Laser Nozzle Inspection with Gas-Blown Optical Element Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional nozzle inspection devices for laser processing machines require frequent maintenance to remove dust and dirt from the screen, which can affect image analysis results due to burning, turbidity, or fogging, and are not highly maintainable.
Innovation Solution
A laser processing device with a nozzle inspection method that includes a gas blowing unit to clean the optical element before image pickup, ensuring the optical element is protected and reducing the need for manual cleaning by continuously blowing assist gas onto the screen during inspection operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the screen is arranged with the top surface opened to receive the laser beam, then the nozzle inspection function is achieved, but dust and dirt adhere to the screen requiring frequent maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
A protective plate is introduced as an intermediary component between the laser beam and the screen. The protective plate has a through-hole that allows the laser beam to pass through while preventing dust and dirt from adhering to the screen surface. This mediator resolves the contradiction by maintaining the inspection function while eliminating the contamination problem.
Solution Approach 2:
A gas blowing unit is introduced to blow gas toward the protective plate and screen surface to prevent dust and dirt from adhering. This pneumatic approach continuously cleans the surfaces during operation, resolving the contradiction by maintaining cleanliness without requiring frequent manual maintenance.
2Measurement precision
If dust and dirt adhere to the screen, then burning occurs causing turbidity or fogging, but the nozzle inspection accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The protective plate serves as a mediator that prevents direct contact between dust particles and the screen surface. By having dust adhere to the protective plate instead of the screen, the harmful burning and turbidity effects are prevented, maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas blowing unit actively prevents dust accumulation on the screen by creating a gas flow barrier. This pneumatic protection eliminates the harmful effects of burning and turbidity, ensuring continuous accurate measurement of the emission hole shape.
3Measurement precision
If manual cleaning of the screen is performed frequently, then image analysis accuracy is maintained, but device productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from manual cleaning to self-service automatic cleaning. The gas blowing unit automatically prevents dust adhesion and cleans the screen continuously during operation, maintaining image analysis accuracy without requiring manual intervention and thus preserving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
Automatic pneumatic cleaning replaces manual cleaning operations. The gas blowing unit continuously maintains the screen cleanliness during laser processing operations, eliminating the need to stop production for manual cleaning and thereby maintaining both accuracy and productivity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enhances maintainability by preventing dust and dirt from adhering to the screen, improving image analysis accuracy and reducing the frequency of manual cleaning, thus maintaining the device's operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a gas blowing unit configured to blow a gas toward the optical element
Implementation Method 2
a screen that converts a laser beam, which is emitted from an emission hole of the processing nozzle, into a visible beam
Data Source
AI summary
A laser processing device includes a nozzle attached to a laser processing head and including an emission hole through which a laser beam is emitted, an optical element configured to directly face the emission hole when the laser processing head is at a predetermined position, a nozzle inspection device including an image pickup device for picking up, through the optical element, an image of the emission hole viewed from a direction of an optical axis of the laser beam, a gas blowing unit for blowing a gas toward the optical element, and an operation control unit configured to cause the gas to be blown from the gas blowing unit toward the optical element before the image pickup device picks up the image after the laser processing head is moved to the predetermined position.