Laser Preheating Control for Cutter Workpiece Integrity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Laser-assisted machining causes qualitative changes in workpieces due to continuous heating by laser sub-beams, affecting both the front and rear of the cutter's processing path.
Innovation Solution
A laser preheating control method and device that uses a laser controller to selectively form a laser spot on a preheating region ahead of the cutter, preventing heating of the area behind the cutter by determining the cutter's movement direction and partitioning the circular region into preheating and non-preheating zones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If laser sub-beams continuously irradiate multiple processing regions around the cutter, then process efficiency is improved, but qualitative changes of the workpiece occur due to repeating heating
Solution Approach 1:
The circular processing region is segmented into a preheating region (front of cutter) and a non-preheating region (rear of cutter). The laser beam is selectively applied only to the preheating region, avoiding repeated heating of the non-preheating region. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by maintaining continuous processing efficiency while preventing harmful qualitative changes in the workpiece.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the workpiece are treated with different thermal conditions: the preheating region receives laser heating to soften the material for efficient cutting, while the non-preheating region is excluded from laser irradiation to prevent overheating and qualitative changes. This local differentiation of thermal treatment resolves the contradiction between processing efficiency and workpiece quality.
2Manufacturing precision
If the laser beam moves together with the cutter along the process path, then machining precision is improved, but the workpiece behind the cutter is repeatedly heated causing qualitative changes
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful heating action is extracted from the useful preheating action by spatially separating the laser beam's effective region. Only the preheating region ahead of the cutter receives laser energy, while the non-preheating region behind the cutter is excluded. This extraction resolves the contradiction by maintaining precision machining through coordinated laser-cutter movement while eliminating harmful repeated heating.
3Speed
If the laser spot is formed on the entire circular region around the cutter, then processing speed is improved, but energy waste occurs in the non-preheating region
Solution Approach 1:
The laser beam performs preliminary heating action only in the preheating region ahead of the cutter, softening the material before the cutter arrives. This preliminary action improves processing speed by reducing cutting resistance without wasting energy on the non-preheating region where heating would be unnecessary and harmful. The selective spatial application resolves the contradiction between speed and energy efficiency.
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
Prevents qualitative changes in workpieces by only preheating the region ahead of the cutter, ensuring that the area behind the cutter is not repeatedly heated, thus maintaining the workpiece's integrity.
Implementation Method 1
the laser beam is provided to selectively form a laser spot on the workpiece... the laser spot is provided to move from one end to the other end of the preheating region for preheating the workpiece in the preheating region
Data Source
AI summary
A laser preheating control method is applied to a laser preheating control device. When a cutter processes a workpiece along a process path, a laser source of the device is provided to output a laser beam to the workpiece for selectively forming a laser spot on the workpiece surface. And according to a movement direction of the cutter, a laser controller of the device is provided to form the laser spot only on a preheating region of the workpiece, where in front of the cutter in the process path, for preheating the workpiece in the preheating region. As a result, the laser spot will not repeatedly heat the workpiece behind the cutter in the process path, and the qualitative change of the workpiece caused by repeating heating is preventable.