Movable Nozzle Cleaning Flow for Laser Smoke Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laser processing machines face inefficiencies in removing flue gases and residue from the dust collection space, leading to contamination of workpieces and high energy consumption, with previous solutions being either ineffective or costly to manufacture.
Innovation Solution
A movable fluid supply device with a distributor and nozzles is used to direct a targeted fluid flow under the support plane, ensuring efficient removal of flue gases and residue, while a stationary fluid removal device with a filter element reduces energy consumption and simplifies the machine's structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If guide plates are incorporated to divide the dust collection space into sections with separate fluid supply and removal devices, then flue gas and dust removal efficiency is improved, but the machine becomes material-intensive and expensive to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The dust collection space is divided into multiple sections along the longitudinal axis, with each section having its own fluid supply device and fluid removal device. This segmentation allows targeted cleaning where needed while reducing the overall complexity compared to a fully enclosed structure with uniform distribution throughout.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid supply device is extracted from a fixed structural integration and made movable to travel along the longitudinal axis. This allows the same cleaning function to serve multiple sections sequentially, eliminating the need for guide plates and extensive structural modifications while maintaining effective flue gas and dust removal.
2Reliability
If fluid is supplied over the entire length and width of the dust collection space, then complete coverage is achieved, but energy consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid supply device is made dynamic and movable along the longitudinal axis instead of being stationary and covering the entire length. This allows the fluid supply to be concentrated only in the current working area where the laser processing head is active, ensuring complete coverage of the processed region while minimizing energy consumption by avoiding fluid supply in non-working areas.
Solution Approach 2:
Fluid supply is localized to the specific region where laser processing is currently taking place, rather than distributing fluid uniformly across the entire dust collection space. The movable fluid supply device adjusts its position to match the laser head position, providing targeted fluid supply exactly where flue gas and dust need to be removed, thereby reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining effective local coverage.
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
This solution enables effective and energy-efficient smoke extraction, reduces contamination, and allows for the use of higher power lasers, extending the dust collection space's suitability and lowering manufacturing costs by eliminating the need for complex structural configurations.
Implementation Method 1
a fluid supply device and a fluid removal device, which are designed to generate a fluid flow (here an airflow) under the support plane of the support grate for removing in particular flue gas and dust
Implementation Method 2
the at least one fluid supply device encompasses a fluid supply, a distributor, which covers a certain stream width of the laser processing head, and at least one outlet opening for the fluid, which influences the flow shape, flow width and flow rate
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a laser processing machine (11) with a laser processing head (12), with a support grate (16) that defines a support plane (A) for supporting a workpiece (8) to be processed, with a fluid supply device (21) and with a fluid removal device (31). The fluid supply device (21) and fluid removal device (31) are designed to generate a fluid flow (27) under the support plane (A) of the support grate (16). The fluid supply device (21) can be moved with the laser processing head (12).