JPH03251323A - Nc laser/electrical discharging composite machining device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform cutting work of a compliated shape with improvement of the surface roughness of the cutting surface, by equipping a laser cutting work mechanism and electric discharge machining mechanism controlled by an NC control unit, and providing a process executing means which executes an electric discharge machining on the cutting surface, after the laser cutting. CONSTITUTION:When a work 14 is fixed to a table mechanism 7 and a composite work device 1 is actuated, the device 1 becomes a laser cutting work mode first. A vertical moving mechanism 8 is then descended along a Z-axis to the position where the focal position of a laser head 10 comes on the surface of the work 14 and cutting is performed by the beam emitted from a laser oscillating device 3 while moving the table mechanism 7 at high speed. A work liquid is then fed to a work tank 11 with the solenoid valve of a work liquid device 5 being opened and the work 14 is placed in the work liquid. The device 1 then comes in a rocking electric discharge machining mode, the end die electrode 15 is arranged in the hole of the work 14 cut off by laser cutting by descending the vertical moving mechanism 8 along Z-axis and the cutting surface of the cutoff hole is finished by diesinking rocking electric discharging.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application This invention relates to a metal composite processing device that has both laser cutting and electrical discharge machining functions.

Prior Art Laser cutting machines and electrical discharge machines (die engraving, wire cutting) are known.

Laser cutting machines have some problems with the surface roughness of the cut surface, but are capable of cutting metal workpieces with complex shapes at high speeds, while electric discharge machines have very slow processing speeds, but the roughness is small. It is possible to precisely process three-dimensional curved surfaces.

By the way, laser cutting processing has a cutting speed of 1.50, for example.
0mm/min (plate thickness 1-Omm), roughness 50μRmax
On the other hand, in die-sinking electric discharge machining, for example, the machining speed (machining depth) is O,] mm/min.

The surface roughness is 10μRmax.

However, since these two types of devices have different processing methods and processing precision, they exist only as separate devices, and each is used for completely different purposes.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention The object of the present invention is to provide a metal composite processing device that has both the advantages of laser cutting and electrical discharge machining.

Means for Solving the Problems A laser cutting mechanism and an electric discharge machining mechanism were assembled into one unit, and an NC laser/electric discharge combined machining device whose operation was controlled by an NC control device was created.

The apparatus has a process execution means for performing electric discharge machining on the cut surface after laser cutting.

Operation: The laser cutting mechanism performs rough machining of metal workpieces, and the electrical discharge machining mechanism performs finishing machining.

The process execution means continues electrical discharge machining after laser cutting under the control of the NC control device.

Example NC laser/discharge combined machining device 1 has a configuration in which a laser oscillation device 3, a power source device 4 for electric discharge machining, a machining fluid device 5, and an NC control device 6 are combined with a mechanical device 2, as shown in FIG. have

As shown in FIG. 2, the mechanical device 2 includes a table mechanism 7 consisting of an X-axis table and a Y-axis table, and a two-way movement mechanism 8 in the Z-axis direction, and the Driven by servo motor.

At the lower end of the vertical movement mechanism 8, an electrode head 9 and a laser head 10 for electrical discharge machining are provided adjacent to each other. The laser head 10 has an assist gas injection function, and
It is protected by a protective tube to prevent contamination from machining fluid splash during electrical discharge machining. Note that the tip portion is located at approximately the same vertical position as the electrode head 9 so as not to be submerged in machining fluid during electrical discharge machining.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a processing tank, which is attached to the upper surface of the table mechanism 7. Reference numeral 12 denotes a beam duct which is equipped with a reflecting mirror inside, and whose tip is formed into a telescopic auxiliary duct 13. The auxiliary duct 13 is fixed to the vertical movement mechanism 8 and is configured to move together with it, and the laser head 10 described above is attached to the tip of the auxiliary duct 13.

The laser oscillation device 3 is a commercially available continuous beam type C02 gas laser device with an output of 2 KW, and outputs a stable and powerful laser beam to the beam duct 12.

That is, the laser oscillation device 3, the beam duct 12, the laser head 10, the table moving mechanism 7, the vertical moving mechanism 8, and the like constitute a laser cutting mechanism.

The electric discharge machining power supply device 4 is a known device developed for die engraving or wire cutting, and uses a pulse generation method using a transistor and requires a power source QKV^. The pulses are supplied to the electrode head 9 as processing power.

That is, the electric discharge machining mechanism is constituted by the power supply device 4 for electric discharge machining, the electrode head 9, the table moving mechanism 7, the vertical moving mechanism 8, and the like.

The machining fluid device 5 has the ability to supply the machining fluid necessary for electrical discharge machining to the machining tank 11 and to recover the machining fluid to empty the machining tank. It has a function to circulate.

The NC control device 6 is a conventional one in which an input/output section, a memory part consisting of RAM and ROM, a processor part, and an operating program and a program are stored in the memory part. The operation program processes data such as the machine program, signals from sensors placed in various parts, and commands input from the outside, and manages the overall operation of the NC laser/discharge combined machining equipment J. The processing basically follows the flow shown in FIG. 4, centering on .

In this flow, after laser cutting (step 1),
Move the workpiece so that the cut surface of the workpiece by the above-mentioned processing corresponds correctly to the electrode for electrical discharge machining (step 2),
The machining tank 5 is filled with machining fluid (step 3), die-sinking oscillating electrical discharge machining (step 4) is performed, and the machining fluid is recovered after the completion of electrical discharge machining (step 5).

It should be noted that the specific processing in each of these steps is the same as the well-known laser cutting processing and die-sinking oscillating electrical discharge machining, respectively, but both processing are executed based on a common work program and machine program. Furthermore, each step is sequentially progressed in response to its end signal. The program portion and operating mechanism that execute this progression constitute a process execution means.

The Kani program is a record of the machining shape applied to the workpiece along with data.

The NC control device 6 is connected to the mechanical device 2, the laser oscillation device 3, the electric discharge machining power supply device 4, and the machining fluid device 5 through the input/output section, and controls the rotation and oscillation of the servo motor and the power supply in each. It is designed to control the opening and closing of ON/OL" F or solenoid valves.

Now, when it is necessary to machine a precise half-moon-shaped cutout hole (female type) shown in Fig. 4 from the workpiece 14, the NC laser
A half-moon shaped (male) shaped electrode 15, which is exactly similar to the cutout hole as shown in FIG. Place and attach it.

Note that the mold electrode 1-5 has the same thickness as the workpiece or is slightly larger, and its peripheral surface serves as the processing electrode surface.

Further, the mold electrode 1-5 and the electrode head 9 are fixed by a chuck method that also allows positioning in the rotational direction.

The workpiece 14 is fixed to the table mechanism 7 and the compound processing device 1
When activated, the device 1 first enters the laser cutting mode. Then, according to the operating program, the laser head 10
The vertical movement mechanism 8 is lowered along the Z-axis until the focal point is on the surface of the workpiece 14, and then, while moving the table mechanism 7 at high speed along the cannibal program, the laser oscillation device is injected with assist gas. The cutting process is performed using the beam from 3. This machining corresponds to rough machining that leaves a finishing allowance of 0.1 mm width from the programmed machining path.

When the cutting process is completed, the laser oscillation and gas supply are stopped, and the one-step downward movement mechanism 8 is returned to the home position.Then, the table mechanism 7 is moved along the X-axis and Y-axis by the positional deviation between the laser head 10 and the electrode head 9. The workpiece 14 that has been cut by moving in the axial direction is placed correctly under the mold electrode 15.

Next, the electromagnetic valve of the machining fluid device 5 is opened, machining fluid is supplied to the machining tank 1-1, and the workpiece 14 is placed in the fluid at a temperature.

When the completion of supply of machining fluid is confirmed by a level switch or the like, the composite device 1 enters the swinging electric discharge machining mode, lowers the vertical movement mechanism along the Z axis, and cuts out the mold electrode 15 at the tip by laser cutting. It is placed in the hole of the workpiece 14. Pulse power is supplied from the electric discharge machining power supply 4 between the electrode 15 and the workpiece 1-4, and the table mechanism 7 moves the electrode 15 at a low speed.
The workpiece 14 is driven so as to perform a circular swing from 0.5 mm to 0.6 mm while maintaining the distance between the workpiece 14 and the workpiece 14 at about 20 μ, which is necessary to maintain the discharge. Also, the Z axis is work 1
-4 and the mold electrode 15 are fixed while maintaining their vertical positions.

That is, the cut surface of the cutout hole in the workpiece 14 is precisely finished by die-sinking oscillating electrical discharge machining. The range of the circular oscillation is the finishing allowance and the laser cutting allowance (approximately 0.5 mm).
) is calculated based on the following.

When the electric discharge machining is completed, the supply of pulsed power to the mold electrode 15 is stopped, the vertical movement mechanism 8 returns to the home position, the machining fluid is recovered from the machining tank 1, and the series of metal composite machining is completed.

As mentioned above, since unnecessary parts are removed by laser cutting and then electrical discharge machining is performed, the overall machining time is shortened to about 1/50 to 100 of that by electrical discharge machining alone. Since finishing machining by electric discharge machining can be performed continuously without changing the positional relationship between the workpiece 14 and the apparatus 1, there is no positional deviation. Furthermore, the surface roughness of the machined surface is reduced to about 2 to 3 times by electrical discharge machining. Although the processing accuracy regarding the shape is medium, it is sufficient for manufacturing mass-produced products.

FIG. 6 shows another configuration related to the present invention, in which an auxiliary duct 13 telescopically provided at the tip of the beam duct 12 is attached to the vertical movement mechanism 8 via an attachment/detachment mechanism 16 in the mechanical device 2.

The attachment/detachment mechanism 16 is a type of electromagnetic clutch that is operated by a command from the NC control device according to an operation program, and mechanically connects the auxiliary duct 13 to the vertical movement mechanism 8 (step 1 above).
(at the start of step 1) or released (at the end of step 1). The auxiliary duct 13 is biased upward, and when the connection is released, the auxiliary duct 13 remains in the upper home position or returns to the upper home position.

With this structure, by releasing the mechanical connection between the auxiliary duct 13 and the vertical movement mechanism 8, it is possible to prevent the laser head 10 from descending together with the mold electrode 15 and being submerged in the machining fluid during electrical discharge machining. Accidents can be prevented. Conversely, during laser cutting, the laser head 10 can be placed below the mold electrode 15 so that the head 10 and the workpiece surface are closer to each other.

The above are examples.

The mold electrode 15 is not limited to one similar in shape to the cutout hole. For example, it is also possible to prepare a plurality of types of so-called partial electrodes, each having a part of the similar shape, and to finish the work by electric discharge machining in which the electrodes are moved parallel to the cut surface of the hole. Furthermore, finishing can be performed by moving a round rod electrode having a diameter large enough to move along the shape of the cut hole while rotating it. In this case, the electrode can be moved by making some corrections, such as correction regarding the electrode diameter, to the movement data of the cannibalogram.

In addition, when the shape is like the above-mentioned half-moon shape, when it is necessary to sharpen the sharp parts at both ends, the partial electrode that matches the shape of the sharp parts is brought closer toward the tip side.

Further, the finishing allowance, the range of swing, the size of the offset, etc. are arbitrary, and appropriate values are selected for both laser cutting and electrical discharge machining.

The laser head 14 and electrode 15 side may be moved with respect to the workpiece 14 using a nitrogram.

A protrusion may be provided on the circumferential surface of the mold electrode 5, and special processing such as forming a groove around the circumferential surface of the cutout hole may be performed all at once.

The electric discharge machining process can also be performed by wire cut electric discharge. Even in this case, the rough machining is quickly performed by laser cutting, so the overall machining time is shortened, and the cut surface is precisely finished by the finishing process of wire-cut electrical discharge machining.

Effects of the invention: Cutting of complex shapes can be done by improving the surface roughness of the cut surface.
It can be mass-produced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a block diagram of the configuration, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the mechanical equipment, Figure 3 is a basic flow diagram of processing, Figure 4 is a perspective view of the workpiece (after rough machining), and Figure 5 is the mold. A perspective view of the electrode, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing another example of the structure of the mechanical device. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... NC laser/discharge combined processing device, 7... Table mechanism, 8... Vertical movement mechanism, 9... Electrode head, 10... Laser head, 14... Work, 15...
... type electrode, 16... attachment/detachment mechanism. 3 48- -150=

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) An NC laser/discharge composite comprising a laser cutting mechanism and an electric discharge machining mechanism controlled by an NC control device, and a process execution means for performing electric discharge machining on the cut surface after the laser cutting process. Processing equipment. (2) The NC laser/discharge according to claim 1, wherein the laser head of the laser cutting mechanism and the electrode head of the electric discharge machining mechanism have a structure in which they are attached to the same vertical movement mechanism. Composite processing equipment. (3) The attachment structure for attaching the laser head to the vertical movement mechanism has attachment/detachment means for mechanically separating and coupling the head to the vertical movement mechanism. NC laser/discharge combined machining equipment.