Laser processing machine

Abstract

To process a workpiece having a size larger than a processing range without affecting a periphery of a processing machine body.SOLUTION: A laser processing machine 1 includes: a processing machine body 10; a pallet 50 which is supported by the processing machine body 10 and on which a workpiece W is placed; and a processing head 30 which radiates a laser beam from above the workpiece W placed on the pallet 50 to perform laser processing to the workpiece W. The pallet 50 includes: a processing area A1 in which the workpiece W is supported in a processing range where the laser processing can be performed by the processing head 30; and an extension area A2 which is extended from the processing area A1 in a first direction so as to support the workpiece W having a size larger than the processing area. The extension area A2 of the pallet 50 is housed in a space part S formed closer to the first direction side than the processing area R in the processing machine body 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , , , , , , , , , , , Therefore, there is a demand for laser processing machines that can process workpieces larger than the processing range. , ,

[0005] , , , , , , , The machine comprises a processing machine body, a mounting section supported by the processing machine body so as to be movable in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, on which a workpiece is placed, and a processing head that irradiates a laser beam onto the workpiece placed on the mounting section from above to perform laser processing on the workpiece. The mounting section includes a processing area located only within the processing range where laser processing is possible by the processing head when performing laser processing on a workpiece, and an extended area located on the first direction side of the processing area. When supporting a workpiece larger than the processing area, one side of the workpiece on the second direction side (opposite to the first direction) is supported by the processing area located within the processing range, and the other side of the workpiece on the first direction side is supported by the extended area located on the first direction side of the processing area. , ,

[0006] ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a laser processing machine.

Background Art

[0002] A small-sized laser processing machine is known, which has a work size of 4'×4' (1219 mm×1219 mm) set as the maximum size capable of laser processing. Compared with a large-sized laser processing machine capable of laser processing even on a work of a large size such as 4'×8' (1219 mm×2438 mm), the entire apparatus of this type of small-sized laser processing machine is also small. The small-sized laser processing machine is excellent in that it can be installed in a limited space.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that laser processing is performed by closing an area other than the work on the upper surface of the processing table with a scattering prevention cover.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0004] <00000​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, It is possible to machine workpieces that are larger than the machining range. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic side view showing the main parts of the laser processing machine according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the pallet equipped with a laser processing machine. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic top view showing the pallet shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 4 illustrates the relationship between the pallet and the size of the workpiece. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the second work support part is upright on the pallet. [Figure 6] Figure 6 illustrates the height of the workpiece supported by the first workpiece support and the second workpiece support, respectively. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the pallet in the extended position. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The laser processing machine according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic side view showing the main parts of the laser processing machine according to this embodiment.

[0012] The laser processing machine according to this embodiment will be described in detail below. In this specification, the left-right and front-back directions, which are orthogonal to the horizontal direction, and the up-down directions, which are orthogonal to the left-right and front-back directions respectively, are used as definitions of directions. Of the left-right directions, the right direction corresponds to the first direction, and the left direction corresponds to the second direction.

[0013] The laser processing machine 1 comprises a processing machine body 10, a processing head 30, and a pallet 50.

[0014] The processing machine main body 10 includes a base 11, a side frame 12, and a head drive mechanism 15.

[0015] The base 11 is generally configured in a rectangular parallelepiped shape and is installed on an installation surface such as a floor surface.

[0016] The side frames 12 are respectively arranged at the front edge portion and the rear edge portion of the base 11. In FIG. 1, for the sake of convenience of explanation, the description of the side frame 12 at the front edge portion is omitted. The side frames 12 at the front edge portion and the rear edge portion are arranged parallel to each other.

[0017] The head drive mechanism 15 is a mechanism that moves the processing head 30 along the workpiece W, and includes an X-axis carriage 16 and a Y-axis carriage 19. The X-axis carriage 16 has a portal shape composed of a pair of columns 17 and a beam 18 extending in the front-rear direction so as to straddle between the pair of columns 17. In FIG. 1, similar to the side frame 12 at the front edge portion, the description of the front column 17 is omitted.

[0018] The X-axis carriage 16 is supported by a pair of side frames 12 and is configured to be movable along the side frames 12. The X-axis carriage 16 is driven by an X-axis carriage drive unit (not shown) provided on the side frames 12 and moves in the left-right direction.

[0019] The Y-axis carriage 19 is arranged on the X-axis carriage 16. The Y-axis carriage 19 is supported by the beam 18 of the X-axis carriage 16 and is configured to be movable along the beam 18. The Y-axis carriage 19 is driven by a Y-axis carriage drive unit (not shown) provided on the beam 18 and moves in the front-rear direction.

[0020] The processing machine main body 10 further has a control panel 100, a laser oscillator 110, etc. The control panel 100 controls the operation of the laser processing machine 1. The control panel 100 is composed of a box-shaped housing, a circuit board housed inside the housing, etc. The laser oscillator 110 generates a laser beam and supplies the laser beam to the processing head 30. The laser oscillator 110 is composed of a box-shaped housing, electronic components and electrical components housed inside the housing, etc.

[0021] The control panel 100 and the laser oscillator 110 are arranged on the base 11 of the processing machine main body 10. Specifically, the control panel 100 is arranged below the right end of the base 11 and is fixed to the base 11. The laser oscillator 110 is arranged above the right end of the base 11 and is fixed to the base 11. The laser oscillator 110 is arranged above the control panel 100, and a space S serving as a gap is formed between the laser oscillator 110 and the control panel 100.

[0022] The processing head 30 irradiates the workpiece W with a laser beam from above to perform laser processing on the workpiece W. The laser beam emitted from the laser oscillator 110 is transmitted to the processing head 30 via a process fiber (not shown). The laser beam transmitted to the processing head 30 is irradiated onto the workpiece W from the opening at the tip of the processing head 30 after passing through an optical system provided inside the processing head 30.

[0023] The processing head 30 is fixed to the Y-axis carriage 19 of the head drive mechanism 15. Therefore, by driving the X-axis carriage drive unit and the Y-axis carriage drive unit to move the X-axis carriage 16 and the Y-axis carriage 19, the processing head 30 can be moved in the left-right direction and the front-back direction respectively.

[0024] The processing head 30 can perform laser processing within a predetermined processing range R through the movement by the head drive mechanism 15. The laser processing machine 1 of the present embodiment is a device assuming a small-sized workpiece W, and the processing range R is set to a range in which a workpiece W of a maximum size of 4'×4' can be processed.

[0025] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the pallet of a laser processing machine. Figure 3 is a schematic top view showing the pallet shown in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the pallet and the size of the workpiece. Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the second workpiece support in an upright position on the pallet. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the height of the workpieces supported by the first and second workpiece support, respectively. Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the pallet extended to its extended position.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, the pallet 50 is supported by the processing machine body 10 and on which the workpiece W is placed. The pallet 50 is equipped with a frame 51 for supporting the workpiece W.

[0027] The frame 51 is a roughly rectangular frame member that is horizontally elongated in the left-right direction when viewed from above. The left-right length of the frame 51 is approximately the same as the left-right length of the processing machine body 10, including the distance from the left end of the base 11 to the control panel 100 and laser oscillator 110 connected to the base 11.

[0028] Pallet 50 includes a machining area A1 and an extended area A2. Machining area A1 is the area that supports the workpiece W within the machining range R. On the other hand, extended area A2 is an area that extends to the right from machining area A1 in order to support a workpiece W that is larger than the machining range R.

[0029] The laser processing machine 1 of this embodiment has a processing range R that corresponds to a 4'×4' size workpiece W. On the other hand, the pallet 50 is provided with an extended area A2 in addition to the processing area A1. By providing the extended area A2 to the pallet 50, a workpiece larger than the 4'×4' size workpiece W, for example, a 4'×8' size workpiece W, can be supported by the pallet 50 alone.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2, the processing area A1 of the pallet 50 is equipped with multiple skids 52.

[0031] Multiple skids 52 are plate-shaped members that support the workpiece W in the processing area A1. The multiple skids 52 are arranged with spacing between them in the left-right direction. Each skid 52 is a plate-shaped member that extends in the front-rear direction and is made of a metal material such as steel, for example, mild steel. The skids 52 are positioned to straddle a pair of frame members 51a that constitute the frame body 51, and both ends of the skids 52 are fixed to each of the pair of frame members 51a. Skids fixed to the frame body 51 are, for example, standing vertically. However, the skids 52 only need to be standing vertically, and do not necessarily need to be vertical.

[0032] Each skid 52 has multiple protrusions that project upward. These multiple protrusions are located at the upper end of the skid 52. The multiple protrusions are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction. Each protrusion is a vertically elongated plate-like body with a V-shape that narrows towards the upper end. The workpiece W is supported at the top of the skid 52, i.e., at the vertices of the individual protrusions.

[0033] The extended area A2 of the pallet 50 includes a plurality of first work support parts 55 and a pallet cover 56.

[0034] Multiple first workpiece support sections 55 support the workpiece W in the expanded region A2. Each first workpiece support section 55 is composed of, for example, a free bearing comprising a rotatable sphere.

[0035] The multiple first work support sections 55 are arranged to correspond to the size of a standard-sized workpiece, which is a workpiece of predetermined size. In the example shown in Figure 4, the first work support sections 55 are positioned at two locations, front and rear, on the right end of a 3'×6' (910mm×1820mm) size workpiece W1, and at two locations, front and rear, on the right end of a 1000mm×2000mm size workpiece W2. In addition, the first work support sections 55 are positioned at three locations on the right end of a 4'×8' size workpiece W3 (front, rear, and center), and at one location slightly to the right of the center in the left-right direction of workpiece W1, and at the rear end. In this way, the multiple first work support sections 55 are arranged to correspond to the edges of a workpiece W made of a standard-sized material.

[0036] As shown in Figure 2, the pallet cover 56 is positioned to straddle the pair of frame members 51a. The pallet cover 56 is a flat plate-shaped member, and the space between the pair of frame members 51a is covered by the pallet cover 56. The pallet cover 56 is made of a metal material such as steel. The pallet cover 56 has openings formed in it corresponding to a plurality of first work support parts 55.

[0037] Each first work support 55 protrudes upward from the pallet cover 56 through an opening in the pallet cover 56. The upper end of each first work support 55 is located higher than the upper surface of the pallet cover 56. Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, the height of each upper end of the first work support 55 is set to the same height as the path line L1 of the workpiece W supported by the multiple skids 52.

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, the processing area A1 of the pallet 50 is further equipped with multiple skids 52, multiple second workpiece support sections 57, and multiple clamp sections 53.

[0039] Multiple second workpiece support units 57 support the workpiece W in the machining area A1 during setup operations for the workpiece W. Each second workpiece support unit 57 is composed of, for example, a free bearing equipped with a rotatable sphere.

[0040] Multiple second work support sections 57 are fixed to multiple rods 58. The multiple rods 58 are spaced apart in the front-rear direction. Each rod 58 is a shaft extending in the left-right direction and is fixed to the frame 51 in a state that allows it to rotate around its axis. A handle 59 is attached to the frame 51, which can be rotated by the user. The handle 59 and the multiple rods 58 are connected via a power transmission mechanism, so that when the handle 59 is rotated, the individual rods 58 also rotate in sync.

[0041] The second workpiece support 57, fixed to the rod 58, can be switched between an upright and a tilted state depending on the rotation angle of the rod 58. As shown in Figure 5, when the second workpiece support 57 is in the upright state, the upper part of the second workpiece support 57 protrudes above the apex of the skid 52 (the apex of the protruding part). In this state, the workpiece W on the machining area A1 is supported by the upright second workpiece support 57. As shown in Figure 6, the second workpiece support 57 supports the workpiece W at a line L2 that is higher than the pass line L1.

[0042] On the other hand, when the second workpiece support portion 57 is tilted, the second workpiece support portion 57 retracts below the apex of the skid 52 (the apex of the protrusion). In this state, the workpiece W on the machining area A1 is supported by the apex of multiple skids 52 (the apex of the protrusion).

[0043] As shown in Figure 2, the multiple clamping portions 53 secure the workpiece W, which is supported by the skid 52 in the machining area A1. The multiple clamping portions 53 are fixed to the frame member 51a that constitutes the frame 51.

[0044] As shown in Figure 1, the pallet 50 with this configuration is configured to be movable in the left-right direction via a guide member 13 fixed to the base 11. The guide member 13 guides the linear motion of the pallet 50 by slidably holding rails provided on the frame 51 of the pallet 50.

[0045] When pallet 50 is in its normal position, specifically when pallet 50 is located in the furthest right rear position, the processing area A1 of pallet 50 is located within the processing range R (see Figure 1). Furthermore, the extended area A2 of pallet 50 extends into the space S, which is the gap formed between the control panel 100 and the laser oscillator 110.

[0046] When pallet 50 is pulled out to the left, pallet 50 moves from its normal position to its pulled-out position. The pulled-out position is the position where the machining area A1 of pallet 50 is pulled out to the left of the machining range R (see Figure 7). Pallet 50 can move between the pulled-out position and the normal position.

[0047] The operation of the laser processing machine 1 according to this embodiment will be described below. When setting up the pallet 50 to place the workpiece W, the user first pulls out the pallet 50 to the pull-out position (see Figure 7). When the pallet 50 is pulled out to the pull-out position, the extended area A2 of the pallet 50 is pulled out from the space S. This allows the workpiece W to be separated from the parts and structures located on the right rear side of the processing machine body 10. Therefore, interference between the workpiece W and the processing machine body 10 can be suppressed, making it easier to handle the workpiece W when setting it on the pallet 50. In particular, in this embodiment, the workpiece W can be placed over the entire area of ​​the pallet 50, including the processing area A1 and the extended area A2. Even large workpieces W, such as 4' x 8' in size, can be easily set.

[0048] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4 and 6, when setting the workpiece W on the pallet 50, the user operates the handle 59 to raise the multiple second workpiece support sections 57. As a result, in the machining area A1, the workpiece W is supported by the multiple second workpiece support sections 57, and in the expanded area A2, the workpiece W is supported by the multiple first workpiece support sections 55. Therefore, the workpiece W can be moved smoothly on the pallet 50 without coming into contact with the skid 52.

[0049] Once the workpiece W is set on the pallet 50, the user pushes the pallet 50 to its correct position. When the pallet 50 is pushed to its correct position, the machining area A1 of the pallet 50 is located within the machining range R (see Figure 1). The control panel 100 controls the head drive mechanism 15, allowing the machining head 30 to move and perform laser machining within the machining range R. This enables laser machining of one side of the workpiece W located in the machining area A1 (a 4' x 4' area).

[0050] Once laser processing is complete on one side of the workpiece W, the user pulls out the pallet 50 to the pull-out position (see Figure 7). When the pallet 50 is pulled out to the pull-out position, the extended area A2 of the pallet 50 is pulled out from the space S. This separates the workpiece W from the parts and structures located on the right rear side of the processing machine body 10. Since interference between the workpiece W and the processing machine body 10 can be suppressed, the workpiece W can be easily set up, such as by rotating it 180 degrees or flipping it left and right. Through this setup process, the remaining half of the workpiece W can be replaced with the processing area A1 of the pallet 50.

[0051] Once the rotation or inversion of the workpiece W is complete, the user pushes the pallet 50 to its correct position. When the pallet 50 is pushed to its correct position, the processing area A1 of the pallet 50 is located within the processing range R (see Figure 1). The control panel 100 controls the head drive mechanism 15, allowing the processing head 30 to move while laser processing is performed within the processing range R. This enables laser processing to be performed on the remaining area (a 4' x 4' area) of the workpiece W that has been newly set in processing area A1.

[0052] As described above, with the laser processing machine 1 according to this embodiment, the pallet 50 that supports the workpiece W is expanded by the expansion region A2, so that a workpiece W larger than the processing range R can be placed on the pallet 50. Furthermore, since the expansion region A2 of the pallet 50 is housed in the space S of the processing machine body 10, it is possible to prevent the workpiece W from protruding outside the processing machine body 10 during processing.

[0053] This laser processing machine 1 allows for the processing of a workpiece W that is larger than the processing range R without affecting the surrounding area of ​​the processing machine body 10 during the processing of the workpiece W.

[0054] When processing a large workpiece W, it is conceivable to pre-cut the workpiece W to a size that fits within the processing range R before placing it on the pallet 50 of the laser processing machine 1. However, this requires pre-cutting the workpiece W, resulting in poor work efficiency. In this respect, the laser processing machine 1 according to this embodiment allows the workpiece W to be placed on the pallet 50 without pre-cutting it.

[0055] In this embodiment, the processing machine body 10 supports the pallet 50 so that it can move along the right and left directions. The pallet 50 moves between a pulled-out position in which the processing area A1 is pulled out to the left of the processing range R, and a normal position in which the processing area A1 is within the processing range R.

[0056] With this configuration, the pallet 50 can be pulled out from the processing machine body 10. Since the extended area A2 of the pallet 50 is pulled out from the space S, the workpiece W placed on the pallet 50 can be separated from the structure of the processing machine body 10, such as the laser oscillator 110. This makes the setup work of setting the workpiece W on the pallet 50 easier.

[0057] In this embodiment, the pallet 50 is composed of a rectangular frame 51. The processing area A1 has a plurality of skids (plate-like members) 52, each arranged to straddle a pair of frame members 51a that constitute the frame 51, and provided with a plurality of V-shaped protrusions to support the workpiece W. The expanded area A2 has a pallet cover 56 arranged to cover the space between the pair of frame members 51a, and a plurality of first workpiece support parts 55 that protrude above the pallet cover 56 to support the workpiece W.

[0058] With this configuration, the workpiece W can be supported in the extended region A2 by multiple first workpiece support parts 55. By optimizing the arrangement of the first workpiece support parts 55, the workpiece W extending from the machining region A1 can be supported in a balanced manner. This makes it possible to suppress deflection and other issues that occur in the workpiece W.

[0059] Furthermore, the extended area A2 is covered by a pallet cover 56. Since this pallet cover 56 can cover the opening of the frame 51, it can also serve to shield against laser light and prevent sputtering from scattering.

[0060] In this embodiment, each of the multiple first workpiece support portions 55 is composed of a free bearing having a rotatable sphere.

[0061] With this configuration, the workpiece W can be easily slid even when it is supported by the first workpiece support part 55. This improves the work efficiency when setting up the workpiece W.

[0062] In this embodiment, the height of the upper end of each of the multiple first work support parts 55 is set to the same height as the pass line L1 of the workpiece W supported by the multiple skids 52.

[0063] With this configuration, the workpiece W is supported so as to follow the pass line L1 even in the expanded region A2. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of deflection of the workpiece W in the expanded region A2, and consequently, the occurrence of deflection of the workpiece W in the machining region.

[0064] In this embodiment, the machining area A1 is configured to be switchable between an upright state and a tilted state, and has a plurality of second workpiece support parts 57 that support the workpiece. Each of the plurality of second workpiece support parts 57 protrudes above the apex of the protrusion of the skid 52 in the upright state, and retracts below the apex of the protrusion of the skid 52 in the tilted state. Each of the plurality of second workpiece support parts 57 is composed of a free bearing having a rotatable sphere.

[0065] In this configuration, by keeping the second workpiece support 57 upright, the second workpiece support 57 protrudes above the skid 52. As a result, the workpiece W in the machining area A1 is supported by the second workpiece support 57. The workpiece W can be easily moved on the pallet 50, improving work efficiency when setting up the workpiece W. In addition, even when supported by the second workpiece support 57, the workpiece W can be easily slid. This further improves work efficiency when setting up the workpiece W.

[0066] Multiple first work support sections 55 are arranged to correspond to the size of a standard-length material, which is a workpiece W, whose size is predetermined.

[0067] With this configuration, the first workpiece support section 55 is positioned in anticipation of the size of the standard-length material, so that the workpiece W can be properly supported without bending or other issues. Furthermore, the first workpiece support section 55 is not placed in unnecessary locations. As a result, the first workpiece support section can be positioned efficiently, thus suppressing unnecessary cost increases.

[0068] In this embodiment, the processing machine body 10 includes a laser oscillator 110 positioned to the right of the processing range R and supplying a laser beam to the processing head 30, and a control panel 100 positioned to the right of the processing range R and controlling the laser oscillator 110. In this case, the space S is formed between the laser oscillator 110 and the control panel 100.

[0069] With this configuration, the gap between the laser oscillator 110 and the control panel 100 can be utilized to accommodate the expanded area A2 of the pallet 50. By effectively utilizing the gap in the processing machine body 10, it is possible to prevent the workpiece W from protruding outside the processing machine body 10.

[0070] In the embodiment described above, the expanded region A2 of the pallet 50 includes a plurality of first work support parts 55 and a pallet cover 56. However, the expanded region A2 may include only the pallet cover 56 without the plurality of first work support parts 55. Also, although free bearings were exemplified as the first work support parts 55, rollers or the like may also be used. Furthermore, the expanded region A2 may be configured to include a plurality of skids 52 instead of the pallet cover 56.

[0071] As described above, embodiments of the present invention have been presented, but the statements and drawings that constitute part of this disclosure should not be understood as limiting the invention. Various alternative embodiments, examples, and operational techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0072] 1. Laser processing machine 10 Processing machine body 11 Base 12 Side Frames 13 Guide member 15. Head drive mechanism 16 X-axis carriage 17 Posts 18 beams 19 Y-axis carriage 30 Machining Heads 50 pallets 51 Frame 51a Frame member 52 Skid 53 Clamp section 55 First work support section 56 Pallet Cover 57 Second work support section 58 rods 59 handle 100 control panel 110 Laser Oscillator A1 Machining area A2 expansion area L1 Pass Line L2 is a higher line than the L1 pass line. R machining range S space Double job W1 Work W2 Work W3 Work

Claims

[Claim 1] A processing machine body, A mounting section on which a workpiece is placed is supported by the processing machine body so as to be movable in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, The system includes a processing head that irradiates a laser beam onto the workpiece placed on the mounting section from above to perform laser processing on the workpiece, The aforementioned mounting section is When laser processing is performed on the workpiece, the processing area is located only within the processing range in which the processing head can perform the laser processing, Includes an extended region located on the first direction side of the aforementioned processing region, When supporting a workpiece larger than the aforementioned machining range, one side of the workpiece on the second direction side, which is opposite to the first direction, is supported by the machining region located within the machining range, and the other side of the workpiece on the first direction side is supported by the extended region located on the first direction side of the machining range. Laser processing machine.

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