System and method for high output laser trimming

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10213876-B2
Application number	US-201415035579-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2014
Priority date	Nov 12, 2013
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

A system and method for laser cutting a plurality of parts, for example metal chassis components, using a plurality of laser cutting apparatuses is provided. The system includes a plurality of the laser cutting apparatuses disposed in a single enclosed cell for simultaneously trimming multiple parts. The system also includes at least one inner chamber and at least one set of double doors for transferring the parts in and out of the enclosed cell without any light escaping the cell. The parts are conveyed through the first door to the inner chamber while the second door is closed, and through the second door to the enclosed cell while the first door is closed. The system also includes robots continuously preloading and unloading the parts to maximize the laser trimming time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laser cutting system, comprising:
a cell enclosed by a plurality of first walls;
a plurality of laser cutting apparatuses, and at least one of said laser cutting apparatuses disposed in said enclosed cell for cutting at least one part;
at least one inner chamber disposed along said enclosed cell, said inner chamber enclosed by at least one of said first walls and at least one second wall;
a first door disposed along one of said first walls enclosing said inner chamber for allowing the at least one part to pass therethrough;
a second door disposed along one of said second walls enclosing said inner chamber for allowing the at least one part to pass therethrough, wherein only one of said doors is open at a time while said at least one laser cutting apparatus cuts the at least one part;
a plurality of said laser cutting apparatuses surrounding a laser cutting station;
a first one of said inner chambers disposed in said enclosed cell and along one of said first walls;
a second one of said inner chambers disposed in said enclosed cell and along the same first wall as said first inner chamber;
said first inner chamber disposed on a first side of said laser cutting station and said second inner chamber disposed on a second side of said laser cutting station;
said first doors disposed along the same one of said first walls;
said second doors each disposed along a second wall and parallel to said first doors;
said second walls disposed between said inner chambers and said enclosed cell;
said doors move vertically for allowing the at least one part to pass therethrough;
a conveyor extending through said laser cutting station for conveying the at least one part between said inner chambers and said laser cutting station;
a first robot disposed between said second door of said first inner chamber and said conveyor for transferring the at least one part between said first inner chamber and said conveyor; and
a second robot disposed between said second door of said second inner chamber and said conveyor for transferring the at least one part between said second inner chamber and said conveyor.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first walls and said second walls and said doors prevent light from entering said enclosed cell and said inner chambers when said doors are closed.

3. The system of claim 1 including a plurality of said laser cutting apparatuses in said enclosed cell, wherein each of said laser cutting apparatuses includes a robotic laser or a computer numeric controlled arm with a laser.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of said robots includes an arm with a part holder on each side of said arm for disposing the at least one part on said conveyor while simultaneously holding at least one other part.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein one of said laser cutting apparatuses cuts a first part while another one of said laser cutting apparatus cuts a second part and while a third part is conveyed through said first door from said first inner chamber to said enclosed cell.

6. A laser cutting system, comprising:
a cell enclosed by a plurality of first walls;
a plurality of laser cutting apparatuses, and at least one of said laser cutting apparatuses disposed in said enclosed cell for cutting at least one part;
at least one inner chamber disposed along said enclosed cell, said inner chamber enclosed by at least one of said first walls and at least one second wall;
a first door disposed along one of said first walls enclosing said inner chamber for allowing the at least one part to pass therethrough;
a second door disposed along one of said second walls enclosing said inner chamber for allowing the at least one part to pass therethrough, wherein only one of said doors is open at a time while said at least one laser cutting apparatus cuts the at least one part;
a plurality of said laser cutting apparatuses surrounding a laser cutting station, and wherein a first one of said inner chambers is disposed in said enclosed cell and along one of said first walls;
a second one of said inner chambers is disposed in said enclosed cell and along the same first wall as said first inner chamber;
said first inner chamber is disposed on a first side of said laser cutting station and said second inner chamber is disposed on a second side of said laser cutting station;
said first doors are disposed along the same one of said first walls;
said second doors are each disposed along a second wall facing perpendicular to said first doors and toward said laser cutting station;
said second walls are disposed between said inner chambers and said enclosed cell;
said doors move vertically to allow the at least one part to pass therethrough; and
further including a conveyor extending through said laser cutting for conveying the at least one part between said inner chambers and said laser cutting station;
a first robot disposed in said first inner chamber for transferring the at least one part between said first inner chamber and said conveyor; and
a second robot disposed in said second inner chamber for transferring the at least one part between said second inner chamber and said conveyor.

7. A laser cutting system, comprising:
a cell enclosed by a plurality of first walls;
a plurality of laser cutting apparatuses, and at least one of said laser cutting apparatuses disposed in said enclosed cell for cutting at least one part;
at least one inner chamber disposed along said enclosed cell, said inner chamber enclosed by at least one of said first walls and at least one second wall;
a first door disposed along one of said first walls enclosing said inner chamber for allowing the at least one part to pass therethrough;
a second door disposed along one of said second walls enclosing said inner chamber for allowing the at least one part to pass therethrough, wherein only one of said doors is open at a time while said at least one laser cutting apparatus cuts the at least one part;
a plurality of said laser cutting apparatuses surrounding a laser cutting station, and wherein a first one of said inner chambers is disposed in said enclosed cell and along one of said first walls;
a second one of said inner chambers is disposed in said enclosed cell and along another one of said first walls;
said first inner chamber is disposed on a first side of said laser cutting station and said second inner chamber is disposed on an opposite side of said laser cutting station;
said first doors are disposed along first walls facing parallel to one another;
said second doors are disposed along second walls parallel to said first doors and facing toward said laser cutting station;
said second walls are disposed between said inner chambers and said enclosed cell;
said doors move vertically to allow the at least one part to pass therethrough; and
further including a conveyor extending through said first doors and said inner chambers and said second doors and said laser cutting station for conveying the at least one part between said inner chambers and said laser cutting station.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein said second door is disposed at an angle relative to a ground supporting said walls and doors.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first door is located below said second door, and further including a load slide extending through said first door for conveying the at least one part into said inner chamber.

Assignees

• Magna Int Inc
• Potocki John Richard
• Zak Alexander

Inventors

• Potocki John Richard
• Zak Alexander

Classifications

• B23K2103/04

  Steel {or steel} alloys · CPC title

• B23K26/361

  for deburring or mechanical trimming (B23K26/351 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B23K2101/006

  Vehicles · CPC title

• B23K2101/18

  Sheet panels · CPC title

• B23K26/083

  Devices involving movement of the workpiece in at least one axial direction · CPC title