PROCESSING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING A MATERIAL

Abstract

A processing device for processing a material with a focused blasting medium, having at least a blasting medium source for generating the blasting medium and a conveying device for the material, or additionally a deflecting means for deflecting the blasting medium emitted by the blasting medium source toward the material; wherein the conveying device is arranged opposite the blasting medium source or the deflecting means in such a way that the material, at least with a region to be processed by the blasting medium, can be processed by the conveying device on a circular path opposite the blasting medium source or the deflecting means, so that the material, when the blasting medium source or the deflecting means is moved, can be processed along the circular path with a constant focus position of the blasting medium. A method for processing a material with a focused blasting medium in a processing device.

Claims

1. A processing device for processing a material with a focused blasting medium, comprising: a blasting medium source for generating the blasting medium, and a conveying device for the material, or additionally a deflecting means for deflecting the blasting medium emitted by the blasting medium source toward the material; wherein the conveying device is arranged opposite the blasting medium source or the deflecting means in such a way that the material, at least with a region to be processed by the blasting medium, can be processed by the conveying device on a circular path opposite to the blasting medium source or to the deflecting means, so that the material, when the blasting medium source or the deflecting means is moved, can be processed along the circular path with a constant focus position of the blasting medium.

2. The processing device according to claim 1, wherein the material is configured to be moved by the conveying device along a conveying direction relative to the blasting medium source or the deflecting means.

3. The processing device according to claim 2, wherein the conveying direction runs along the circular path or transversely to the course of the circular path.

4. The processing device according to claim 1, wherein, through a movement of the blasting medium source or of the deflecting means, the focus position of the blasting medium is movable at least along the circular path and additionally transversely to the course of the circular path\.

5. The processing device according to claim 1, wherein the blasting medium is a laser beam.

6. The processing device according to claim 1, wherein the processing device comprises the deflecting means, and wherein the deflecting means has a pyramid shape.

7. A method for processing a material with a focused blasting medium in a processing device which has at least one blasting medium source for generating the blasting medium and a conveying device for the material, or additionally comprises a deflecting means for deflecting the blasting medium emitted by the blasting medium source toward the material; wherein the conveying device is arranged opposite the blasting medium source or the deflecting means so that the material, at least with a region to be processed by the blasting medium, is arranged by the conveying device on a circular path opposite the blasting medium source or the deflecting means; wherein the method comprises at least the following steps: a) placing the material in the conveying device; and b) processing of the material with the blasting medium, wherein the material is processed along the circular path with a constant focus position of the blasting medium.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the material is configured to be moved by the conveying device relative to the blasting medium along the circular path or transversely thereto at least during step b).

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein, during step b), the focus position of the blasting medium is moved by a movement of the blasting medium source or of the deflecting means at least along the circular path and additionally transversely to the course of the circular path.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the processing device comprises the deflecting means, wherein the deflecting means has a pyramid shape, wherein, during step b), by rotation of the deflecting means, the focus position of the blasting medium is moved at least along the circular path, and wherein a speed of the focus position is greater than a feed speed of the material in the conveying device as a result of a rotational speed of the deflecting means.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] The invention and the technical environment are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying figures. It should be pointed out that the invention is not intended to be limited by the exemplary embodiments mentioned. In particular, unless explicitly stated otherwise, it is also possible to extract partial aspects of the facts explained in the figures and to combine them with other components and findings from the present description. In particular, it should be pointed out that the figures and in particular the proportions shown are only schematic. In the figures:

[0043] FIG. 1: shows a first embodiment variant of a processing device in a side view and a detailed view along an axis of rotation;

[0044] FIG. 2: shows the detailed view according to FIG. 2 with the deflecting means in a starting position;

[0045] FIG. 3: shows the detailed view according to FIGS. 1 and 2 with the deflecting means in a first intermediate position;

[0046] FIG. 4: shows the detailed view according to FIG. 1 to 3 with the deflecting means in a second intermediate position;

[0047] FIG. 5: shows the detailed view according to FIG. 1 to 4 with the deflecting means in a third intermediate position;

[0048] FIG. 6: shows the detailed view according to FIG. 1 to 5 with the deflecting means in an end position;

[0049] FIG. 7: shows a second embodiment variant of a processing device in a side view; and

[0050] FIG. 8: shows a detailed view of FIG. 7 in a view along an axis of rotation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0051] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment variant of a processing device 1 in a side view and a detailed view in a view along an axis of rotation 22. FIG. 2 shows the detailed view according to FIG. 2 with the deflecting means 6 in a starting position 19. FIG. 3 shows the detailed view according to FIGS. 1 and 2 with the deflecting means 6 in a first intermediate position 20. FIG. 4 shows the detailed view according to FIG. 1 to 3 with the deflecting means 6 in a second intermediate position 20. FIG. 5 shows the detailed view according to FIG. 1 to 4 with the deflecting means 6 in a third intermediate position 20. FIG. 6 shows the detailed view according to FIG. 1 to 5 with the deflecting means 6 in an end position 21. FIG. 1 to 6 are described together below.

[0052] The processing device 1 comprises a blasting medium source 4 for generating the blasting medium 3 and a conveying device 5 for the material 2. In addition, the processing device 1 comprises a deflecting means 6 for deflecting the blasting medium 3 emitted by the blasting medium source 4 toward the material 2. If no deflecting means 6 is provided, the blasting medium source 4 can replace the deflecting means 6 in the figures shown.

[0053] The conveying device 5 is arranged opposite the deflecting means 6 in such a way that the material 2, at least with a region 7 to be processed by the blasting medium 3, is arranged on a circular path 8 by the conveying device 5 opposite the deflecting means 6. Thus, when the deflecting means 6 moves along the circular path 8, the material 2 can be processed with a constant focus position 9 of the blasting medium 3.

[0054] The blasting medium 3 is a laser beam. The blasting medium 3 has a focus position 9 for processing the material 2, that is to say a predetermined position of the focus with respect to the material 2. A focusing of the blasting medium 3 takes place in the laser beam, for example by optical focusing, e.g. through a focus lens 16.

[0055] The blasting medium 3 emerges from the blasting medium source 4 and strikes the material 2. A focusing in the form of a focus lens 16 and a deflecting means 6 are arranged between the blasting medium source 4 and the material 2. The deflecting means 6 serves to deflect the blasting medium 3 toward the material 2. The focus lens 16 is arranged in a stationary manner in the processing device 1.

[0056] The material 2 is to be processed in a predetermined region 7 along a line. This region 7 is arranged on a circular path 8 opposite the deflecting means 6. The circular path 8 has a center point 23, from which the material 2 is arranged along the region 7 at a constant distance or radius. The arrangement of the material 2 on a circular path 8 enables the blasting medium 3 to have a constant focus position 9 compared to the material 2 when the deflecting medium 6 rotates 11 about the center 23 of the circular path 8 or about the axis of rotation 22 of the deflecting means 6.

[0057] The conveying device 5 forms an arcuate support for the material 2. The material 2 can be moved by the conveying device 5 along a conveying direction 10 with respect to the deflecting means 6 or a stationary environment 24.

[0058] The material 2 can be held in a constant position during processing, i.e. when the blasting medium 3 is coupled into the material 2, and can only be moved during breaks in processing, i.e. when the blasting medium 3 is not coupled into the material 2, at a feed rate 14 compared to the deflecting means 6 or a stationary environment 24. As an alternative or in addition, the material 2 can also be moved during the processing with respect to the deflecting means 6 or a stationary environment 24 at a feed rate 14. In both cases, the blasting medium 3 can be moved relative to the material 2 or a stationary environment 24. The focus position 9 of the blasting medium 3 remains constant with respect to the material 2.

[0059] The conveying direction 10 of the material 2 can run along the circular path 8 or transversely to the course of the circular path 8.

[0060] By moving the deflecting means 6, the focus position 9 of the blasting medium 3 can be moved at least along the circular path 8. The movement along the circular path 8 is realized by a rotation 11 of the deflecting means 6.

[0061] The deflecting means 6 has a polygonal shape or a pyramid shape. The deflecting means 6 is arranged to be rotatable about an axis of rotation 22. When the deflecting means 6 is rotated 11 about an axis of rotation 22 which intersects the center point 23 of the circular path 8, the focus position 9 can be moved along the circular path 8 with the blasting medium source 4 in a constant position.

[0062] During the processing of the material 2, the focus position 9 of the blasting medium 3 can be moved along the circular path 8 by a rotation 11 of the deflecting means 6, wherein a speed of the focus position 9 due to a rotational speed 13 of the deflecting means 6 preferably is greater than a feed speed 14 of the material 2 in the conveying direction 10.

[0063] This means that the focus position 9 can be moved back to a starting position 19 (see FIG. 2, e.g. a starting point of a cutting line) after reaching an end position 21 (see FIG. 6, e.g. when an end point of a cutting line is reached), wherein the starting position 19 and the end position 21 always remain the same in successive machining processes and cannot be moved for example relative to the conveying device 5.

[0064] If the rotational speed 13 is selected to be significantly higher, the same region 7 of the material 2 can be processed in several overruns, i.e. the focus position 9 is repeatedly moved over the same region 7. In this way, the quality of the cut can possibly be increased or a thermal load on the material 2 can be reduced.

[0065] FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment variant of a processing device 1 in a side view. FIG. 8 shows a detailed view of FIG. 7 in a view along an axis of rotation 22. FIG. 7 to 8 are described together below. Reference is made to the statements on the FIGS. 1 to 6.

[0066] The processing device 1 comprises a blasting medium source 4 for generating the blasting medium 3 and a conveying device 5 for the material 2. In addition, the processing device 1 comprises a deflecting means 6 for deflecting the blasting medium 3 emitted by the blasting medium source 4 toward the material 2.

[0067] The deflecting means 6 can perform a transverse movement 15 along a transverse direction (see the two positions of the deflecting means 6 shown). Furthermore, the deflecting means 6 can execute a rotation 11 about the axis of rotation 22. By moving the deflecting means 6, the focus position 9 of the blasting medium 3 can be moved along the circular path 8 (see FIG. 8) and additionally transversely to the course of the circular path 8 (see FIG. 7). The movement along the circular path 8 is realized by a rotation 11 of the deflecting means 6. The movement transverse to the course of the circular path 8 is realized by a transverse movement 15 of the deflecting means 6. The movements along the circular path 8 and transversely to the course of the circular path 8 are coupled to one another and can therefore be carried out at least partially at the same time.

[0068] In this way, even when the material 2 is moved along a conveying direction 10 during processing, cut edges which run transversely to the conveying direction 10 can be generated.

[0069] The deflecting means 6 is moved via different motors 18. A protective glass 17 is

[0070] arranged between the material 2 and the deflecting means 6 and also extends in the

[0071] shape of a circular arc around the center point 23 or the axis of rotation 22.

[0072] In FIG. 8, a starting position 19, the intermediate positions 20, and the end position 21 of the blasting medium 3 are shown. To reach the different positions 19, 20, 21, the deflecting means 6 rotates 11 about the axis of rotation 22 of the deflecting means 6 or about the center point 23 of the circular path 8.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0073] 1 Processing device

[0074] 2 Material

[0075] 3 Blasting medium

[0076] 4 Blasting medium source

[0077] 5 Conveying device

[0078] 6 Deflecting means

[0079] 7 Region

[0080] 8 Circular path

[0081] 9 Focus position

[0082] 10 Conveying direction

[0083] 11 Rotation

[0084] 12 Speed

[0085] 13 Rotational speed

[0086] 14 Feed rate

[0087] 15 Transverse movement

[0088] 16 Focus lens

[0089] 17 Protective glass

[0090] 18 Motor

[0091] 19 Starting position

[0092] 20 Intermediate position

[0093] 21 End position

[0094] 22 Axis of rotation

[0095] 23 Midpoint

[0096] 24 Environment