Laser processing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10583525-B2
Application number	US-201616089770-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2016
Priority date	Apr 1, 2016
Publication date	Mar 10, 2020
Grant date	Mar 10, 2020

Abstract

A laser processing machine includes a beam parameter product variable device, and a beam diameter variable device. The beam parameter product variable device sets beam parameter products of a laser beam to a predetermined value. The beam diameter variable device includes a first lens that is movable in an optical axis direction and having a positive focal length, and converts divergent light of a laser beam emitted from an emission end of the laser beam into convergent light, and a second lens that is movable in the optical axis direction and having a negative focal length on which the convergent light is incident. A third lens having a positive focal length, focuses the laser beam emitted from the beam diameter variable device, and irradiates a plate material with the focused laser beam.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A laser processing machine comprising:
a beam parameter product changer configured to vary beam parameter products of a laser beam emitted by a laser oscillator; and
a beam diameter variable device configured to change a beam diameter of the laser beam emitted by the beam parameter product changer, wherein
the beam parameter product changer sets beam parameter products of the laser beam to a predetermined value,
the beam diameter variable device comprises:
a first lens having a movement in an optical axis direction and having a positive focal length, and configured to convert divergent light of a laser beam emitted from an emission end of the laser beam into convergent beam light; and
a second lens having a movement in the optical axis direction and having a negative focal length on which the convergent light is incident,
the second lens is disposed toward the first lens side at a position shifted by the same distance as the focal length of the second lens from a point where the convergent light is focused when assuming that the second lens is not present, according to a position of the first lens in the optical axis direction, wherever the first lens is located, and is configured to convert the convergent light into parallel light, wherever the second lens is located,
a third lens having a positive focal length, configured to focus the laser beam emitted from the beam diameter variable device, and to irradiate a plate material with the focused laser beam,
a first mover for moving the first lens,
a second mover for moving the second lens,
a first mover driver configured to drive the first mover,
a second mover driver configured to drive the second mover, and
a controller configured to control the first and second mover drivers so as to drive the respective movements of the first and second lenses according to a processing condition of the plate material.

2. The laser processing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the beam parameter product changer so as to vary the beam parameter products of the laser beam.

3. The laser processing machine according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller controls the first and second mover drivers to increase a beam diameter of the laser beam incident on the third lens so as to decrease a focused beam diameter as a plate thickness of the plate material is thinner, and to decrease the beam diameter of the laser beam incident on the third lens so as to increase the focused beam diameter as a plate thickness of the plate material is thicker,
and wherein even when the first and second mover drivers move the first lens and the second lens, respectively, a focal position of the laser beam emitted from the third lens and focused on the plate material is fixed.

4. The laser processing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the third lens is configured to be movable in the optical axis direction, and to change a focal position of the laser beam.

5. The laser processing machine according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a third mover for moving the third lens;
a third mover driver configured to drive the third mover; and
wherein the controller is further configured to control the third mover driver so as to move the third lens, according to a processing condition of the plate material.

6. The laser processing machine according to claim 5 , wherein the controller controls the beam parameter product changer so as to vary the beam parameter products of the laser beam.

7. The laser processing machine according to claim 5 ,
wherein the first, second, and third movers are moving mechanisms comprising any one of a gear, a belt, a rack and pinion, a worm gear, and a ball screw, or an arbitrary combination thereof; and
wherein the first, second, and third mover drivers are motors.

Assignees

• Amada Holdings Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ito Ryohei
• Ishiguro Hiroaki

Classifications

• B23K26/0648 Primary

  comprising lenses · CPC title

• B23K26/06

  Shaping the laser beam, e.g. by masks or multi-focusing · CPC title

• B23K26/046

  Automatically focusing the laser beam · CPC title

• B23K26/38

  by boring or cutting · CPC title