The present disclosure provides an inspection system and method for inspecting an optical surface of a laser scanner, the system including a directional optical source and an optical detector. The method includes moving one of the laser scanner or the inspection system to a position in which a beam axis of the directional optical source extends across but does not intersect the optical surface, between the optical surface of and the optical detector. The method further includes emitting a light beam from the directional optical source, across the optical surface so that light from the light beam is incident on debris disposed on the optical surface. The method further includes collecting the light at the optical detector to form an image that indicates presence of the debris on the optical surface of the laser scanner; and generating feedback to alert a user of the presence of the debris.

A method for calibrating at least one optical sensor of a laser machining head is provided. The laser machining head comprises a first optical sensor, a deflection device, and a focusing device. A laser beam path of the first optical sensor passes through the deflection device and the focusing device. The method comprises the steps of: deflecting the beam path of the first optical sensor by the deflection device to a first position on a first reference; generating a first optical measurement signal based on measurement light received by the first optical sensor from the first position on the first reference; and determining a correction value for calibrating the first optical sensor based on the first optical measurement signal and according to a deviation of the first position on the first reference from a first target position, which is specified relative to a position of the machining laser beam.

A detector is configured to detect an output of a reflected beam from an exit end surface of a parallel plate. A determination unit is configured to determine that an abnormality occurs in the parallel plate when a detection value of the detector is smaller than a determination threshold.

A method determines a material property of a workpiece to be processed by a laser processing machine or a machine property of the laser processing machine. The method includes: piercing the workpiece by a laser beam generated the laser processing machine; detecting a measurement variable at a piercing-through time; and determining the material property or the machine property by way of a correlation between the measurement variable and the material property or the machine property.

A laser control device includes a processor configured to control, when a control circuit of a laser device detects occurrence of an abnormality in a laser oscillator or a laser optical system and stops laser output from the laser oscillator, the control circuit based on a result of determining whether to enable or disable re-outputting of laser light from the laser oscillator by inputting, to a classifier, input data being at least a part of environmental data and state data about the laser device in a predetermined period including a stop time of laser output. Then, the state data and the input data in the predetermined period include at least one of time-series data about a light amount of laser light and time-series data about a light amount of return light propagating in a direction opposite to a direction of the laser light in the predetermined period.

In an additive manufacturing machine using a plurality of lasers, a reference laser is established that remains stationary and focused on a commanded point in a collection area. The reference laser uses one or more co-axial sensors to monitor emitted electromagnetic energy in the area. While the reference laser is monitoring the area, each non-reference laser in turn produces and moves a meltpool through the collection area in a known movement. For each non-reference laser, the electromagnetic energy collected and observed by the reference laser during positions of the known movement is compared with an expected electromagnetic energy for each position. For a given non-reference laser, the differences between the observed and expected electromagnetic energies can be used to determine differences between a coordinate system of the reference laser and a coordinate system of non-reference laser. The non-reference laser may then be realigned based on the determined differences.

A laser alignment system is used to align an output fiber with a fiber laser, for example, when coupling a feeding fiber to a process fiber using a beam coupler or switch. The alignment system includes a laser alignment apparatus that is coupled at a first end to the output fiber and at a second end to a beam dump/power meter. The alignment apparatus defines a light passage and a light capture chamber along the light passage. When light is not aligned into the core of the output fiber, at least a portion of the light passing out of the output fiber will be captured by the light capture chamber and detected by a photodetector in optical communication with the light capture chamber. By monitoring the readings of the photodetector, the output fiber may be properly aligned with the laser light from the fiber laser.

The present invention relates to a laser processing system (10) comprising a frame structure (12); a work base (14) for supporting a work material (16), wherein the work base (14) defines a work field (28) in a work plane (18), wherein the work plane (18) is parallel to the work base (14); at least one laser device (20) for projecting work light on the work plane (18) and/or on the work material (16), when the work material (16) is disposed on the work base (14), wherein the at least one laser device (20) is attached to the frame structure (12); wherein each laser device (20) is configured for generating one or more reference marks (24) on the work material (16) and/or on the work plane (18) within the corresponding laser field (30), wherein the laser field (30) corresponds to at least a part of the work field (28); an optical detector (40) for scanning the work field (28) for detecting at least a part of the one or more reference marks (24) generated by each laser device (20), wherein the optical detector (40) is movable with respect to the frame structure (12) with not more than two, preferably not more than one, degree of freedom; and a control unit (50) functionally connected to the optical detector (40) and the at least one laser device (20), wherein the control unit (50) is configured for calibrating the at least one laser device (20) based on the reference marks (24) detected by the optical detector (40). The invention further refers to a related method of calibrating one or more laser devices of a laser processing system.

A processing apparatus, which is provided with a processing space to place a workpiece therein and configured to process the workpiece placed in the processing space using a laser, includes a laser emitter, a processing position specifying device, a target emission condition computing device, an emission controller, a correction amount specifying device, a post-correction focal position computing device, and a post-correction emission condition computing device. The emission controller controls the laser emitter to emit the laser under a post-correction emission condition when a Z-axis correction amount is updated in the correction amount specifying device.

An apparatus for layered manufacture of a three-dimensional product includes a build chamber having a window, a build platform within the build chamber, a calibration device that is physically separated from the build chamber, an optical system including a beam source and a scanning apparatus, and a mobile base. The mobile base is configured to position the scanning apparatus at two spaced part positions including a (1) production position and a (2) calibration position. At the production position the scanning apparatus is configured to receive an energy beam from the beam source and to reflect and scan the energy beam through the window and to a build surface over the build platform to create a layer of the three-dimensional product. At the calibration position the scanning apparatus is configured to reflect the energy beam to the calibration device but not through the window.