A PLANNING METHOD FOR PROCESSING AN ELEMENT INTO A FINAL ELEMENT

Abstract

The present invention relates to a computer-implemented method for planning laser processing of one or more elements into one or more final elements, such as planning a process of creating a final element from a sheet metal by creating a 5 model of both the sheet metal to be processed and the final element and determining a plurality of processing steps to create said final element. The method is based on a plurality of rules for taking into account, how to process the element by a plurality of processing steps, said processing steps comprising laser process specifications and generating at least a first set of instructions for an 10 associated laser processing device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for planning laser processing of at least one metal elements into at least one final elements, the method comprising: providing an element model of a metal element to be processed, wherein the element model has at least a first surface, providing a final model of the final element, projecting the final model onto the first surface of the element model, determining a plurality of processing steps, the total number of processing steps being n, wherein the processing steps comprise: identifying a base structure of the element model, identifying at least one processing structures of the element model, identifying a plurality of connections between the base structure, the at least one processing structures and any non-process sections of the element model, identifying the laser processing to use, in order to process the element model into the final model, the laser processing comprising at least one of a laser cutting process, a laser bending process and a laser forming process, the total number of laser processes to be used being p, generating laser process specifications for each of the laser processes p, and generating a first set of instructions for processing the element model into the final model, based on the plurality of processing steps n.

2-16. (canceled)

17. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising: identifying at least one fixation structure of the element model, and identifying a plurality of connections between the base structure, at least one processing structures, the at least one fixation structure and any non-process sections of the element model.

18. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising: providing a measuring device configured to measure at least one of the base structure, the at least one processing structure and a fixation structure during the processing of the metal element into the final element, and generating at least a second set of instructions from the measurements provided by the measuring device.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein two or more base structures are identified, the method further comprising: selecting a primary base structure from the two or more identified base structures, the primary base structure being selected from the following set of rules: a. the primary base structure must have a connection to the metal element during at least n-I processing steps, b. the primary base structure must be a base structure which enables all of the n1 processing steps, and if the primary base structure does not satisfy the rules a or b: selecting a new primary base structure from the identified base structures.

20. The planning method according to claim 1, wherein two or more base structures are identified, the method further comprising: selecting a primary base structure from the two or more identified base structures, the primary base structure being selected from the following set of rules: c. selecting the base structure closest to the centre of the first surface of the element, d. selecting the base structure with the highest number of directly adjacent processing and fixation structures, e. selecting the base structure which, when the metal element has been processed into the final element, provides a largest possible, connected surface area of the non-processed section of the element, f. selecting the base structure with the highest number of adjacent fixation structures, g. selecting the base structure with the lowest number of adjacent fixation structures, and determining the at least first set of instructions based on the selected base structure.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein the final model of the final element is a 3-dimensional structure, the method further comprising: generating an unfolded planar model of the final model, and projecting the planar model onto the first surface of the element model.

22. The method according to claim 1, the laser processing further comprising a laser welding process and the method further comprises: identifying any laser welding processes, so as to weld at least one of the base structure, the at least one processing structures and at least one fixation structure to each other, during the laser processing steps p.

23. The method according to claim 1 further comprising: providing a process conversion table, the process conversion table comprising conversion methods to substitute traditional processing methods into laser processing methods and wherein a traditional processing plan for the final model can be converted into the laser processing steps p, for processing the element model into the final element, by laser processing.

24. The method according to claim 1 further comprising: providing a temperature table, the temperature table comprising data for heat accumulated in the metal element during the laser processes p, wherein the heat is being accumulated based on an exposure time and an energy provided, from at least one laser process p, to a section of the element.

25. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: providing a temperature sensor, providing an upper and lower temperature threshold, ut and It respectively, for the at least one metal element to be processed, measuring at least a first temperature of a section of the metal element being laser processed, and generating laser process specification p, to process the metal element into the final element, wherein the temperature of the section of the metal element being laser processed s lower than ut and greater than It during the laser processing, and generating a set of instructions for processing the element into the final element.

26. The method according to claim 1, further comprising at least a second element and in which the metal element and the second element is to be processed into the final element, the method further comprising: providing a second element model of the second element to be processed, the second element model having at least a first surface, providing a final model of the final element, projecting the final model onto the first surface of the first element model and the first surface of the second element model, determining a plurality of processing steps, the total number of processing steps being n, the processing steps comprising at least one of: identifying a base structure of the first element model, identifying a base structure of the second element model, identifying at least one fixation structures of the first element model and the second element model, the processing steps n further comprising: identifying at least one processing structure of the first element model and the second element model, identifying any connections between the at least one base structure, the at least one processing structure, at least one fixation structure and any non-process sections of the first element model and the second element model, identifying the laser processing to use, in order to process the first element model and the second element model into the final model of the final element comprising at least one of a laser cutting process, a laser bending process and a laser forming process, the total number of laser processes to be used being p, generating laser process specifications for each of the laser processes p, and generating a first set of instructions for processing the first element model and the second element models into the final model, based on the plurality of processing steps n.

27. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: providing an adjustment device configured to adjust the position of the at least one element to be laser processed, identifying at least one base structure of the at least one model of the at least one element further based on adjusting the position of the at least one element, and generating the at least first set of instructions, for processing the at least one model of the at least one element into the final model of the final element, wherein the at least one set of instructions are generated by determining a plurality of processing steps n, the processing steps further including adjusting the at least one element during the laser processing.

28. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising a final model of a final element, wherein at least one structure of the final model are interlocked with a second structure, the method comprising: determining a plurality of processing steps n, the processing steps further comprising: determining a laser cutting process of a section of the first processing structure being connected to the base structure, determining a laser cutting process of a section of a second processing structure being connected to at least one of the base structure and the first processing structure, determining a bending process of at least one of the first and second processing structure, and at least one of: determining an interlocking process between the first processing structure and the second processing structure, and determining an interlocking process between the first processing structure and the base structure, and determining an interlocking process between the second processing structure and the base structure, wherein the interlocking process comprises at least one of: interlocking by at least one of laser bending, laser forming and laser welding a section of the first processing structure, to interlock with a section of the second processing structure, and interlocking by at least one of laser bending, laser forming, laser welding a section of the first or second processing structure to interlock with the base structure.

29. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least first set of instructions is configured to be provided to an associated laser processing device with a processor, so as to enable the associated laser processing device to process the at least one element into the at least one final element from the at least one model of the at least one element and the final model of the final element, by executing the at least first set of instructions on the processor of the associated laser processing device.

30. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises providing a surface analysis, the surface analysis comprising a backscatter analysis of at least one surface of the metal element.

31. A computer program code comprising instructions arranged to control a laser processing device, when executed on a data processing system, to process at least one metal element into at least one final element from at least one model of the element(s) and final model(s) of the final element(s), by executing at least a first set of instructions, the computer program code being adapted to perform the method according to claim 1.

32. A device for laser processing a metal element into a final element, the device comprising: a data processor an input/output device, a measuring device, a laser, wherein the device is adapted to perform the method according to claim 1.

33. The device according to claim 32, further comprising a fixture mechanism adapted to fixate the metal element during laser processing.

34. The device according to claim 32, further comprising a position adjustment mechanism adapted to adjust a position of the metal element during laser processing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0220] The planning method according to the invention will now be described in more detail with regard to the accompanying figures. The figures show one way of implementing the present invention and is not to be construed as being limiting to other possible embodiments falling within the scope of the attached claim set.

[0221] FIG. 1 shows a final element model projected onto an element model, according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0222] FIG. 2 shows an unfolded planar model of the final element model projected onto an element model, according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0223] FIG. 3 shows a final element converted into a final element model which is further converted into an undirected graph of the structures of said final element model, according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0224] FIG. 4 shows a sequence of laser processes and connecting edges from a planar model converted into an undirected graph representation, according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0225] FIG. 5 shows an optimized sequence of laser processes and connecting edges from a planar model converted into an optimized undirected graph representation, according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0226] FIG. 6 shows a further optimization of an optimized undirected graph representation, according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0227] FIG. 7 shows a final element being manufactured from an element, according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0228] FIG. 8 shows a temperature representation for optimal processing of an element, according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0229] FIG. 9 show a surface analysis representation, according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0230] FIG. 10 is a flow-chart of a method, according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

[0231] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a final element model 2 projected onto an element model 1 as a planar model 3, according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 1 illustrates, from left to right, a method of introducing a model of a final element 2 and a model of an element 1, from which a final element is to be manufactured, and wherein an unfolded planar model 2 of the final element model 2 is projected 3 onto a surface of the element model 1. In another embodiment of the invention, the final element model 2 and/or the element model may be physical elements, which is geometrically analysed.

[0232] FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a planar model 3 of an unfolded planar model 2 of a final element model projected onto an element model 1. FIG. 2 illustrates how to cut and bend an element into a final element by dividing an element model 1 into a sequence of structures and processes. The projection shows a base structure BS, a plurality of processing structures, PS1 to PS4, a first and second hole H1, H2 cut by C1 and C2 from PS 1 and PS3 respectively and two fixation structures FS1, FS2. When the final element model is cut at the cutting edge C3 from the element model 1, the two fixation structures FS1, FS2 provide support to the base structure BS. When cutting the final element model from the element model 1 by a connected cutting line C3, the largest residual connected area of the element model 1 is termed a non-processed section NPS1.

[0233] Furthermore, when creating the two fixation structures, two residual sections RS1, RS 2 are created, which are not to be used for the further manufacturing of a final element. To manufacture a final element from an element, the unfolded planar model 2 has four bending lines B1 to B4, wherein bending line 1 B1 represents a bending edge between processing structure 1 PS1 and processing structure 2 PS2, bending line 2 B2 represents a bending edge between processing structure 3 PS3 and processing structure 4 PS4, bending line 3 B3 represents a bending edge between processing structure 1 PS1 and the base structure BS, and bending line 4 B4 represents a bending edge between processing structure 3 PS3 and the base structure BS. When all processing has been performed, the two fixation structures FS1, FS2 are cut from the base structure BS, freeing the final element from the non-processed section NPS1 of the element.

[0234] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a final element A converted into a final element model B which is further converted into an undirected graph C of the identified structures f1 to f5 of said final element model B. The lines between the five structures f1 to f5 illustrates the connecting edges between said identified structures f1 to f5. In this particular embodiment, f3 is the base structure.

[0235] FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a sequence of laser processes and connecting edges from a planar model 3 converted into an undirected graph 4 representation. On the left of FIG. 4, a planar model 3 is shown, in which all edges e01 to e12 between two or more structures f0 to f5 have been identified. The letter after each of the identified edges e01 to e12, indicates whether the edge is to be bend by b, welded by w or cut by c, e.g. e01, b is an edge which is to be bend, so as to bend f1 relative to f2 and e07, w represents the welding of two edges f5 and f1 after the bending sequences, bring the edges of f5 and f1 together. On the right, an undirected graph 4 illustrates the connecting edges e01 to e12 relative to the positions of the structures f0 to f5, and wherein the lines in between the structures f0 to f5 indicates that these structures are connected by edges e01 to e12, said edges e01 to e12 to be cut c, welded w or bent b. An example of an initial sequence for performing the laser processes, as determined by the planning method according to the invention, is listed below: [0236] e01,b: Angle=90, Radius=4, bend face=front, . . . [0237] e02,c: tkw=0.1 mm, cut face=front or back, . . . [0238] e03,b: Angle=90, Radius=4, bend face=front, . . . [0239] e04,b: Angle=90, Radius=4, bend face=front, . . . [0240] e05,c: tkw=0.1 mm, cut face=front or back, . . . [0241] e06,b: Angle=90, Radius=4, bend face=front, . . . [0242] e07,w: Penetration=1 mm, weld face=front or back, . . . [0243] e08,c: tkw=0.1 mm, cut face=front or back, . . . [0244] e09,c: tkw=0.1 mm, cut face=front or back, . . . [0245] e10,c: tkw=0.1 mm, cut face=front or back, . . . [0246] e11,c: tkw=0.1 mm, cut face=front or back, . . . [0247] e12,c: tkw=0.1 mm, cut face=front or back, . . .

[0248] Wherein tkw is the width of the cut kerf of the beam as applied to the element at the surface and cut face options are whether or not there is access, without moving the final element during processing. It should be noted that the sequence above has not yet been optimized, so as to ensure that the correct sequence order has been obtained.

[0249] FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of an optimized sequence of laser processes and connecting edges from a planar model 3 converted into an optimized undirected graph 4 representation. On the left of FIG. 5, a planar model 3 is shown, in which all edges e01 to e15 between two or more structures f0 to f5 have been identified. The letter after each of the identified edges e01 to e15, indicates whether the edge is to be bend by b, welded by w or cut by c. On the right, an optimized undirected graph 4 illustrates the connecting edges e01 to e15 relative to the positions of the structures f0 to f5, and wherein the lines in between the structures f0 to f5 indicates that these structures are connected by edges e01 to e15, said edges e01 to e12 to be cut c, welded w or bent b. [0250] Optimizing the sequencing, relative to FIG. 4: [0251] Edge cut optimization: [0252] e08,c+e09,c+e14,c becomes e09,c [0253] e11,c+e12,c+e15,c becomes e11,c

[0254] This gives the following cut sequence constraints: [0255] e09,c and e11,c should be in the first group of tasks, [0256] e10,c and e13,c should be in the last group of task to free the part. An example of an optimized sequence for performing the laser processes, as determined by the planning method according to the invention, is listed below: [0257] e09,c: tkw=0.1 mm, cut face=front or back, . . . [0258] e11,c: tkw=0.1 mm, cut face=front or back, . . . [0259] e01,b: Angle=90, Radius=4, bend face=front, . . . [0260] e02,c: tkw=0.1 mm, cut face=front or back, . . . [0261] e03,b: Angle=90, Radius=4, bend face=front, . . . [0262] e04,b: Angle=90, Radius=4, bend face=front, . . . [0263] e05,c: tkw=0.1 mm, cut face=front or back, . . . [0264] e06,b: Angle=90, Radius=4, bend face=front, . . . [0265] e07,w: Penetration=1 mm, weld face=front or back, . . . [0266] e08,c: tkw=0.1 mm, cut face=front or back, . . . [0267] e12,c: tkw=0.1 mm, cut face=front or back, . . . [0268] e10,c: tkw=0.1 mm, cut face=front or back, . . . [0269] e13,c: tkw=0.1 mm, cut face=front or back, . . .

[0270] The circles S/E around the perimeter indicates possible starting or ending points during the laser cutting sequences.

[0271] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of a further optimization 4 of an optimized undirected graph 4 representation. On the right, the initial optimized undirected graph 4 is shown, with edges e01 to e015, according to FIG. 5. On the right, the further optimization of the graph 4 illustrates that e08,c+e09,c+e14,c have become e09,c and e11,c+e12,c+e15,c have become e11,c effectively optimizing the process of manufacturing a final element from an element.

[0272] FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of a final element 10 being manufactured from an element ELEMENT. From the figure it is illustrated, how access windows AW1, AW2 have been cut in order for a laser beam LASER to gain access to a point within the final element 10, which would otherwise not be accessible for further processing after the two processing structures PS1, PS2 have been bent.

[0273] FIG. 8 shows a temperature representation for an embodiment of optimal processing of an element. The figure illustrates how pulses from a laser heats an element during processes, and is divided into three sections. The lower portion of the y-axis represents pulses at a low energy level, wherein the temperature of the element may be too low to obtain the desired effect within the element, such as bending a section of the element. The middle section indicates an optimal temperature, a key temperature, within the element and the upper section indicates a temperature, melting temperature, which may damage or inflict unwanted results.

[0274] FIG. 9 shows an element 1 being analyzed for any surface defects or contamination. The figure shows a square, flat element 1 wherein the surface has been analyzed for backscatter, and wherein said surface has a first area SUR which has a uniform backscatter, a second area DEF which has a defect, such as scratch and a third area CONT which has been contaminated, such as by a fingerprint.

[0275] In an embodiment of the invention, the method corrects for said detected surface defects DEF and contaminations CONT, by adjusting the energy level for the laser device/means on said affected areas DEF, CONT, so as to attain the desired process of the element 1 in spite of said defect and/or contaminated areas DEF, CONT.

[0276] FIG. 10 is a flow-chart of a method embodiment according to the invention, comprising a computer-implemented method for planning a laser processing of one or more elements into one or more final elements, the method comprising: [0277] S1providing an element model of an element to be processed, said element model having at least a first surface, [0278] S2providing a final model of the final element, [0279] S3projecting the final model onto the first surface of the element model, [0280] S4determining a plurality of processing steps, the total number of processing steps being n, said processing steps comprising: [0281] S5identifying a base structure of the element model, [0282] S6identifying one or more processing structures of the element model, [0283] S7optionally identifying one or more fixation structures of the element model, [0284] S8identifying a plurality of connections between the base structure, the one or more processing structures, the one or more fixation structures, the fixation structures and any non-process sections of the element model, [0285] S9identifying the laser processing to use, in order to process the element model into the final model, the laser processing comprising one or more of a laser cutting process, a laser bending process and a laser forming process, the total number of laser processes to be used being p, [0286] S10generating laser process specifications for each of the laser processes p, and [0287] S11generating a first set of instructions for processing the element model into the final model, based on the plurality of processing steps n.

[0288] Although the present invention has been described in connection with the specified embodiments, it should not be construed as being in any way limited to the presented examples. The scope of the present invention is set out by the accompanying claim set. In the context of the claims, the terms comprising or comprises do not exclude other possible elements or steps. Also, the mentioning of references such as a or an etc. should not be construed as excluding a plurality. The use of reference signs in the claims with respect to elements indicated in the figures shall also not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Furthermore, individual features mentioned in different claims, may possibly be advantageously combined, and the mentioning of these features in different claims does not exclude that a combination of features is not possible and advantageous.