At a time of carrying out a laser cutting processing in a direction intersecting with a processing line at which the laser cutting processing for a work has been carried out, a laser cutting speed is decelerated before a laser beam reaches the processing line at an initial laser cutting speed, and the laser cutting speed is accelerated when an axial center of the laser beam is positioned within a prescribed range in vicinity of a central position of the processing line, and the laser cutting speed is returned to the initial laser cutting speed, in vicinity of a position at which the axial center of the laser beam crosses the processing line. Also, when the axial center of the laser beam and the central position of the processing line almost coincide, the laser output is made to be almost zero.

The present embodiments providing methods, systems and apparatuses of protecting a surface during laser machining. In some embodiments, a method of protecting a surface during laser machining comprises: directing a fluid into a cavity of an object being laser machined, where the fluid does not have laser absorption properties; and directing a plurality of laser pulses at a wall of the object being laser machined, where the laser pulses are configured to form a hole through the wall such that at least one laser pulse passes through the hole and enters the cavity while the fluid is directed into the cavity such that the laser pulse is incident on the fluid and a surface together in order to inhibit backwall damage.

A laser plotter, a device and a method for cutting of a graphic is disclosed. The method may comprise preparation or loading of a processing job with a graphic and identification features at a display; application of the recognition features and of the graphic to the workpiece; arrangement of the workpiece in a processing area of a laser plotter; acquisition or detection of identification features in order to determine the position and alignment of the applied graphic in the processing area; carrying out the processing after successful identification of the graphic; after the insertion of the workpiece, a laser-pointer is positioned on any selected identification feature, whereupon, a processing image represented on a display element, with the identification feature, is moved at the display element in such a way that a laser position displayed at the display element coincides with the identification feature.

A laser plotter, a device and a method for cutting of a graphic is disclosed. The method may comprise preparation or loading of a processing job with a graphic and identification features at a display; application of the recognition features and of the graphic to the workpiece; arrangement of the workpiece in a processing area of a laser plotter; acquisition or detection of identification features in order to determine the position and alignment of the applied graphic in the processing area; carrying out the processing after successful identification of the graphic; after the insertion of the workpiece, a laser-pointer is positioned on any selected identification feature, whereupon, a processing image represented on a display element, with the identification feature, is moved at the display element in such a way that a laser position displayed at the display element coincides with the identification feature.

A fixture used in the manufacture of an eyepiece, to cut the eyepiece to a particular shape, and a method of using the fixture to cut the eyepiece to have a desired shape. Embodiments are directed to a configurable fixture to align, hold, and protect a plastic sheet (e.g., a wafer) while a laser cutting apparatus is cutting one or more eyepieces out of the wafer. During the cutting, the fixture protects the eyepieces from reflected laser light by providing voids around the laser cutting lines, and by supporting each eyepiece near its perimeter. The fixture can be quickly rearranged for different eyepieces, different eyepiece shapes, and/or different plastic sheet sizes.

A fixture used in the manufacture of an eyepiece, to cut the eyepiece to a particular shape, and a method of using the fixture to cut the eyepiece to have a desired shape. Embodiments are directed to a configurable fixture to align, hold, and protect a plastic sheet (e.g., a wafer) while a laser cutting apparatus is cutting one or more eyepieces out of the wafer. During the cutting, the fixture protects the eyepieces from reflected laser light by providing voids around the laser cutting lines, and by supporting each eyepiece near its perimeter. The fixture can be quickly rearranged for different eyepieces, different eyepiece shapes, and/or different plastic sheet sizes.

A laser welding method includes a pretreatment process and a welding process. At least one metal member of the plurality of metal members is formed from a metal-plated steel plate in which a base metal has been covered with a coating material that has a melting point lower than the base metal. In the pretreatment process, with the position of the first metal member in the in-plane direction fixed, processing is performed from the front surface of the first metal member to form on the back surface, a protrusion that bulges from the back surface. Then, in the welding process, the first metal member in which a protrusion has been formed is superposed on a second metal member with the protrusion therebetween while maintaining the position in the in-plane direction, and laser light is irradiated on the superposed region to weld the plurality of metal members to each other.

A laser welding method includes a pretreatment process and a welding process. At least one metal member of the plurality of metal members is formed from a metal-plated steel plate in which a base metal has been covered with a coating material that has a melting point lower than the base metal. In the pretreatment process, with the position of the first metal member in the in-plane direction fixed, processing is performed from the front surface of the first metal member to form on the back surface, a protrusion that bulges from the back surface. Then, in the welding process, the first metal member in which a protrusion has been formed is superposed on a second metal member with the protrusion therebetween while maintaining the position in the in-plane direction, and laser light is irradiated on the superposed region to weld the plurality of metal members to each other.

A welding apparatus that welds a third conductor to a first conductor includes a clamp and a laser irradiation apparatus, the third conductor being adjacent to the first conductor between the first conductor and a second conductor extending in parallel to each other. The clamp is configured to sandwich the first conductor and the third conductor between a first gripper and a second gripper. The laser irradiation apparatus is configured to emit a welding laser towards the third conductor. The first gripper includes a confronting portion facing a contact surface that comes into contact with the first conductor. In a state where the clamp sandwiches the first conductor and the third conductor, the confronting portion and the second gripper are positioned so as to block a reflection laser of the welding laser reflected in a given range of the third conductor.

A welding apparatus that welds a third conductor to a first conductor includes a clamp and a laser irradiation apparatus, the third conductor being adjacent to the first conductor between the first conductor and a second conductor extending in parallel to each other. The clamp is configured to sandwich the first conductor and the third conductor between a first gripper and a second gripper. The laser irradiation apparatus is configured to emit a welding laser towards the third conductor. The first gripper includes a confronting portion facing a contact surface that comes into contact with the first conductor. In a state where the clamp sandwiches the first conductor and the third conductor, the confronting portion and the second gripper are positioned so as to block a reflection laser of the welding laser reflected in a given range of the third conductor.