B23K26/043

Apparatus for machining a workpiece with a laser beam coupled into a fluid jet, with automatic laser-nozzle alignment; method of aligning such a beam

The invention relates to an apparatus 100 for machining a workpiece with a laser beam 101 coupled into a fluid jet. The apparatus 100 comprises a laser unit 101a for providing the laser beam 101, a nozzle unit 102 with an aperture 102a for producing the fluid jet, and an optical unit 103 configured to provide the laser beam 101 from the laser unit 101a onto the nozzle unit 102. Further, the apparatus 100 comprises a control unit 104 configured to control 108, 110 the optical unit 103 and/or nozzle unit 102 to change a point of incidence 109 of the laser beam 101 on the nozzle unit 102. The apparatus 100 also comprises a sensing unit 105 configured to sense laser light 106 reflected from a surface 102b of the nozzle unit 102 and produce a sensing signal 107 based on the sensed reflected laser light 106. The control unit 104 is particularly configured to evaluate the sensing signal 107 and to determine a defined sensing pattern in the sensing signal 107 indicative of the laser beam 101 being fully and/or partially aligned with the aperture 102a.

LASER PROCESSING HEAD AND LASER PROCESSING DEVICE USING SAME

A laser processing head includes parallel plate (17) that shifts an optical axis of a laser beam to be emitted from a top to a bottom of body case (6) from a first optical axis to a second optical axis, parallel plate (19) that shift the optical axis of the laser beam from the second optical axis to a third optical axis, and body case (6) that accommodates holders (7 and 18) that respectively hold parallel plates (17 and 19). The laser processing head further includes a rotation mechanism that rotates holders (7 and 18) around a first rotary axis. Opening (7a) that a laser beam reflected by an incident surface of second parallel plate (19) passes through is formed in holder (7), and light receiving part (6a) that receives the laser beam having passed through opening (7a) is disposed in body case (6).

PATH PLANNING SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
20240131620 · 2024-04-25 ·

Disclosed are systems and methods to plan a path to form a part using an additive manufacturing system. The additive manufacturing system may include one or more additive manufacturing tools. The additive manufacturing tools may include arc welding tools and non-arc welding tools. The system may also manufacture the part based on the planned path.

LASER PROCESSING APPARATUS

In the present invention, a head connector comprises an optical axis adjustment unit that adjusts the optical axis of a laser beam emitted from a tip of an optical fiber cable, and a spread angle adjustment unit that adjusts the spread angle of emitted light. The optical axis adjustment unit comprises an operation unit configured to be operable from a lateral-surface side of the head connector, and a movement unit that moves a fiber holder within a plane orthogonal to the optical axis of the emitted light in response to an operation of the operation unit. The spread angle adjustment unit comprises an operation unit provided to an insertion unit to be inserted into a laser head, and a movement unit that moves a lens in response to the operation of the operation unit.

Laser Conditioning of Solid Bodies Using Prior Knowledge from Previous Machining Steps
20190302725 · 2019-10-03 ·

The present invention relates to a method for generating control data for the secondary machining of a solid body (1), in particular wafer, which is modified by means of laser beams (10). The interior of said solid body (1) has multiple modifications (12), said modifications (12) having been produced by means of laser beams (10). The method comprises the following steps: defining a criterion of analysis for analyzing the modifications (12) produced in the interior of the solid body (1); defining a threshold value with respect to the criterion of analysis, an analytical value on one side of the threshold value triggering a secondary machining registration; analyzing the wafer by means of an analytical unit (4), said analytical unit (4) analyzing the modifications (12) with respect to the criterion of analysis and outputting analytical values regarding the analyzed modifications, said analytical values lying above or below the threshold value; outputting location data with respect to the analyzed modifications, said location data containing information regarding in which region(s) of the solid body (1) the analytical value lie above or below the threshold value; and generating control data for controlling a laser treatment device (11) for the secondary machining of the solid body (1), said control data comprising at least the location data of the modifications (12) registered for secondary machining.

Apparatus and method for laser machining a workpiece

An apparatus for laser machining a workpiece in a machining plane includes a first laser machining unit for forming a first focal zone which extends in a first main direction of extent, and at least one further laser machining unit for forming at least one further focal zone which extends in a further main direction of extent oriented transversely to the first main direction of extent. The first focal zone and the at least one further focal zone are spaced apart from one another parallel to the machining plane at a work distance. The first laser machining unit and the at least one further laser machining unit are movable in an advancement direction that is oriented parallel to the machining plane. The workpiece comprises a material that is transparent to a laser beam which respectively forms the first focal zone and the at least one further focal zone.

Laser processing apparatus and laser processing method
11980971 · 2024-05-14 · ·

A purpose of the present invention is to quickly change a focal point of a laser emission system so that processing with high quality and good processing efficiency can be performed. In a laser processing apparatus including: a laser oscillator configured to output a laser pulse; a laser deflector configured to deflect the laser pulse in a two-dimensional direction; and a controller configured to control the laser oscillator and the laser deflector, the laser processing apparatus being configured to emit the laser pulse to a workpiece for processing the workpiece, the laser processing apparatus has a feature in which an electrooptic device capable of, under control of the controller, electrically changing a focal point of the laser pulse to be input to the laser deflector is arranged in an input side of the laser deflector.

Laser machining apparatus including guide laser
10369716 · 2019-08-06 · ·

A laser machining apparatus capable of extending the life time of a guide laser is provided. A laser machining apparatus 1 includes a cutting head 2 that irradiates a machining laser light to a machining target W, a guide laser 5 that irradiates a visible guide light to the machining target W, and a power supply 6 that supplies electric power to the guide laser 5. The laser machining apparatus 1 further includes a controller 7 that performs control so that, before the machining laser light is irradiated from the cutting head 2 to the machining target W and laser cutting starts, electric power is supplied from the power supply 6 to the guide laser 5, and the guide light is irradiated from the guide laser 5 to the machining target W according to an output position of the machining laser light output from the cutting head 2 so that the output position of the machining laser light is ascertained. The controller 7 has a laser output setting unit 4 capable of adjusting an output of the guide light of the guide laser 5 within a range where the visibility of the guide light is secured when the guide light is output from the guide laser 5.

Laser processing apparatus capable of retracting processing nozzle upon power failure
10335898 · 2019-07-02 · ·

A laser processing apparatus including a processing nozzle for irradiating a workpiece with laser beam, a driving mechanism for relatively moving the processing nozzle and the workpiece, and a gap sensor for detecting a gap between the processing nozzle and the workpiece. The apparatus includes a gap control section referring to a measured value detected by the gap sensor and calculating a manipulating variable used for controlling the driving mechanism so as to maintain the gap during execution of laser processing at a first dimension, a power monitoring section monitoring electric power from a power supply and sending an abnormality detection signal to the gap control section when a power abnormality occurs, and a control action switching section switching a control action of the gap control section so as to increase the gap from the first dimension when the abnormality detection signal is sent to the gap control section.

Boresighting a laser to an imaging sensor systems and methods

Techniques are disclosed for an improved boresighting apparatus and related method for boresighting a light source to an imaging sensor, and for an improved material to be used in a target object in such a boresighting apparatus. For example, an apparatus for use in boresighting may include a catadioptric element and a target object, where the catadioptric element is configured to focus a laser beam from the light source and also to collimate light emitted from the target object at a different wavelength than the laser beam to be detected by the imaging sensor for indicating the location of the focused laser beam. The target object may, for example, comprises a fluorescent optical material doped with one or more optically active ions to absorb light having the wavelength of the laser beam and emit light in one or more wavebands detectable by the imaging sensors.