Fanuc Corporation

Kazuhiro Suzuki

Etsuo Yamazaki

Nobuaki Iehisa

Akira Egawa

Hiroaki Tokito

Atsushi Mori

Yoshinori Nakata

Takeshi Mochida

Yoshitaka Kubo

Toshiyasu Shiomi

Motohiko Sato

A laser processing system capable of appropriately adjusting a timing to switch a laser output command with respect to the movement of an axis, and improving synchronization accuracy between the movement of the axis and a cutting position. A block remaining time of a block in execution is compared to a predetermined switching time. When the block remaining time is equal to or larger than the switching time, a laser output command of the current block is continued. On the other hand, when the block remaining time is smaller than the switching time, the laser output command to a laser oscillator is switched from the command of the current block to a command of a block subsequent to the current block.

Laser processing system capable of adjusting timing to switch output command

A laser processing system able to realize both reduction of the power consumption and shortening of the cycle time. The laser processing system is provided with a laser oscillator, a laser processing machine which has a movement mechanism which makes the irradiation position of the laser light on the workpiece move, a mode switching part which switches an operation mode of the laser oscillator between a standard-standby mode and an energy saving mode, a movement controller controlling the movement mechanism so as to place the irradiation position at a process start point placed at a non-product region of the workpiece, and a switching controller controlling the mode switching part to switch the operation mode from the energy saving mode to the standard-standby mode when placing the irradiation position at the process start point.

Laser processing system operating by plurality of operation modes

A controller () for controlling a process nozzle () and a laser oscillator () includes: an analyzer (); a calculator () for calculating angle of a virtual corner part formed by two main process paths; a determining unit () for determining whether distance between the two main process paths corresponding to the circular-arc process path(s) is smaller than a first predetermined value, and determining whether the calculated angle is smaller than a second predetermined value; and a changing unit () for changing a laser process condition in the circular-arc process path(s) from a laser process condition in the main process paths when it is determined that the linear distance is smaller than the first predetermined value and the angle is smaller than the second predetermined value.

Controller for processing corner part in process path

A laser-machining device () for machining a workpiece (W) by radiating it with the laser beam output from a nozzle () of a laser oscillator () is disclosed. A gap amount sensor () detects the gap amount between the workpiece and the nozzle. An approach unit () causes the nozzle to approach the workpiece to a position suitable for the laser machining. The approach unit performs a first approach operation () for making the nozzle approach the workpiece using the gap amount detected by the gap amount sensor until the gap amount comes to assume a predetermined value, and a second approach operation (), after the first approach operation, for causing the nozzle to approach the workpiece until the complete approach without using the gap amount detected by the gap amount sensor. As a result, the required time is shorter and a stable piercing process can be executed.

Laser-machining device

A gas laser oscillator includes a supply-side valve for regulating a laser gas supply to a gas chamber, an exhaust-side valve for regulating a laser gas exhaust from the gas chamber, a gas pressure measuring device for measuring a pressure in the gas chamber, and a control device functioning as a laser gas replacement measuring device. The control device makes a first measurement and a second measurement of the pressure in the gas chamber by a gas pressure measuring device at a predetermined time interval during the vacuuming or purging of the gas chamber, and determines the laser gas replacement amount per unit time during the laser oscillating operation, based on the results of the first and second measurements.

Gas laser oscillator and method of measuring laser gas replacement amount

A laser processing system including a laser processing machine capable of operating along an inherent control axis, an axis driving section driving the control axis of the laser processing machine, a laser oscillator supplying a laser beam to the laser processing machine, a control unit controlling the axis driving section and the laser oscillator, and a transfer line connecting the axis driving section and the laser oscillator to the control unit in a daisy-chain mode. The control unit includes a data preparing section preparing, from a given laser processing program, motion data commanded to the axis driving section and laser output-condition data commanded to the laser oscillator; a data converting section converting the motion data and the laser output-condition data, prepared by the data preparing section, into serial data including the motion data and the laser output-condition data described in a time-series fashion, based on a communication data format common to the axis driving section and the laser oscillator; and a data transmitting section transmitting the serial data, obtained by the data converting section, to the transfer line at a predetermined command cycle common to the motion data and the laser output-condition data included in the serial data.

Laser processing system

A laser machining apparatus in which laser output can be easily corrected in view of secular change of components of the laser machining apparatus and influence of temperature. Output values of a laser oscillator operated according to a reference laser output command value Psc are stored as reference output values P(&#x3b8;) at different temperatures &#x3b8; in a table TB. When the laser oscillator is started up, a measured output value Pr of the laser oscillator supplied with the reference command value Psc is obtained, and a new correction coefficient k is obtained to replace an old one. From a reference output value P(&#x3b8;) at a temperature at that time and the actual output measured value Pr, a correction value &#x394;P is obtained and stored. Each time temperature &#x3b8; is measured, a reference output value (P&#x3b8;) at a measured temperature &#x3b8; is obtained from the table TB, an estimated output value Pa is obtained by subtracting the correction value &#x394;P from the reference output value (P&#x3b8;), and a new correction coefficient k is obtained to replace an old one. In other words, an output value at a different temperature is estimated on the basis of the correction value &#x394;P obtained when the laser oscillator is started up, and a new correction coefficient k is obtained to replace an old one. When the temperature reaches a predetermined temperature, a new final correction coefficient k is obtained on the basis of the reference command value and a measured output value to replace an old one.

Laser machining apparatus

An apparatus and a method for laser machining with a gap or tracing control, capable of shortening time required for moving a machining head from a machining end point of one machining shape to a machining start point of next machining shape. The laser machining is performed with the gap or tracing control in which a gap amount between the machining nozzle and the workpiece is controlled to be constant. Driving of a Z-axis is started at a predetermined velocity when the machining nozzle reaches a machining end point of one machining shape. In the drive of the Z-axis, when the Z-axis is driven by a predetermined amount, driving of an X-axis and a Y-axis is started so that the machining nozzle moves to the next machining start point by rapid traverse. A direction of driving of the Z-axis is reversed at a middle point between the machining end point and the machining start point. The driving of the Z-axis may be discontinued at a retreated point. When the gap amount reaches a predetermined amount, the gap control is started. A length of the motion path from the machining end point to the machining start point is made shorter and frequency of stopping/switching operation of the gap control axis and the machining feed axes is reduced to shorten a time required for the transition to the machining start point of the next machining shape.

Laser machining method and apparatus therefor

Laser output control system

A laser beam machine capable of easily generating a machining path for cutting. A reading device reads a designation code for the shape of a hole to be cut, a size of the hole, a central position of the hole, and a start position and a final stop position of a front end point of a machining head. A smooth path-generating device generates a smooth path from the designation code for the shape of the hole, the size of the hole, the central position of the hole, and the start position and the final stop position, such that the overall path for the front end point of the machining head becomes a smooth one. A machining program-generating device generates a machining program based on the smooth path generated. According to the machining program, the machining head moves to cut the hole through a workpiece.

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Yamanashi, Japan

Kazuhiro Suzuki