Method for laser remote processing of a workpiece on a fillet and device therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9566664-B2
Application number	US-201414495315-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2014
Priority date	Sep 25, 2013
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for laser remote processing of a component on a fillet, wherein a laser beam is directed by means of a scanner device onto the component and guided over said component. The working range of the laser beam on the workpiece is illuminated with illuminating radiation and is captured by at least one image capturing unit. The illuminating radiation is directed onto the component at an angle of attack which is set depending the fillet geometry of the component. The captured image data are evaluated automatically and, with the aid of the evaluation, if appropriate, an automatic correction of the path of the laser beam is carried out.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for laser remote processing of a component to produce a fillet, wherein the method comprises the acts of:
directing, by a scanner device, a laser beam onto the component, wherein the laser beam is further guided over said component;
illuminating, by illuminating radiation, a working range of the laser beam on the workpiece, wherein the illuminating radiation is directed onto the component at an angle of attack which is set as a function of a geometry of the fillet;
capturing image data, from the working range, by at least one image capturing unit; and
evaluating the captured image data automatically and, if appropriate, an automatic correction of a path of the laser beam is carried out on the basis of said evaluating.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the angle of attack is predetermined as a function of a fillet angle.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising evaluating reflected radiation which is reflected out of an immediate process advance zone.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said evaluating comprises determining a grey scale value.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said evaluating comprises evaluating the captured image data with regard to contrast.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a fillet weld is formed in the fillet.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the component consists of two metal sheets which are disposed in a lap joint and are connected to one another by means of an end fillet weld.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the metal sheets are zinc-coated steel sheets.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein evaluating the captured image data comprises evaluating the captured image data to determine a gap dimension on the fillet.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein evaluating the captured image data further comprises taking process light into consideration and, based on said evaluating, the method further comprises remedying remediable processing shortcomings by changing a path of the laser beam.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein evaluating the captured image data further comprises evaluating the captured image data with regard to processing errors which are no longer remediable and, if appropriate, generating an error signal.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an end fillet weld is formed between an end face of an upper sheet and an adjacent surface of a lower sheet, and the upper sheet has, on a surface facing away from the lower sheet, a convex portion which adjoins the end face of the upper sheet.

13. A device for laser remote processing of a workpiece with a fillet, the device comprising:
a first scanner device;
a laser source, from which a laser beam is directed, using the first scanner device, over the workpiece;
an illumination device configured to illuminate a working range of the laser beam with illuminating radiation, wherein the illuminating radiation is directed onto the component at an angle of attack which is set as a function of a geometry of the fillet
a first image capturing unit configured to capture image data from a processing region of the laser beam; and
a control device configured to correct a path of the laser beam based on an evaluation of the captured image data, if appropriate.

14. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the angle of attack is predetermined as a function of a fillet angle.

15. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the control device is further configured to evaluate reflected radiation which is reflected out of an immediate process advance zone.

16. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the control device is further configured to evaluate the captured image data by determining a grey scale value.

17. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the component consists of two metal sheets which are disposed in a lap joint and are connected to one another by means of an end fillet weld.

18. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the control device is further configured to evaluate the captured image data by determining a gap dimension on the fillet.

19. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the control device is further configured to evaluate the captured image data by taking process light into consideration and, based on said evaluating, remedying remediable processing shortcomings by changing a path of the laser beam.

20. The device according to claim 13 , wherein an end fillet weld is formed between an end face of an upper sheet and an adjacent surface of a lower sheet, and the upper sheet has, on a surface facing away from the lower sheet, a convex portion which adjoins the end face of the upper sheet.

Assignees

• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag

Inventors

• Roos Christian
• Langrieger Hans
• Oefele Florian

Classifications

• B23K26/032 Primary

  using optical means · CPC title

• B23K26/082

  Scanning systems, i.e. devices involving movement of the laser beam relative to the laser head · CPC title

• B23K26/242

  Fillet welding, i.e. involving a weld of substantially triangular cross section joining two parts · CPC title

• B23K26/045

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B23K26/044

  Seam tracking · CPC title