Machine for workpiece processing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10245696-B2
Application number	US-201514660294-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2015
Priority date	Sep 18, 2012
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

A workpiece processing machine includes a separation device for dividing an operating space into a processing region and at least one additional operating region, a laser processing head configured to process the workpiece, and a rotary workpiece changer having a rotatable workpiece support for transporting the workpiece between the processing region and the at least one additional operating region by an opening. The rotatable workpiece support has a protection wall configured to shield the at least one additional operating region with respect to the processing region. The separation device has a protection element movable between a processing position and a transport position and configured to be in abutment with the protection wall in the processing position to close the opening and spaced apart from the protection wall in the transport position. A spacing between the processing position and the transport position is adjustable based on a dimension of the workpiece.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A workpiece processing machine, comprising:
a separator including a separating wall configured to divide an operating space into a processing region for processing a workpiece and at least one additional operating region;
a laser processing head configured to process the workpiece in the processing region;
a rotary workpiece changer having a rotatable workpiece support for transporting, in a rotary motion about a rotational axis on a center of the rotatable workpiece support, the workpiece between the processing region and the at least one additional operating region by using an opening formed in the separator, the separator configured to divide the operating space along a direction substantially parallel to the rotational axis, the rotatable workpiece support having a rotatable protection wall configured to shield the at least one additional operating region with respect to the processing region when the workpiece is processed,
wherein the separator has a protection door movable between a processing position and a transport position along the direction substantially parallel to the rotational axis, wherein the protection door is configured to be in abutment with the rotatable protection wall in the processing position to close the opening and spaced apart from the rotatable protection wall in the transport position, and wherein a spacing between the processing position and the transport position of the protection door is adjustable based on one or more dimensions of the workpiece; and

a controller having a processing program programmed to control a drive to position the protection door with different spacings from the processing position based on dimensions of different workpieces.

2. The workpiece processing machine of claim 1 , wherein a free space formed at the opening of the separator adjacent to the protection wall is for engagement of a part-region of the laser processing head.

3. The workpiece processing machine of claim 1 , wherein the protection door is mounted on a side of the separator facing away from the processing region.

4. The workpiece processing machine of claim 3 , wherein the protection door has an extension arm configured to be inclined in a direction towards the protection wall and positioned in the processing position, with a free end thereof at a side of the protection wall facing away from the processing region.

5. The workpiece processing machine of claim 1 , wherein the protection door engages over the protection wall in the processing position.

6. The workpiece processing machine of claim 5 , wherein the protection door has a shielding configured to be positioned in the processing position at a side of the protection wall facing the processing region.

7. The workpiece processing machine of claim 1 , wherein the protection door is movable in a linear motion between the processing position and the transport position.

8. The workpiece processing machine of claim 7 , wherein the protection door is movable in a vertical direction between the processing position and the transport position.

9. The workpiece processing machine of claim 1 , wherein the spacing between the processing position and the transport position of the protection door is adjustable in dependence of a height of the workpiece.

10. The workpiece processing machine of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the protection wall and the protection door comprises a hollow space.

11. The workpiece processing machine of claim 10 , comprising at least one sensor arranged in the hollow space and configured to detect processing radiation entering the hollow space.

12. The workpiece processing machine of claim 11 , further comprising a controller connected to the sensor and configured to determine whether the processing radiation detected by the sensor exceeds a threshold value.

13. The workpiece processing machine of claim 12 , wherein, in response to determining that the processing radiation detected by the sensor exceeds a threshold value, the controller is configured to perform at least one of:
transmitting a warning to an operator, or
stopping the processing of the workpiece.

14. The workpiece processing machine of claim 1 , wherein the protection door is vertically movable between the processing position and the transport position along the direction substantially parallel to the rotational axis.

15. The workpiece processing machine of claim 1 , wherein the separating wall extends along the rotational axis to divide the operating space into the processing region and the at least one additional operating region.

16. The workpiece processing machine of claim 1 , wherein the separator and the rotary workpiece changer are configured such that a free space formed between a lower side of the separating wall and an upper side of the rotatable protection wall is capable of introducing a protruding portion of the laser processing head into the free space.

17. A workpiece processing machine, comprising:
a separator including a separating wall configured to divide an operating space into a processing region for processing a workpiece and at least one additional operating region;
a laser processing head configured to process the workpiece in the processing region; and
a rotary workpiece changer having a rotatable workpiece support for transporting, in a rotary motion about a rotational axis on a center of the rotatable workpiece support, the workpiece between the processing region and the at least one additional operating region by using an opening formed in the separator, the separator configured to divide the operating space along a direction substantially parallel to the rotational axis, the rotatable workpiece support having a rotatable protection wall configured to shield the at least one additional operating region with respect to the processing region when the workpiece is processed,
wherein the separator has a protection door movable between a processing position and a transport position along the direction substantially parallel to the rotational axis,
wherein the protection door is configured to be in abutment with the rotatable protection wall in the processing position to close the opening and spaced apart from the rotatable protection wall in the transport position,
wherein a spacing between the processing position and the transport position of the protection door is adjustable based on one or more dimensions of the workpiece, and
wherein the separator and the rotary workpiece changer are configured such that a free space formed between a lower side of the separating wall and an upper side of the rotatable protection wall is capable of introducing a protruding portion of the laser processing head into the free space.

18. A workpiece processing machine, comprising:
a separator including a separating wall configured to divide an operating space into a processing region for processing a workpiece and at least one additional operating region;
a laser processing head configured to process the workpiece in the processing region;
a rotary workpiece changer having a rotatable workpiece support for transporting, in a rotary motion about a rotational axis on a center of the rotatable workpiece support, the workpiece between the processing region and the at least one additional operating region by using an opening formed in the separator, the separator configured to divide the operating space along a direction substantially parallel to the rotational axis, the rotatable workpiece support having a rotatable protection wall configured to shield the at least on

Assignees

• Trumpf Laser Gmbh

Inventors

• Doettling Juergen
• Ganter Robert
• Banholzer Rainer

Classifications

• B23K26/706

  Protective screens · CPC title

• B23Q11/0825 Primary

  Relatively slidable coverings, e.g. telescopic · CPC title

• B23Q1/66 Primary

  Worktables interchangeably movable into operating positions · CPC title

• B23Q11/0891

  arranged between the working area and the operator · CPC title

• B23Q11/08

  Protective coverings for parts of machine tools; Splash guards · CPC title