Calibration component

Abstract

Provided is calibration component (A) for calibrating axial alignment between a processing laser beam (L) emitted from a processing head (7) and measurement light (S) from a sensor (8), the calibrating component (A) comprising: a cylindrical member (60) attached to the processing head (7) and allowing the processing laser beam (L) to pass therethrough; and a calibration member (70) holding calibration workpieces (Wa, Wb) irradiated with the processing laser beam (L). The calibration member (70) is attached to one end of the cylindrical member (60).

Description

Adjustment part

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an adjustment part for performing axial adjustment of measurement light irradiated by a sensor that detects the focal position of a laser beam for processing.

[0002] Conventionally, a laser processing apparatus that irradiates a processing workpiece with a laser beam for processing to perform processing such as welding has been known. In a laser processing apparatus, a processing head provided with a galvanometer scanner that scans the laser beam for processing is often used. Patent Document 1 discloses a laser processing apparatus having a processing head provided with a galvanometer scanner.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-98360

[0004] In a laser processing apparatus, when a processing head that irradiates a laser beam for processing is attached to a robot arm or the like and used, it is necessary to perform axial alignment adjustment between the laser beam for processing and the measurement light of a sensor that detects the focal position of the laser beam for processing. Conventionally, an adjustment workpiece used for this axial alignment adjustment was installed on a processing table on which a processing workpiece was placed. However, in order to improve the efficiency of the adjustment work, such as preparing a processing table for the adjustment work or moving the robot arm to a predetermined position after installing the adjustment workpiece, there was still room for improvement.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an adjustment part capable of improving the efficiency of axial alignment adjustment work of measurement light for measuring the focal position of a laser beam for processing.

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is an adjustment part (A) for performing axial alignment adjustment between a laser beam for processing (L) irradiated from a processing head (7) and measurement light (S) by a sensor (8), a cylindrical member (60) that is attached to the processing head (7) and through which the laser beam for processing (L) passes, a calibration member (70) that holds adjustment workpieces (Wa, Wb) irradiated with the laser beam for processing (L), The calibration member (70) is attached to one end of the cylindrical member (60), and is an adjustment part.

[0007] This is a perspective view of a laser processing apparatus to which the adjustment parts according to this embodiment are applied. This is a block diagram showing the processing head and its surrounding configuration. This is a front view of the adjustment parts. This is a perspective view of the shim tape. This is a perspective view of the mounting member. This is a front view showing the structure of one end of the cylindrical member. This is a perspective view of the calibration member viewed from below. This is a perspective view of the calibration member according to the first modified example of this embodiment. This is a cross-sectional view of the calibration member according to the first modified example of this embodiment. This is a perspective view of the calibration member according to the second modified example of this embodiment. This is a front view of the calibration member according to the second embodiment of the present invention. This is a front view of the calibration member according to the first modified example of the second embodiment of the present invention. This is a front view of the calibration member according to the second modified example of the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0008] An example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

[0009] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a laser processing apparatus 1 to which the adjustment part A according to this embodiment is applied. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the processing head 7 and its surrounding configuration. The laser processing apparatus 1 is an industrial machine that performs welding and other operations on a workpiece Wp placed on a processing table T using processing laser light L emitted from a processing head 7, which acts as a galvanoscanner. The processing head 7 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as a galvanoscanner) is attached to the tip of an arm member having multiple joints. The arm member according to this embodiment has a first arm 4, a second arm 5, and a third arm 6, and the first arm 4 is pivotably attached to a rotating base 3 supported by a foot 2. The processing head 7 is attached to the tip of the third arm 6.

[0010] An OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) sensor 8 is attached to the side of the galvanometer scanner 7. The OCT sensor 8 is a measuring instrument that uses the coherence of light to measure the distance to the object being measured.

[0011] In the laser processing apparatus 1, when using the OCT sensor 8 coupled to the galvanoscanner 7, it is necessary to perform axis alignment adjustment between the processing laser beam L and the measurement beam S from the OCT sensor 8. The adjustment part A is attached to the galvanoscanner 7 during this axis alignment adjustment, and is removed from the galvanoscanner 7 when the adjustment work is completed.

[0012] Adjustment part A is attached to the laser beam output port 14 formed at the bottom of the galvanometer scanner 7. The laser light source 30 generates processing laser light L by operating an oscillator in response to a command from a control unit (not shown). As the laser light source 30, for example, a fiber laser oscillator, a pulsed laser oscillator, a direct diode laser (DDL), a CO2 laser oscillator, or a solid-state laser (YAG laser) oscillator can be used. In addition to visible light, invisible light that cannot be seen by the human eye is used as the processing laser light L.

[0013] The processing laser beam L generated by the laser light source 30 is input to the galvanometer scanner 7 and irradiated onto the workpiece Wp via the lens 17, the dichroic mirror 15, and the laser beam deflection mechanism 13. The laser beam deflection mechanism 13 houses multiple mirrors that reflect the processing laser beam L, and the processing laser beam L is irradiated onto the workpiece Wp at any desired position by driving the galvanometer mirrors 12 and 19 with motors. The focal point of the processing laser beam L can be adjusted by driving the lenses 17 and 18 with motors to move them in the optical axis direction.

[0014] The control unit reads and executes an application program for controlling the laser beam deflection mechanism 13 from the storage unit, and in cooperation with each piece of hardware, scans the processing laser beam L based on the command.

[0015] The OCT sensor 8 includes a sensor light source 21 and a galvanometer mirror 22 for the OCT sensor. The measurement light S emitted from the sensor light source 21 is guided to the galvanometer mirror 22 for the OCT sensor via various optical components (lenses, mirrors, optical fibers, beam splitters, diffraction gratings, etc.). The measurement light S focused by the galvanometer mirror 22 for the OCT sensor is coupled with the processing laser light L by a dichroic mirror 15 included in the galvanometer scanner 7. The measurement light S coupled with the processing laser light L is reflected by the workpiece Wp, guided back to the sensor light source unit 21 along its original optical path, and detected by the measurement unit included in the sensor light source unit 21.

[0016] Figure 3 is a front view of adjustment part A. Adjustment part A is attached to the galvanoscanner 7 by two fixing bolts 52 which serve as fixing members, and is removed from the galvanoscanner 7 when the adjustment work is completed. Adjustment part A has a cylindrical member 60 through which the processing laser light L and the measurement light S pass, and a calibration member 70 attached to one end (lower end in the figure) of the cylindrical member 60. The other end (upper end in the figure) of the cylindrical member 60 is supported by a mounting member 50 for attaching adjustment part A to the galvanoscanner 7. The mounting member 50 is composed of a plate-shaped flange portion 51 and a support portion 53 that supports the cylindrical member 60. The fixing bolts 52 pass through the flange portion 51 and are screwed into female threaded holes formed on the lower surface of the galvanoscanner 7.

[0017] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the shim tape Wa. The shim tape Wa, as an adjustment workpiece, is held below the calibration member 70 and is a foil member that has holes punched in it by the processing laser beam L when performing axis alignment adjustment. The shim tape Wa can be made of a metal such as stainless steel, brass, or aluminum with a thickness of about 1 to 500 μm.

[0018] To adjust the axis alignment of the measuring light S of the OCT sensor 8, first, a hole is made in the shim tape Wa using the processing laser light L to confirm its position. Next, this hole is measured with the OCT sensor 8, and the angle of the galvanometer mirror 22 for the OCT sensor is adjusted so that the processing laser light L and the measuring light S are irradiated to the same position. Note that the axes of the processing laser light L and the measuring light S do not have to be coaxial with the central axis of the cylindrical member 60, etc.

[0019] Here, metal foil with a thickness of 0.5 mm or less can be drilled with a lower laser power output compared to the laser power required for welding. Also, because the thinness reduces the amount of molten metal generated when drilling holes, it is possible to stably obtain holes that are close to perfectly circular.

[0020] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the mounting member 50. Figure 6 is a front view showing the structure of one end of the cylindrical member 60, and Figure 7 is a perspective view of the calibration member 70 from below. The same reference numerals indicate the same or equivalent parts.

[0021] A through-hole 55 is formed in the center of the flange portion 51 of the mounting member 50, communicating with the cylindrical member 60 and allowing the processing laser beam L and the measuring light S to pass through. Near the fixing bolt 52 that passes through the flange portion 51, a positioning member 54 is provided to determine the fixing position relative to the galvanoscanner 7. This makes it possible to maintain a constant position of the shim tape Wa relative to the galvanoscanner 7 even when the adjustment part A is repeatedly attached to and detached from the galvanoscanner 7. It also makes the positioning work easier. Note that if the positional accuracy of the fixing bolt 52 is above a predetermined level, the positioning member 54 may be omitted.

[0022] The mounting member 50 and the cylindrical member 60 can be made of metal materials such as aluminum, steel, or stainless steel. The mounting member 50 and the cylindrical member 60 may be formed as a single unit.

[0023] A male threaded portion 62 is provided at the lower end of the cylindrical member 60, and a female threaded portion is provided on the inner circumference near the upper end of the calibration member 70. As a result, the cylindrical member 60 and the calibration member 70 can be connected by screwing their threaded portions together. At this time, the upper end surface of the calibration member 70 abuts against the abutment surface 61 of the cylindrical member 60 to perform axial positioning. This configuration makes it possible to easily and quickly attach and detach the calibration member 70 to the cylindrical member 60 without using fastening parts such as bolts.

[0024] Furthermore, since the cylindrical member 60 and the calibration member 70 are detachably configured, for example, the cylindrical member 60 can be made of a lightweight metal such as aluminum, and the calibration member 70 can be made of a different material, thereby reducing the weight of the adjustment part A and improving portability.

[0025] The calibration member 70 is cylindrical in shape and has a through hole 71 coaxial with the cylindrical member 60. The shim tape Wa is held on an annular adjustment workpiece holding surface 72 provided at the lower part of the calibration member 70. The adjustment workpiece holding surface 72 can be made of a magnetic material or a ferromagnetic material, and if it is made of a magnet, the metal shim tape Wa can be held by magnetic force.

[0026] Figure 8 is a perspective view of a calibration member 70 according to a first modified example of this embodiment, and Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view thereof. This modified example is characterized in that a small-diameter through hole 71 is formed in the disc-shaped adjustment workpiece holding surface 72 that holds the shim tape Wa, in order to provide a step 75 on the inner circumference of the calibration member 70. The inner circumference of the calibration member 70 is provided with a female threaded portion 76 that screws into the male threaded portion 62 of the cylindrical portion 60.

[0027] During axis alignment adjustment, a hole H is formed in the shim tape Wa by the processing laser beam L. The step 75 is provided to eliminate errors in positive and negative values, as the OCT sensor 8 measures the absolute value of the optical path length difference, and the desired measurement result may not be obtained by measuring only the plane. The height of the step 75 can be set to approximately 1 to 8 mm, for example, if the measurement range of the OCT sensor 8 is approximately 12 mm. The OCT sensor 8 can acquire the three-dimensional shape of the hole H by measuring the distance on a two-dimensional plane, and the center coordinates can be calculated by fitting the boundary of the hole H to a circle.

[0028] Furthermore, in this modified version, an adjustment workpiece exchange mechanism 90 including a motor-driven winding roller is provided, which allows the portion of hole H provided for axis alignment adjustment to slide automatically. This reduces the man-hours and time required to replace the shim tape Wa.

[0029] Figure 10 is a perspective view of a calibration member 70 according to a second modified example of this embodiment, and Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view thereof. The same reference numerals indicate the same or equivalent parts.

[0030] The calibration member 70 according to this modified example is characterized in that, in addition to the adjustment workpiece holding surface 72 that holds the shim tape Wa, a backing plate holding surface 74 is formed to hold the backing plate 79. The backing plate 79, made of metal or the like, can be held on the backing plate holding surface 74 by magnetic force, for example. With the backing plate 79, the measurement light S of the OCT sensor 8 is reflected even in the hole H, making it easier to clearly measure the shape of the hole H, and it is also possible to receive the processing laser light S passing through the hole H and prevent it from scattering into the surroundings. Furthermore, the backing plate holding surface 74 may be made of, for example, a ferromagnetic material, a magnet, an adhesive, etc., or it may have an air-based adsorption part, or it may be made of a material that has an attractive force due to Coulomb force. These materials may also be mounted in a way that is useful for attaching to the backing plate holding surface 74. For example, a sheet-shaped magnet may be attached with an adhesive.

[0031] The configuration of the adjustment component A described above can be modified in various ways. For example, the calibration member 70 may include a ferromagnetic material, a magnet, an adhesive, an air-based adsorption part, and a material with Coulomb force for holding the shim tape Wa. If the adjustment workpiece holding surface 72 is a ferromagnetic material such as nickel-plated iron or stainless steel of the 400 series, the metal shim tape Wa can be easily attached and detached by magnetic force. Also, if the adjustment workpiece holding surface 72 is a magnet, the attachment and detachment work can be made easier by using a magnetic material such as iron for the shim tape Wa. Furthermore, if the adjustment workpiece holding surface 72 is made of a material with adhesive, an air-based adsorption part, and Coulomb force for attracting, the shim tape Wa can be made of a non-flammable resin or paper. This can reduce the cost of the adjustment workpiece. These materials may also be implemented in a way that adds value to attaching them to the adjustment workpiece holding surface 72. For example, a sheet-shaped magnet may be attached with adhesive.

[0032] Figure 12 is a front view of a calibration member 70 according to a second embodiment of the present invention, Figure 13 is a front view of a calibration member 70 according to a first modification of the second embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 14 is a front view of a calibration member 70 according to a second modification of the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] This second embodiment is characterized in that the adjustment workpiece Wb held by the calibration member 70 is a central guide member Wb1, Wb2, Wb3 whose center position can be derived by the OCT sensor 8. The central guide members Wb1, Wb2, Wb3 have irregularities, pinholes, cross shapes, etc., which allows the center position to be derived without drilling holes with the processing laser beam L, and enables axis alignment adjustment without the need for consumable parts.

[0034] Furthermore, the calibration member 70 according to this second embodiment is provided with a position adjustment mechanism consisting of an XY table 80 and an adjustment screw 81 for moving the central guide members Wb1, Wb2, and Wb3 in the XY direction.

[0035] For axis alignment adjustment using central guide members Wb1, Wb2, and Wb3, there is a method of measuring the centers of central guide members Wb1, Wb2, and Wb3 with an OCT sensor 8 and aligning them with the axis of the processing laser beam L, and another method of combining this with drilling holes in shim tape Wa. In the latter method, first, holes H are drilled in shim tape Wa and measurements are taken with the OCT sensor 8, then shim tape Wa is attached to central guide member Wb, and the adjustment screw 81 is operated so that central guide member Wb is in the center of the measurement range of the OCT sensor 8. As a result, it is necessary to drill holes H in shim tape Wa for the first axis alignment adjustment, but it is not necessary to drill holes H for subsequent adjustments, thus improving the efficiency of axis alignment adjustment.

[0036] In addition, the shape and structure of the cylindrical portion 60, the calibration member 70, the adjustment workpieces Wa, Wb, etc., in one aspect of the present disclosure are not limited.

[0037] As described above, the display device according to this embodiment comprises a cylindrical member 60 attached to the galvanoscanner 7 through which the processing laser beam L passes, and a calibration member 70 that holds the adjustment workpieces Wa and Wb irradiated with the processing laser beam L. Since the calibration member 70 is attached to one end of the cylindrical member 60, it is possible to adjust the axis alignment between the processing laser beam L and the measuring light S of the OCT sensor 8 using only the adjustment part A attached to the galvanoscanner 7. As a result, compared to the method of placing the adjustment workpieces Wa and Wb on a processing table or the like, it is not necessary to move the galvanoscanner 7 each time adjustment work is performed, and the man-hours and time required for adjustment work can be reduced.

[0038] The control unit of a laser processing machine is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), which realizes various functions by executing programs stored in the memory unit. The memory unit consists of a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores the OS (Operating System) and application programs, a RAM (Random Access Memory) that stores RAM, and a storage device such as a hard disk drive or SSD (Solid State Drive) that stores various other information.

[0039] The adjustment of the laser beam's focal point using the above-mentioned adjustment components can be achieved through hardware, software, or a combination thereof. Here, "achieved through software" means that the adjustment is accomplished by a computer loading and executing a program.

[0040] Programs can be stored and supplied to a computer using various types of non-transitor computer-readable media. Non-transitor computer-readable media include various types of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitor computer-readable media include magnetic recording media (e.g., hard disk drives), magneto-optical recording media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs (Read Only Memory), CD-Rs, CD-R / Ws, and semiconductor memory (e.g., mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, and RAMs (random access memory)).

[0041] Furthermore, while the embodiments described above are preferred embodiments of the present invention, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments alone. Various modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from its spirit.

[0042] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail, the present disclosure is not limited to the individual embodiments described above. These embodiments can be variously added, replaced, changed, partially deleted, etc. without departing from the gist of the present disclosure or without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure derived from the content described in the claims and its equivalents. Also, these embodiments can be implemented in combination. For example, in the above-described embodiments, the order of each operation and the order of each process are shown as examples and are not limited thereto.

[0043] The adjustment parts according to the present disclosure can be applied to various machine tools and industrial machines.

[0044] Regarding the above embodiments and modified examples, the following additional remarks are disclosed. (Additional Remark 1) An adjustment part (A) for performing axial alignment adjustment between the processing laser light (L) irradiated from the processing head (7) and the measurement light (S) by the sensor (8), comprising a cylindrical member (60) that is attached to the processing head (7) and through which the processing laser light (L) passes, and a calibration member (70) that holds the adjustment workpieces (Wa, Wb) irradiated with the processing laser light (L), wherein the calibration member (70) is attached to one end of the cylindrical member (60).

[0045] (Additional Remark 2) The adjustment part according to Additional Remark 1, wherein the cylindrical member (60) is configured to be detachable from the processing head (7).

[0046] (Additional Remark 3) The adjustment part according to Additional Remark 1 or 2, wherein the calibration member (70) is configured to be detachable from the cylindrical member (60).

[0047] (Additional Remark 4) One of a male thread or a female thread is formed on the cylindrical member (60), and the other of a male thread or a female thread is formed on the calibration member (70), and the cylindrical member (60) and the calibration member (70) are connected by screwing the male thread and the female thread together. The adjustment part according to Additional Remark 3.

[0048] (Supplementary Note 5) The adjustment part according to Supplementary Note 2, wherein the cylindrical member (60) is connected to an attachment member (50) that is fixed to the processing head (7) using a fixing member (52).

[0049] (Supplementary Note 6) The adjustment part according to Supplementary Note 1 or 2, wherein the calibration member (70) is provided with an adjustment work holding surface (72) for holding the adjustment work (Wa), and the adjustment work holding surface (72) is provided at a position corresponding to the focal length of the processing laser beam (L).

[0050] (Supplementary Note 7) The adjustment part according to Supplementary Note 4, wherein the attachment member (50) is provided with a positioning member (54) for determining the fixing position with respect to the processing head (7).

[0051] (Supplementary Note 8) The adjustment part according to Supplementary Note 1 or 2, wherein the adjustment work (Wa) is a foil-like member in which a hole (H) is formed by irradiation of the processing laser beam (L).

[0052] (Supplementary Note 9) The adjustment part according to Supplementary Note 7, wherein the calibration member (70) is configured to include a ferromagnetic material.

[0053] (Supplementary Note 10) The adjustment part according to Supplementary Note 6, wherein the calibration member (70) is provided with an adjustment work exchange mechanism (90) for automatically exchanging the adjustment work (Wa) held on the adjustment work holding surface (72).

[0054] (Supplementary Note 11) The adjustment part according to Supplementary Note 1 or 2, wherein a step (75) is provided on the inner peripheral portion of the calibration member (70).

[0055] (Supplementary Note 12) The adjustment part according to Supplementary Note 1 or 2, wherein the adjustment work (Wb) is a center guide member having a shape whose center position can be measured.

[0056] (Supplementary Note 13) The adjustment part according to Supplementary Note 12, wherein a position adjustment mechanism (80, 81) for adjusting the position of the center guide member (Wb) is provided.

[0057] (Note 14) The adjustment component according to Note 1 or 2, wherein the adjustment workpiece (Wa) is a thin plate member in which a hole (H) is made by the processing laser beam (L), and the calibration member (70) has an adjustment workpiece holding surface (72) for holding the adjustment workpiece (Wa) and a backing plate holding surface (74) for holding a backing plate (79) that receives the processing laser beam (L).

[0058] 1. Laser processing device A. Adjustment parts L. Laser beam for processing 7. Processing head (galvanometer scanner) 50. Mounting member 52. Fixing member 54. Positioning member 60. Cylindrical member 70. Calibration member 72. Adjustment workpiece holding surface 74. Back plate holding surface 75. Step 80. XY table (position adjustment mechanism) 81. Adjustment screw (position adjustment mechanism) 90. Adjustment workpiece exchange mechanism Wa. Shim tape (adjustment workpiece) H. Hole Wb1, Wb2, Wb3 (Wb) Center guide member (adjustment workpiece)

Claims

1. An adjustment component for adjusting the axis alignment between a processing laser beam emitted from a processing head and a measurement light from a sensor, comprising: a cylindrical member attached to the processing head and through which the processing laser beam passes; and a calibration member that holds an adjustment workpiece to which the processing laser beam is emitted, wherein the calibration member is attached to one end of the cylindrical member.

2. The adjustment component according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical member is configured to be detachably attached to the processing head.

3. The adjustment component according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the calibration member is configured to be detachably attached to the cylindrical member.

4. The adjustment component according to claim 3, wherein the cylindrical member has either a male thread or a female thread formed on it, and the calibration member has the other male thread or female thread formed on it, and the cylindrical member and the calibration member are connected by screwing the male thread and the female thread together.

5. The adjustment component according to claim 2, wherein the cylindrical member is connected to a mounting member that is fixed to the processing head using a fixing member.

6. The adjustment component according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the calibration member is provided with an adjustment workpiece holding surface for holding the adjustment workpiece, and the adjustment workpiece holding surface is provided at a position corresponding to the focal length of the processing laser beam.

7. The adjustment component according to claim 4, wherein the mounting member is provided with a positioning member that determines the fixed position relative to the processing head.

8. The adjustment part according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the adjustment workpiece is a foil-like member that is perforated by irradiation with the processing laser light.

9. The adjustment component according to claim 7, wherein the calibration member is composed of a ferromagnetic material.

10. The adjustment component according to claim 6, wherein the calibration member is provided with an adjustment workpiece exchange mechanism that can automatically replace the adjustment workpiece held on the adjustment workpiece holding surface.

11. The adjustment component according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a step is provided on the inner circumference of the calibration member.

12. The adjustment component according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the adjustment workpiece is a central guide member having a shape that allows for the measurement of its central position.

13. The adjustment component according to claim 12, further comprising a position adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position of the central guide member.

14. The adjustment component according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the adjustment workpiece is a thin plate member into which a hole is made by the processing laser beam, and the calibration member has an adjustment workpiece holding surface for holding the adjustment workpiece and a backing plate holding surface for holding a backing plate that receives the processing laser beam.

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