A method and a device for detecting a focal position of a laser beam, particularly a machining laser beam in a laser machining head, includes an optical element which is arranged in the laser beam converging toward the focal point and which is designed to outcouple a reflection from the laser beam path, and a sensor arrangement which is designed to detect beam characteristics of said laser beam in the region of the focal point in the laser extension direction, and which measures the outcoupled reflection of the laser beam at at least two locations that are offset to one another in the extension direction, in order to determine the current focal position.

Provided are a laser machining device and a laser machining method capable of stably operating an autofocus function without causing an unfavorable state such as an overshoot etc. A laser machining device and a laser machining method of the present invention performs a normal AF (autofocus) control when a scan position of the machining laser light and the detecting laser light is located in a work central portion, and performs a slow-tracking AF (autofocus) control with a trackability to a displacement of a main surface of a work reduced to be lower than a trackability of the normal AF control when the scan position of the machining laser light and the detecting laser light is located in a work end portion.

Additive manufacturing systems with standoff distance monitoring and control, which can be responsive, dynamic, and in real-time. These technologies can use a standoff distance measurement system to real-time monitor, read, or interrogate a workpiece or a substrate on which the workpiece is positioned, as the workpiece is moved past a directed energy source, or vice versa. These technologies can use a feedback controller to responsively and dynamically control the standoff distance in real-time based on data from the standoff distance measurement system.

An apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects includes a scanning unit configured to scan an energy beam over a build plane, and a focusing unit that includes an optical lens or lens system. The focusing unit may be configured to control a focal position of the energy beam based on calibration information. The focal position may be controlled by moving the focusing unit in the z-direction relative to the build plane without changing the focal length of the energy beam. Methods of calibrating such an apparatus may include moving a focusing unit in the z-direction relative to a build plane based on calibration information and scanning an energy beam over at least a portion of the build plane using a scanning unit, with the focusing unit being configured to control a focal position of the energy beam without changing the focal length of the energy beam.

A laser processing device includes a height measurement unit configured to measure a vertical direction position of an irradiation point of a processing laser beam on an upper surface of a substrate; and a controller configured to control a vertical direction position of a light condensing unit based on the vertical direction position of the irradiation point while moving the irradiation point along multiple dividing target lines. The height measurement unit includes a coaxial laser displacement meter and a separate-axis laser displacement meter. The controller controls the vertical direction position of the light condensing unit by using only one of the coaxial or the separate-axis laser displacement meter for each of the multiple dividing target lines while the substrate is processed and performs a switchover of a laser displacement meter for controlling the vertical direction position of the light condensing unit between the coaxial and the separate-axis laser displacement meters.

A an optical device for shaping an electromagnetic wave beam and a use thereof, a beam treatment device and a use thereof, and a beam treatment method are provided. The optical device has an optical element positioned within beam propagation direction, and an exciter means functionally connected to the optical element for inducing an oscillation of the focal point in at least one of an x direction and any direction of a plane perpendicular to the beam propagation direction along a focal point oscillation path.

A laser machining robot system that simplifies programming of a scanner operation is provided. A laser machining robot system includes a robot controller that controls a robot that performs remote laser machining and a scanner controller that controls a scanner. The robot controller includes: a machining information input unit that inputs machining information; a G-code generation unit that generates a G-code program using the machining information; and a G-code communication unit that transmits the G-code program to the scanner controller. The scanner controller includes a scanner program processing unit that applies the G-code program as a scanner operation program for operating the scanner.

In an example method, a laser processing head is moved from an entrance region over a workpiece to a starting position above the workpiece. During this time, a distance control system is used to control the distance between the laser processing head and the workpiece based on measurements obtained from one or more distance sensors. Further, the laser processing head is moved from the starting position to a position beyond an edge of the workpiece. During this time, the distance control system is disengaged. When the laser processing head reaches the position beyond an edge of the workpiece, laser emission is initiated, and the laser processing head is moved back towards the starting position. Upon reaching the starting position, the distance control system is reengaged. The laser processing head is subsequently moved along a pre-determined path to cut the workpiece.

This disclosure describes laser machining head gas nozzles that have an exit opening for passage of a laser beam onto a workpiece; an annular gap surrounding the exit opening; and a sleeve disposed and guided displaceably within the annular gap for axial displacement between a rearward and a forward position. The sleeve projects beyond the exit opening at least in the forward position, and the sleeve is tiltably mounted in the annular gap.

A workpiece-separating device includes: a holding member that detachably holds a workpiece among a layered body in which the workpiece that includes a circuit board and a supporting body that allows laser beams to pass therethrough are layered with each other via a separating layer that peelably alters with absorption of the laser beams; a laser irradiation part that performs irradiation of Gaussian beams pulse-oscillated as the laser beams toward the separating layer through the supporting body of the layered body held by the holding member; and a controlling part that controls an operation of the laser irradiation part, wherein the controlling part controls a distance between centers of the adjacent Gaussian beams of the laser beams pulse-oscillated from the laser irradiation part to be less than three times of a standard deviation when a relationship between a beam diameter and irradiation intensity is assumed as a normal distribution.