Laser processing method and laser processing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016297033-A1
Application number	US-201415035928-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 7, 2014
Priority date	Nov 28, 2013
Publication date	Oct 13, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In a laser processing method for carrying out hole-forming on a plate-shaped workpiece, [A] a hole is formed by laser-cutting the workpiece along an outline of the hole to be formed, [B] a laser processing head is moved with respect to the workpiece after forming the hole, and [C] a cutout piece inside the outline of the hole is dropped off by moving the laser processing head while jetting assist gas from the laser processing head to the cutout piece inside the outline. According to the laser processing method, the cutout piece generated when carrying out hole-forming by laser processing can be prevented from getting stuck in a hole.

First claim

1 . A laser processing method for carrying out hole-forming on a plate-shaped workpiece, the method comprising:
[A] forming a hole by laser-cutting the workpiece along an outline of the hole to be formed; [B] moving a laser processing head with respect to the workpiece after forming the hole; and [C] dropping a cutout piece inside the outline of the hole by moving the laser processing head while jetting assist gas from the laser processing head to the cutout piece inside the outline.

2 . The laser processing method according to claim 1 , wherein
a hole-forming program for moving the laser processing head along the outline of the hole to be formed is fetched before forming the hole, a shape of the hole, a working-end position and an opposite-side position are retrieved or calculated from the fetched hole-forming program, a cutout piece drop program, in which for a motion math of the laser processing head and a jetting condition of the assist gas are set, for moving the laser processing head and jetting the assist gas to the cutout piece inside the outline of the hole is generated after forming the hole, and operations of the laser processing head are controlled according to the hole-forming program and the cutout piece drop program.

3 . The laser processing method according to claim 2 , wherein
the hole-forming program includes a reference size of the hole to be formed and a preset value that is preliminarily set, and operations of the laser processing head are controlled according to the cutout piece drop program only when the reference size is smaller than the preset value.

4 . The laser processing method according to claim 1 , wherein
a reference size of the hole to be formed is compared with a preset value that is preliminarily set, and the cutout piece inside the outline of the hole is dropped off by jetting the assist gas from the laser processing head to the cutout piece inside the outline only when the reference size is smaller than the preset value.

5 . The laser processing method according to claim 1 , wherein,
in [A], [a1] the workpiece is laser-cut by moving the laser processing head from an inside of the hole to be formed to the outline, [a2] the workpiece is laser-cut by moving the laser processing head along the outline after a cut position reaches an intersect position with the outline, and [a3] forming of the hole is completed when the cut position returns to a working-end position that is the intersect position, in [B], the laser processing head is moved from the working-end position to a center position or a centroid position of the hole, and in [C], [c1] the assist gas is jetted from the laser processing head while the laser processing head is moved toward an opposite-side position on the outline on an opposite side to the working-end position with the center position or the centroid position interposed therebetween, and [c2] the assist gas is jetted from the laser processing head while the laser processing head is returned toward the working-end position after the laser processing head reaches the opposite-side position.

6 . The laser processing method according to claim 5 , wherein,
in [c1], the laser processing head is temporarily stopped when the laser processing head reaches a position near the center position or the centroid position, and then jets the assist gas for a preset time.

7 . The laser processing method according to claim 5 , wherein,
in [c2], the laser processing head is temporarily stopped when the laser processing head reaches the position, and then jets the assist gas for a preset time.

8 . The laser processing method according to claim 5 , wherein,
the laser processing head keeps jetting the assist gas from a time when the laser processing head reaches to the position near the center position or the centroid position to a time when the laser processing head is returned toward the working-end position from the position.

9 . A laser processing machine for carrying out hole-forming on a plate-shaped workpiece, the machine comprising:
a first program storage that stores a plurality of hole-forming programs for forming a hole by laser-cutting the workpiece along an outline of the hole to be formed; a second program storage that stores a plurality of cutout piece drop programs for dropping a cutout piece inside the hole formed according to each of the hole-forming programs; a program selector that selects, from the second program storage, a cutout piece drop program associated with a hole-forming program selected from the first program storage to form the hole on the workpiece; and a working head controller that controls operations of a laser processing head according to the hole-forming program and the cutout piece drop program that are selected, wherein a motion path of the laser processing head after forming the hole on the workpiece and a jetting condition of assist gas to an inside of the outline from the laser processing head on the motion path are programmed in each of the plurality of cutout piece drop programs.

10 . The laser processing machine according to claim 9 , further comprising:
an input device to which a speed condition of the laser processing head on the motion path with respect to the workpiece and a jetting condition of the assist gas are input for every specification of the workpiece with respect to each of the cutout piece drop programs, wherein the cutout piece drop program includes the speed condition and the jetting condition that are input to the input device.

11 . A laser processing machine for carrying out hole-forming on a plate-shaped workpiece, the machine comprising:
a program storage that stores a plurality of hole-forming programs for forming a hole by laser-cutting the workpiece along an outline of the hole to be formed; a program generator that generates, by referring to each of the hole-forming programs, a cutout piece drop program for dropping a cutout piece inside the hole formed according to each of the hole-forming programs; and a working head controller that controls operations of a laser processing head according to the hole-forming programs and the cutout piece drop program, wherein a motion path of the laser processing head after forming the hole on the workpiece and a jetting condition of assist gas to an inside of the outline from the laser processing head on the motion path are included in the plurality cutout piece drop program.

12 . The laser processing machine according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a comparator that compares a reference size of the hole to be formed and a preset value preliminarily set with each other, wherein, as a result of comparison by the comparator, the program generator generates a cutout piece drop program only when the reference size is not larger than the preset value.

Assignees

• Amada Holdings Co Ltd

Inventors

• Imaya Shoichi
• Yamaizumi Youhei

Classifications

• G05B2219/36199

  Laser cutting · CPC title

• G05B19/182 Primary

  characterised by the machine tool function, e.g. thread cutting, cam making, tool direction control (G05B19/21 - G05B19/40 take precedence) · CPC title

• B23K26/142

  for the removal of by-products · CPC title

• B23K26/0876

  in at least two axial directions · CPC title

• B23K26/388 Primary

  Trepanning, i.e. boring by moving the beam spot about an axis · CPC title