Laser Nozzle Cleaning for Stable Jet Liquid Column Machining
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Solution Overview
Problem
The accumulation of impurities near the nozzle opening in laser machining apparatuses using a jet liquid column leads to disturbances in liquid flow, causing the jet liquid column to tilt, which affects the machining process.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the formation of a jet liquid column and irradiating a laser beam with controlled peak power onto the nozzle inlet opening to remove foreign matters without damaging the nozzle, ensuring the jet liquid column remains stable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a laser beam is introduced within a jet liquid column to process work pieces, then machining capability is improved, but impurities accumulate on the nozzle opening causing the jet liquid column to tilt
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by cleaning the nozzle opening before the jet liquid column is formed and introduced into the laser beam. The cleaning process removes impurities that would otherwise accumulate and cause tilting, ensuring the nozzle is ready for stable operation from the start
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of impurity accumulation into a beneficial cleaning process. By intentionally irradiating the nozzle opening with a laser beam at controlled power levels, the impurities are removed through ablation or vaporization, transforming the potential harm into a useful cleaning function that maintains jet liquid column stability
2Reliability
If laser beam power is increased to remove impurities from the nozzle, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the nozzle may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by carefully controlling the laser beam parameters (power, pulse duration, wavelength) during the cleaning process. By adjusting these parameters to remain below the threshold that causes nozzle damage while staying above the threshold needed for effective impurity removal, the process achieves reliable cleaning without compromising nozzle integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses partial action by applying laser irradiation only to specific areas of the nozzle opening where impurities accumulate, rather than uniformly irradiating the entire nozzle. This localized approach removes impurities effectively while minimizing the total energy input to the nozzle structure, preventing damage
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 method effectively cleans the nozzle inlet opening, preventing the jet liquid column from tilting and maintaining the stability of the machining process without damaging the nozzle, thus ensuring precise machining.
Implementation Method 1
irradiating a spot of the laser beam to the vicinity of an inlet opening of the nozzle in such a manner that a peak power per unit area of a spot of the laser beam irradiated onto a surface of the nozzle provided with the inlet opening does not go beyond a threshold value at which the nozzle is damaged so as to remove foreign matters attached on such surface
Data Source
AI summary
The technical problems to be solved are to keep the vicinity of the nozzle opening clean and to restrain the jet liquid column from tilting. The solution to problems lies in a method for cleaning a nozzle of a laser machining apparatus to process a work piece to be processed by a laser beam introduced into a jet liquid column, the method comprising the steps of: forming the jet liquid column by jetting a liquid from the nozzle; and irradiating a spot 30 of the laser beam onto a vicinal section of an inlet opening 22c of the nozzle in such a state that a peak power per unit area of the spot 30 of the laser beam irradiated on a surface provided with the inlet opening 22c of the nozzle does not go beyond a threshold value at which the nozzle is damaged and removing foreign matters attached on the surface.