Systems and methods according to one or more embodiments are provided for a flexible and local laser shroud that conforms to a contoured work surface and confines laser light energy from a laser end effector to the work surface. In one example, a system includes a laser end effector coupled to a robotic arm to provide laser light energy to a work surface. The system also includes a shroud coupled to the end of the robotic arm and extending to the work surface. The system further includes, as part of the shroud, a flexible laser light seal to conform to the work surface to substantially prevent the laser light energy from passing between the shroud and the work surface as the laser end effector travels along the work surface.

A device for the protection of laser optics or to their lifetime increase. The device for the protection of laser optics comprises a housing arranged below a laser optics housing with a connection for the supply of a cutting gas, an on the opposite side to the laser optics outlet nozzle for the cutting gas and a pressure-resistant protective glass on the side of the laser optics and a process-side protective glass, which is arranged between the nozzle and pressure-resistant protective glass available.

A workpiece processing machine includes a separation device for dividing an operating space into a processing region and at least one additional operating region, a laser processing head configured to process the workpiece, and a rotary workpiece changer having a rotatable workpiece support for transporting the workpiece between the processing region and the at least one additional operating region by an opening. The rotatable workpiece support has a protection wall configured to shield the at least one additional operating region with respect to the processing region. The separation device has a protection element movable between a processing position and a transport position and configured to be in abutment with the protection wall in the processing position to close the opening and spaced apart from the protection wall in the transport position. A spacing between the processing position and the transport position is adjustable based on a dimension of the workpiece.

The present invention is a laser processing device wherein adhesion of fumes to a lens can be effectively avoided. The laser processing device is provided with a laser scanner provided with protective glass on a laser output opening, and a cylindrical member having a through path through which the laser output via the protective glass passes formed on the center side in the direction of the radius. A cylindrically shaped filter is disposed on an inside wall part of the cylindrical member facing the through path. The cylindrical member discharges a gas into the through path from the filter.

A laser processing machine includes a machine main body that has a laser processing head, a processing table on which a workpiece to be processed is laid; and a light-shielding cover that is provided above the processing table, and covers an upper surface of the processing table. The cover is transformable between a deployed state and retracted state, and can adjust an area covering the upper surface of the processing table. According to the laser processing machine, it is possible to cover only a necessary area for laser processing by its compact cover without inhibiting workability for carrying in/out the workpiece.

Described is a laser processing machine with a height-adjustable laser component, a height-adjustable machine component, and a weight compensation system. The weight compensation system has at least one roller unit that includes at least two rollers fastened on a common axle and rotatably fixed with respect to one another. The axle is configured to rotate freely and slide in a machine frame guide of the laser processing machine. The laser component is held suspended by a first traction member wound onto the first roller. The machine component is held suspended by a second traction member wound onto the second roller. The first traction member and the second traction member are wound in reverse (opposite) directions onto the rollers. A counterweight device acts on the axle by exerting a counterforce, which compensates, at least partially, for the forces exerted by the laser component and the machine component.

A laser processing system including a laser processing unit, a controller controlling the processing unit according to a laser processing program, and a restart preparation apparatus performing a preparation process of the controller to resume the program execution after being suspended. The restart preparation apparatus includes an operating state judging section judging whether an operating state of the processing unit when suspending the program execution is in course of laser processing, and a restart condition specifying section specifying a restart condition of the processing unit when resuming the program execution, from among predetermined conditions, based on a judgment result. The operating state judging section judges that the operating state is in course of laser processing, if a predetermined operation command for processing the workpiece is output from the controller, or predetermined external information for processing the workpiece is input to the controller, at the instant of suspending the program execution.

A processing machine for processing a workpiece with a processing beam, including a nozzle changer for mounting or demounting nozzles from a processing head of the processing machine, the nozzle changer having a plurality of nozzle holders for holding nozzles. The processing machine has a protective enclosure for closing off a working space for the processing of the workpiece with the processing beam from a working space surrounding area. The nozzle changer is movable between a nozzle changing position within the protective enclosure and a setup position outside the protective enclosure.

A workpiece processing machine includes a separation device for dividing an operating space into a processing region and at least one additional operating region, a laser processing head configured to process the workpiece, and a rotary workpiece changer having a rotatable workpiece support for transporting the workpiece between the processing region and the at least one additional operating region by an opening. The rotatable workpiece support has a protection wall configured to shield the at least one additional operating region with respect to the processing region. The separation device has a protection element movable between a processing position and a transport position and configured to be in abutment with the protection wall in the processing position to close the opening and spaced apart from the protection wall in the transport position. A spacing between the processing position and the transport position is adjustable based on a dimension of the workpiece.

This specification describes systems, methods, and architectures related to generating a plasma shield for laser operations. An example system for generating a plasma shield includes a laser head for directing a laser beam towards a target area on a workpiece. The path of the laser beam from the laser head to the target area on the workpiece is substantially surrounded by a plasma shield, which may form a gas-impermeable barrier. The plasma shield is configured to prevent the ingress of atmospheric or environmental gases, for example oxygen, into an area which would allow the gas to be in contact with the area of the workpiece being interacted with by a laser beam. The shape or location of the plasma shield may be controlled or altered using a magnetic field.