JPH0230392A - laser processing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To work a material to be worked at a fixed width without changing the direction by turning an optical device to form laser beams emitting from a laser beam oscillator into linear laser beams within a surface intersecting nearly perpendicularly to the optical axis. CONSTITUTION:A direction changing metallic mirror 2 injects beams 1 at a sharp angle in a cylindrical mirror 3 and the width of linear beams is determined because it is a long focus concave mirror. A cylindrical mirror 3 is rotated smoothly by a drive device 5 and fixed to a housing. The mirror 3 is controlled by the command of a controller 6 based on data inputted previously according to the heattreated shape of the material 4 to be worked so that the width of the beams always intersected at right angles with the forward direction of the beams. The controller interlocks scan of the beams or feed of the material to be worked to the shape of the material to be worked. By this method, the material to be worked need not change its direction, etc., during the work and can be worked at a fixed width.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a laser processing apparatus that is preferably used, for example, when performing heat treatment on metal materials using a carbon dioxide laser.

[Conventional technology]

Optical systems that shape laser light into various shapes are used to perform laser heat treatment, and Figure 2 is an example of Figure 10 from "Automotive Technology" Vol. 37, No. 7, (1983), page 782. 1-b shows a main part of a laser processing apparatus using a conventional cylindrical mirror shown in FIG.

In the figure, (1) is the V-za light emitted from a laser oscillator (not shown), (2) is the metal mirror for direction change (3
) is a cylindrical mirror for heat treatment, and (4) is a workpiece.

As an optical system for heat treatment beam shaping, there are methods that use lenses or spherical mirrors to obtain an appropriate beam diameter by placing the workpiece at the day focus position, and methods that use an integration mirror. However, if the energy density is insufficient in the method described above in which the beam is irradiated on the surface of the workpiece, a cylindrical mirror with a higher energy density is used as a linear beam. As shown in Figure 2, the laser beam (1) emitted from the laser oscillator passes through an intermediate optical path system, is guided to the processing head, swings vertically through the metal mirror for direction change (2), and then passes through the cylindrical mirror (3). At this time, only one direction of the cylindrical beam is focused and irradiated onto the workpiece (6) as a linear beam, and the processing head (not shown) or the workpiece (1) is moved. can be obtained.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Conventional laser processing equipment is configured as described above, and since the width direction of the linear beam relative to the workpiece is constant and the direction cannot be changed, it is very difficult to harden an arbitrary shape with a certain width. It was difficult. In other words, operations such as changing the direction of the workpiece itself to match the hardened shape were required.

This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is a laser that can process any shape with a certain width without having to perform operations such as changing the direction of the workpiece. The purpose is to obtain processing equipment.

[Means to solve the problem]

A laser processing device according to the present invention is configured to include a drive device capable of rotating an optical device such as a cylindrical mirror that shapes a laser beam into a linear shape in a plane approximately perpendicular to the axis of the laser beam. It is something.

[For production]

The drive device according to the present invention eliminates the need to change the direction of the workpiece by rotating the optical device in accordance with the processing details such as the heat-treated shape of the workpiece.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1st
In the figure, (1) is a laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator (not shown), (2) is a metal mirror for direction change, and (3) is a laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator (not shown).
) is a cylindrical mirror as an optical device that creates a linear beam, (4) is a workpiece, (5) is a drive device that can rotate the cylindrical mirror (3) at any angle,
(6) indicates the controller.

Next, the operation will be explained. In Figure 1, the direction changing metal mirror (2) plays the role of making the K beam (1) enter the cylindrical mirror (3) at an acute angle, and since it is a long focus concave mirror, it determines the width of the linear beam. There is. The cylindrical mirror (3) has a structure that allows smooth rotation by the drive device (5) K, and the housing (not shown)
K is fixed.

The cylindrical mirror (3) is controlled so that the beam width is always perpendicular to the beam traveling direction by commands from the controller (6) based on data input in advance according to the heat-treated shape of the workpiece (4). Of course, the scanning of the beam or the feeding of the workpiece (4) and the controller (6) are linked in accordance with the shape of the workpiece (4).

Note that in the above embodiment, a case was explained in which a cylindrical mirror was used as the optical device, but a cylindrical lens that can obtain a sand-like beam may also be used.
The same effects as in the above embodiment are achieved. Furthermore, the details of processing, the drive mechanism of the drive device (5), etc. are not limited to the implementation row.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the optical device for obtaining a linear beam is configured to be able to rotate arbitrarily in a plane substantially orthogonal to the optical axis, so that the direction of the workpiece can be changed during processing. This has the effect of allowing machining of a constant width to be carried out without any problems.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the main parts of a laser processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the main parts of a conventional apparatus. In the figure, (1) is a laser beam, (3) is a cylindrical mirror as an optical device, (4) is a workpiece, and (5) is a cylindrical mirror as an optical device.
is the driving device. In each figure, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (1)

[Claims] The optical device comprises a laser transmitter and an optical device that shapes a laser beam emitted from the laser transmitter into a linear beam, and performs processing by irradiating a workpiece with the linear beam. What is claimed is: 1. A laser processing device comprising a drive device capable of rotating the laser beam in a plane substantially orthogonal to an optical axis.