A laser cutting tool with protective enclosure assembly for manipulating a workpiece on a movable platen includes a frame, a top protection assembly, a middle protection shield, a bottom protection assembly and a laser torch head. The top protection assembly, middle protection assembly, and bottom protection assembly are removably mounted to the frame such that they form a cavity enclosing only substantially the laser torch head.

An apparatus includes a substrate and first and second electrical connectors. The apparatus also includes at least one first conductive trace positioned in, on, or over the substrate. The at least one first conductive trace forms an electrical connection between the first and second electrical connectors. The at least one first conductive trace is configured to be damaged by laser energy to break the electrical connection between the first and second electrical connectors. The apparatus further includes an indicator electrically coupled to the at least one first conductive trace. The indicator is configured to generate feedback based on whether the electrical connection between the first and second electrical connectors has been broken.

A machine tool for processing workpieces, in particular metal sheets, has a punching device and a laser processing device. The punching device comprises a punch-side positioning device by means of which a punching tool component of a punching tool can be positioned in a definable position along an operating stroke axis of the punching device. The laser processing device has a laser processing unit and a laser accessory unit. The laser accessory unit can be positioned by means of an accessory unit positioning device with an activation movement in an operating position which can be defined by means of the punch-side positioning device. In the context of a method for processing workpieces, in particular metal sheets, which method is carried out using the above machine tool, the operating position of the laser accessory unit is defined by means of the punch-side positioning device.

A system and method of cooling and purging a laser processing system comprising at least one galvo system for directing at least one laser beam to a work piece and a protection window mounting plate comprising at least one protection window secured in a corresponding cavity of the mounting plate where the plate is configured with at least one air flow passageway in the mounting plate for each protection window such that an airflow used to cool each galvo systems is directed through the mounting plate vis the passageway and further directed past the window cavity to purge the cavity, where the purging air flow is then vented or exhausted from the laser system.

Disclosed embodiments relate to additive manufacturing systems. In some embodiments, an additive manufacturing system includes a fixed build plate, and a build volume extends above the fixed build plate. A boundary of the build volume may be defined by a powder containing shroud that is vertically displaceable relative to the fixed build plate. A powder deposition system is configured to deposit a powder layer along an upper surface of the build volume and the powder deposition is vertically displaceable relative to the fixed build plate. An optics assembly configured to direct laser energy from one or more laser energy sources towards the build volume, and exposure of the powder layer to the laser energy melts at least a portion of the powder layer. In some embodiments, the build plate may be supported by support columns configured to maintain the build plate in a level orientation throughout a build process.

A laser welding system for joining a first workpiece to a second workpiece includes a laser welder configured to emit a laser beam at a power to form a weld to join the first workpiece and the second workpiece at a weld location. The laser welding system includes a plasma protection fixture coupled to a surface of at least the first workpiece. The plasma protection fixture defines an opening configured to receive the laser beam. The opening has a perimeter that surrounds and is spaced apart from the weld. The plasma protection fixture has a height above the surface of at least the first workpiece about the perimeter of the opening that is defined based on the power of the laser beam.

A cover includes a base plate, an orbital disc, a plate slide and a disc slide. The cover is configured for positioning over an opening of a light-tight enclosure. The base plate includes an aperture, a bore and a slot defined therein. The base plate is configured to engage the enclosure. The orbital disc includes an aperture defined therein, a wall disposed adjacent the aperture, and a slot defined therein. The orbital disc is configured to at least partially engage the bore of the base plate. The plate slide is configured to slidingly engage the slot of the base plate. The disc slide is configured to slidingly engage the slot of the orbital disc.

The invention relates to methods for laser welding a first and a second workpiece portion with a laser beam that is guided using a laser machining head along a joining gap formed between the workpiece portions, in which method the laser beam is focused and a filler is lined up with the joining gap. At least one gap width of the joining gap of the workpiece portions to be welded is detected and evaluated along the course of the joining gap and compared with at least a first and a second gap measurement. If a detected gap width is within the first gap measurement, the feeding of the filler to the joining gap is stopped and a beam profile of the laser beam is set with a point or annular focus, and if a detected gap width is within the second gap measurement, a feeding of the filler is actuated.

A laser machining head controls an irradiation position of a laser beam on a machining target by rotating a first parallel plate by a first motor and rotating a second parallel plate by a second motor. A first holder holding the first parallel plate has a first rotation angle identification unit, and a second holder holding the second parallel plate has a second rotation angle identification unit. The first rotation angle identification unit has a positioning surface that allows positioning relative to the first parallel plate, and the second rotation angle identification unit has a positioning surface that allows positioning relative to the second parallel plate.

The invention relates to a machine tool (10) comprising a machine controller (19), a machine frame (11), a work table (13), a tool holder (14), preferably of a standardized design, multiple translational and/or rotational axes (12a, 12b) for adjusting the relative position of the work table (13) and the work holder (14), a tool magazine (16) for one or more material-removing, in particular machining tools (15), a tool-change mechanism for automatically transporting tools between the tool holder (14) and the tool magazine (16), a deposit-welding head (20) that can be inserted into the tool holder (14) and a storage device (25) for storing the deposit-welding head outside the tool holder (14).