor 35 arranged close to the galvano-scanner 32, and the control unit 22 controls the operation of the air compressor 4 to control the flow rate of compressed air flowing through the head body 30 so that the detected temperature does not rise above a preset head set temperature, thereby cooling the galvano-scanner 32 to a temperature below the set temperature. Here, the air compressor 4 and the air tube 42 correspond to the "air curtain forming unit" in this invention, and also correspond to the "cooling unit" in this invention that cools the cleaning head 3.

[0033] A power switch SW for starting and stopping the laser cleaning device 1 is provided on the head body 30 of the cleaning head 3, and an operator can operate the power switch SW at hand to start or stop the laser cleaning device 1. Although not shown in Figures 1 and 2, a main switch is provided near the operation panel 23 of the housing 2b, and power from the AC power source 5 to each part of the laser cleaning device 1 is connected and disconnected by turning the main switch ON / OFF.

[0034] The galvano scanner 32, which is a scanning unit built into the cleaning head 3, is configured as shown in Fig. 4, for example. In Fig. 4, 32a is an X-axis scanner, which reflects the laser light from the laser light source 21 in a direction different from the incident direction, and the tilt angle of the reflecting surface is varied by an X-axis motor 32b, which is a driving means, so that the reflected laser light is scanned in the X-axis direction with a scanning width corresponding to the tilt angle. 32c reflects the laser light reflected and incident by the X-axis scanner 32a in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the incident direction, and the tilt angle of the reflecting surface is varied by a Y-axis motor 32d, which is a driving means, so that the reflected laser light is scanned in the Y-axis direction with a scanning width corresponding to the tilt angle while being reflected toward the field lens 34. By operating the galvano scanner 32 in this manner, the laser light (dotted lines in Figures 1, 2, and 4) from the laser light source 21 is irradiated onto the workpiece W while the scanning width is controlled in the two axial directions, the X-axis and the Y-axis, by the control unit 22.

[0035] <Operation> When cleaning the workpiece W to be cleaned by removing adhesions such as rust, paint, and oil film, the main switch of the laser cleaning device 1 is turned on, and the worker holds the cleaning head 3 and approaches the workpiece W, aims the cleaning head 3 at the area to be cleaned, and turns on the power switch SW. Laser light is then irradiated onto the workpiece W through the field lens 34 of the cleaning head 3, and the adhesions are removed from the workpiece W.

[0036] Specifically, when cleaning the surface of the workpiece W as shown in FIG. 7, for example, a linear scanning pattern in only the X-axis direction as shown in FIG. 7(a) is selected by operating the operation panel 23, and the X-axis scan width (scanning width), output, frequency, and galvano speed are selected, and the cleaning head 3 is moved while irradiating the laser light by continuous oscillation to the part of the workpiece W where rust or other adhesions are attached, and the laser light is moved in the traveling direction in sequence as shown by the solid line arrow, one-dot chain line arrow, and two-dot chain line arrow in FIG. 7, so that the adhesions are peeled off and removed from the workpiece W, and the surface of the workpiece W is cleaned. Note that since the scanning is only in the X-axis direction, the laser light can be scanned only in the X-axis direction by operating only the X-axis motor 32b and not operating the Y-axis motor 32d. Also, the laser light can be scanned only in the Y-axis direction by operating only the Y-axis motor 32d and not operating the X-axis motor 32b.

[0037] At this time, if the laser light is continuous oscillation, in addition to being peeled off by the impact pressure caused by the irradiation of the laser light as shown in Fig. 7(a), the heat from the laser light causes the attached matter to evaporate and peel off and scatter as dust as shown in Fig. 7(b), and by moving the laser light in the direction of travel, the laser light can be irradiated as a surface, and a specified cleaning range on the surface of the workpiece W is cleaned. Note that when a pulsed laser light is irradiated, the attached matter is peeled off using the same principle as above, but a greater proportion of the attached matter is peeled off by evaporation due to heat rather than by impact pressure.

[0038] While the laser light is being emitted, the air compressor 4 operates under the control of the control unit 22 to supply compressed air into the housing 2b and to the cleaning head 3, and the laser light source 21 and the galvano scanner 32 are cooled so that their temperatures do not rise above their respective set temperatures, allowing the laser light to be emitted continuously for a long period of time.

[0039] In addition, while the laser light is being irradiated onto the workpiece W, compressed air from the air compressor 4 flows in through the connection opening 31, flows inside the cleaning head 3 as shown by the dotted line in Figure 3, and is sprayed out from the laser light emission opening 33, forming an air curtain on the side facing the workpiece W, which is the laser light emission side in front of the field lens 34 arranged in the cleaning head 3, and prevents dust particles generated by the irradiation of the laser light from adhering to the field lens 34 and soiling it, or from colliding with the field lens 34 and damaging it.

[0040] Depending on the shape and size of the cleaning area of ​​the workpiece W, one of the scanning patterns of the laser light as shown in FIG. 6 or other scanning patterns may be selected and irradiated to perform cleaning. As a specific example of the workpiece W, rust, dirt, coating film, and other adhesions of the workpiece W made of materials such as metal, resin, and ceramic can be removed and cleaned, and rust, dirt, and coatings of vehicles such as automobiles, motorcycles, and bicycles, as well as daily necessities and industrial machines, ships and their parts, aircraft and their parts, trains and train parts, as well as dirt on the outer surfaces of various buildings and structures, concrete structures, bridges, steel towers, and other structures can be removed and cleaned. In any cleaning, the base material is not damaged.

[0041] Therefore, according to the above embodiment, a portion of the compressed air produced by air compressor 4 is caused to flow inside cleaning head 3 and then ejected to the outside through laser light emission opening 33 of field lens 34 to form an air curtain on the laser light emission side of field lens 34, thereby preventing dust particles generated by irradiation of laser light from adhering to or colliding with field lens 34 and protecting field lens 34. As a result, frequent lens cleaning and replacement is no longer necessary as in the past, and air compressor 4, which is a single air supply source, can be used both for cooling and for the air curtain, simplifying the configuration and preventing increases in costs.

[0042] In addition, the laser light source 21 and the galvanometer scanner 32 in the cleaning head 3 are cooled by compressed air from the air compressor 4, so that the temperature rise of the laser light source 21 and the galvanometer scanner 32 can be suppressed, making it possible to continuously irradiate the laser light for a long period of time.

[0043] In addition, a field lens 34 is disposed in the opening 33 for emitting the laser light of the cleaning head 3, and the laser light whose optical axis is scanned through the field lens 34 is irradiated onto the workpiece W, so that the spot diameter (aperture) of the laser light can be widened by the field lens 34, and the scanning width (maximum 300 mm) of the laser light irradiated onto the workpiece W can be widened, and the cleaning range of the deposits on the workpiece can be expanded. Note that the galvano scanner 32 is provided with several condenser lenses that can be incorporated so that the irradiation distance of the laser light can be adjusted in 20 cm intervals within a range of 20 cm to 80 cm, and the optimal condenser lens is selected and incorporated into the galvano scanner 32 under the control of the control unit 22 based on the operation of the operation panel 23.

[0044] Furthermore, since field lens 34 widens the spot diameter (aperture) of the laser light, it is possible to prevent the laser light from laser light source 21 from concentrating on one point on field lens 34, thereby enabling the life of field lens 34 itself to be extended.

[0045] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0046] As a modification of the above embodiment, as shown in Fig. 8, the X-axis scanner of the galvano scanner 32 in Fig. 4 may be replaced with a reflector 32e which is a simple reflecting plate, and the Y-axis scanner 32c in Fig. 4 may be replaced with an X-axis scanner 32a which is rotationally driven by an X-axis motor 32b, so as to be dedicated to a linear scan pattern. Similarly, the Y-axis scanner of the galvano scanner 32 which is rotationally driven by a Y-axis motor 32d in Fig. 4 may be replaced with a simple reflector 32e.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the laser light source 21 and the galvano scanner 32 are cooled by compressed air from the air compressor 4 as a cooling unit, but these may be water-cooled, or only the laser light source 21 may be water-cooled. In this case, a supply means for supplying compressed air to the inside of the cleaning head 3 as an air curtain forming unit is necessary.

[0048] Furthermore, the galvano scanner 32 may be provided with a three-axis scanner having an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis, so that the laser light can be scanned in a three-dimensional scanning pattern to match the shape of the part of the workpiece W to be cleaned.

[0049] The present invention can be applied to a laser cleaning device that irradiates a workpiece with laser light to remove and clean any deposits adhering to the workpiece. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1 ... Laser cleaning device 2. Housing 3. Cleaning head 4 ... Air compressor (supply means, air curtain forming section, cooling section) 7...Fiber optic cable 21 ... Laser light source 22 ...Control section 23 ... Operation panel 24 ... First temperature sensor 31 ... Connection opening (inlet) 32 ... Galvano scanner (scanning unit) 32a …X-axis scanner (scanning section) 32b ... X-axis motor (scanning unit, driving means) 32c … Y-axis scanner (scanning unit) 32d ... Y-axis motor (scanning unit, driving means) 32e ... Reflexology 33...Output aperture 34 ... Field lens 35 ... Second temperature sensor 41 ... Air tube 42...Air tube (feeding path) SW … Power switch W … Work

Claims

1. A laser cleaning device that irradiates a workpiece with a laser beam to remove and clean the workpiece, A laser light source that outputs laser light; a cleaning head that is connected to the laser light source via an optical fiber cable and that can be held by an operator; an air-cooling type cooling unit that cools the laser light source and the inside of the cleaning head; a scanning unit that is built into the cleaning head and that deflects an optical axis of the laser light from the laser light source that is incident via the optical fiber cable to scan the laser light in a predetermined direction; a control unit that controls an output of the laser light source and controls scanning of the optical axis of the laser light by the scanning means; a field lens that is disposed at an opening for emitting the laser light of the cleaning head and that irradiates the workpiece with the laser light whose optical axis is deflected; an air curtain forming unit that forms an air curtain by flowing a part of the air used for cooling by the cooling unit to the laser light emission side of the field lens of the cleaning head; A laser cleaning device comprising:

2. The air curtain forming unit includes: A supply means for supplying compressed air for cooling by the cooling unit; a supply passage for supplying a portion of the compressed air from the supply means into the cleaning head; an inlet for the compressed air formed in the cleaning head; The compressed air that has flowed into the cleaning head from the inlet through the supply path is caused to flow out from the outlet to the outside, forming the air curtain at the outlet in front of the field lens.

2. The laser cleaning device according to claim 1.

3. The scanning unit is a scanner that reflects and deflects the laser light from the laser light source that is incident via the optical fiber cable; a driving means for varying an angle of the scanner under the control of the control unit to reciprocately scan the laser light deflected by the scanner in one direction; 3. The laser cleaning device according to claim 2, further comprising:

4. The scanning unit is a first scanner that reflects and deflects the laser light; a second scanner that reflects and deflects the laser light deflected by the first scanner in a direction perpendicular to the deflection direction of the first scanner; a first driving means for varying an angle of the first scanner under the control of the control unit to perform reciprocal scanning of the laser light deflected by the first scanner in one direction; a second driving means for varying an angle of the second scanner under the control of the control unit to reciprocally scan the laser light deflected by the first scanner in a direction different from the one direction; The control unit controls the scanning width and scanning period of the laser light by the first driving unit and the second driving unit to values ​​set by a setting unit.

3. The laser cleaning device according to claim 2.

5. The cooling unit includes: A first temperature sensor for detecting a temperature around the laser light source; a second temperature sensor for detecting a temperature around the driving motor of the scanning means; The control means controls the laser light source and the cleaning head so that the temperatures detected by the first and second temperature sensors are equal to or lower than the respective set temperatures.

2. The laser cleaning device according to claim 1.

Images