LASER CUTTING MACHINE FOR THE WORKING OF MATERIAL PRESENTED IN SHEET AND/OR REEL FORM

Abstract

A laser cutting machine including an X1 axis provided with clamps which make it possible to firmly grip a material to be cut in sheets or on reels (the blank) enabling the material to be moved from left to right; a Y-axis: perpendicular to the X1 axis, enabling the movement of a laser cutting head; an X2 axis with at least one pair of clamping rollers enabling the material to be moved to the left or to the right; a straightening/de-cambering/levelling system placed beside this X2 axis comprising an optimised number of rollers; a unit incorporating the X2 axis and the straightening system which can be moved upwards or downwards, and a motorized discharge table enabling the cut elements (scrap and good pieces) to be discharged at a precise point, delimiting a picking zone.

Claims

1. Laser cutting machine comprising a X1 axis provided with clamps which make it possible to firmly grip a material to be cut in sheets or on reels (the blank), enabling the material to be moved from left to right, a Y-axis: perpendicular to the X1 axis, enabling the movement of a laser cutting head, an X2 axis with at least one pair of clamping rollers enabling the material to be cut to be moved to the left or to the right, a straightening/de-cambering/levelling system placed beside this X2 axis comprising a number of rollers, a unit incorporating the X2 axis and the straightening/de-cambering/levelling system which can be moved upwards or downwards, and a motorised discharge table enabling the cut elements to be discharged (scrap and good pieces) at a precise point.

2. The laser cutting machine according to claim 1, wherein the unit incorporating X2 and the straightening/de-cambering/levelling system is provided in its upper part with a compatible material which limits friction on the material to be cut.

3. The laser cutting machine according to claim 2, wherein the compatible material limiting friction on the material to be cut (unit) includes brushes.

4. The laser cutting machine according to claim 1, wherein the units incorporating the X2 axis and the straightening system includes a parking or at-rest position, in which an upper surface of the unit is aligned with the machine's pass line.

5. The laser cutting machine according to claim 1, wherein the unit incorporating the X2 axis and the straightening/de-cambering/levelling system includes a working position (top position) in which the unit is positioned so that the X2 axis is at the same level as the pass line.

6. The laser cutting machine according to claim 1, wherein it includes a recovery tray or a motorised conveyor, installed below the laser cutting head, discharging pieces outside the machine.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0059] Other special features and characteristics of the invention will emerge from the appended drawings in which:

[0060] FIG. 1 shows a layout for a preferred embodiment in blank cutting mode (the X2/straightening/de-cambering/levelling unit) being in the bottom position (=at rest=parking).

[0061] FIG. 2 shows a diagrammatic view of a X, Y cutting gantry.

[0062] FIG. 3 shows a layout for a preferred embodiment in cutting from a reel mode (the X2/straightening/de-cambering/levelling unit) being in the top position.

[0063] FIG. 4 is a schematic overview of a machine which cuts only from reels.

[0064] FIG. 5 shows a layout for a preferred embodiment in cutting from a reel mode as carried out on a line (FIG. 4). The two loops (1 and 2) are represented.

[0065] FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the top showing the layout of the various elements of a machine for cutting from reels and from flat blanks. It is important to stress that the two separate operating modes cohabit (from flat blanks) and from reels, the clamps as indicated are coincident in both cases but do not interfere, in summary their mechanical constitution and position makes both operating modes possible.

[0066] FIGS. 7 to 11 illustrate the cutting of a shaped piece from a blank, the blank is located to the right of the cutting head, the discharge of the piece can be done favourably by the motorised discharge table which is to the left of the laser cutting head. Gradually the X1 axis will move to the left and the Y-axis will also move; the conjunction of these two axes will determine the path of the cut which will appear between FIGS. 8 to 10, and which finally in FIG. 11 will discharge the piece through the movement of the motorised table, discharging the part outside the machine to the picking zone.

[0067] The cycle can continue, the X1 axis moves the remaining sheet metal (represented by hatching and positioned to the right), and the next cut can start etc.

[0068] FIGS. 12 to 15 illustrate the cutting of material scrap to be extracted from the middle of the blank. The blank is located to the right of the cutting head, the discharge of the scrap which is cut into successive slices which will fall downwards into the recovery tray/motorised conveyor. Gradually the X1 axis will move to the left and the Y-axis will also move; the conjunction of these two axes will determine the path of the cut which will appear between FIG. 12 to 15, to finally discharge a round shape in this example (any geometric shape whatsoever can also be cut).

[0069] To sum up, this laser cutting machine makes it possible to cut from reels, the suitable clamping of the flat blank and the suitable discharge of cut pieces and scrap result in the most optimised solution which can exist on the market in order to: [0070] Save material, [0071] Produce an extremely flushnesting between parts because a rigid skeleton is no longer necessary, [0072] Remove the need to keep a skeleton once the pieces are cut, [0073] And therefore suitable elimination of scrap in small elements, [0074] Intelligent recovery in a continuous flow of cut elements=no dead time, [0075] Possible integration of an automatic system for the loading and unloading of material/the machine can therefore work autonomously over long periods/or a manual solution for loading/unloading operations.

[0076] Control System and Software

[0077] This patent application does not describe the automation and the system which allows the shape and dimensions of the pieces to be cut to be determined. The most generally used software system described as a dedicated CAD/CAM within the applicable sector (HVAC, thermal insulation, etc.) combined with a nesting type application to limit material scrap. These CAD/CAM and nesting systems are used in all modern cutting systems, whether these are cutting gantries, or systems that cut from a reel. These CAD/CAM and nesting systems can be easily adapted by a skilled person to correspond to the machine's functionality and geometry.

[0078] Cutting Strategy

[0079] A technique used for the cutting of thin sheet metal and low-resistance material (e.g. thin aluminium from 0.4 to 0.7 mm used in thermal insulation) consist of leaving micro-fasteners between the various pieces. When the cutting process on a metal sheet of determined dimensions is finished, the blank is extracted from the machine and the pieces are detached manually, the micro-fastener then being broken by a repetitive cracking movement or by a pair of scissors. The shaped pieces to be recovered and the scraps are then sorted manually. This working method may sometimes be preferred depending on the type of user. For example, blanks may be precut with micro-fasteners in a centralised workshop and then be sent flat to a decentralised site to be processed there.

[0080] This laser cutting machine can clearly accept this working method which is fundamentally connected to the cutting pass which will be generated by the CAD/CAM system.