SHEET METAL PROCESSING METHOD USING LASER BEAMS AND DIRECT DIODE LASER PROCESSING DEVICE FOR CARRYING IT OUT
20170291262 · 2017-10-12
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
B23K26/14
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
H01S5/4012
ELECTRICITY
H01S5/005
ELECTRICITY
B23K26/40
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B23K37/0235
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B23K26/0876
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B23K26/142
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B23K26/0665
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B23K26/0608
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
International classification
B23K26/142
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Abstract
Using a transmission fiber for transmitting laser beams of multiple wavelengths oscillated by a DDL module, and a laser processing machine for cutting a sheet metal with a processing head that condenses the laser beams of multiple wavelengths and irradiates them onto the sheet metal, a mild steel plate or an aluminum plate is cut, and by cutting a mild steel plate with a thickness greater than or equal to 1 mm and less than or equal to 5 mm, a surface roughness (Ra) of a cut surface of the cut mild steel plate is less than or equal to 0.4 μm, and when an aluminum plate with a thickness greater than or equal to 1 mm and less than or equal to 5 mm is cut, a surface roughness (Ra) of a cut surface of the cut aluminum plate is less than or equal to 2.5 μm.
Claims
1. A sheet metal processing method, comprising: oscillating laser beams of multiple wavelengths from a DDL module; transmitting the oscillated laser beams of multiple wavelengths; and processing by cutting a sheet metal with a processing head that condenses the transmitted laser beams of multiple wavelengths and irradiates them onto the sheet metal that is a mild steel plate with a thickness greater than or equal to 1 mm and less than or equal to 5 mm, while using an assist gas that is oxygen with a pressure of 0.05 (MPa) to 0.2 (MPa); wherein a surface roughness (Ra) of a cut surface of the cut mild steel plate is less than or equal to 0.4 μm.
2. (canceled)
3. The sheet metal processing method of claim 1, wherein a focal length of a condensing lens mounted on said processing head is 150 (mm) to 250 (mm).
4. The sheet metal processing method of claim 1, wherein in a case where a BPP is 10.3 (mm*mrad), a power of the laser beams from said processing head is 1600 (W) to 2000 (W), a power density is 8.9×10.sup.5 (W/cm.sup.2) to 2.8×10.sup.6 (W/cm.sup.2), a beam waist diameter is 300 (μm) to 480 (μm), and a Rayleigh length is 2.2 (mm) to 5.6 (mm).
5. The sheet metal processing method of claim 1, wherein a nozzle diameter of a nozzle for ejecting an assist gas is 0.8 (mm) to 4 (mm), and a nozzle height is 0.5 (mm) to 1.5 (mm).
6. A sheet metal processing method, comprising: oscillating laser beams of multiple wavelengths from a DDL module; transmitting the oscillated laser beams of multiple wavelengths; and processing by cutting a sheet metal with a processing head that condenses the transmitted laser beams of multiple wavelengths and irradiates them onto the sheet metal that is an aluminum plate with a thickness greater than or equal to 1 mm and less than or equal to 5 mm, while using an assist gas that is nitrogen with a pressure of greater than or equal to 0.8 (MPa); wherein a surface roughness (Ra) of a cut surface of the cut aluminum plate is less than or equal to 2.5 μm.
7. (canceled)
8. The sheet metal processing method of claim 6, wherein a focal length of a condensing lens mounted on said processing head is 120 (mm) to 190 (mm).
9. The sheet metal processing method claim 6, wherein in a case where a BPP is 10.3 (mm*mrad), a power of the laser beams from said processing head is 1600 (W) to 2000 (W), a power density is 1.5×10.sup.6 (W/cm.sup.2) to 4.8×10.sup.6 (W/cm.sup.2), a beam waist diameter is 230 (μm) to 364 (μm), and a Rayleigh length is 1.3 (mm) to 3.4 (mm).
10. The sheet metal processing method of claim 6, wherein a nozzle diameter of a nozzle for ejecting an assist gas is 1.5 (mm) to 4 (mm), and a nozzle height is 0.3 (mm) to 1.0 (mm).
11. A direct diode laser processing device, comprising: a DDL module for oscillating laser beams of multiple wavelengths; a transmission fiber for transmitting the laser beams of multiple wavelengths oscillated by said DDL module; and a laser processing machine for processing by cutting a sheet metal with a processing head that condenses the laser beams of multiple wavelengths transmitted by said transmission fiber and irradiates them onto the sheet metal, wherein when a mild steel plate with a thickness greater than or equal to 1 mm and less than or equal to 5 mm is cut while using an assist gas that is oxygen with a pressure of 0.05 (MPa) to 0.2 (MPa), a surface roughness (Ra) of a cut surface of the cut mild steel plate is less than or equal to 0.4 μm, and when an aluminum plate with a thickness greater than or equal to 1 mm and less than or equal to 5 mm is cut while using an assist gas that is nitrogen with a pressure of greater than or equal to 0.8 (MPa), a surface roughness (Ra) of a cut surface of the cut aluminum plate is less than or equal to 2.5 μm.
12.-20. (canceled)
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0029]
[0030]
[0031]
[0032]
[0033]
[0034]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0035] The embodiments of the present invention will be described with references to the drawings. In the following description of the drawings, identical or similar portions will be given identical or similar reference numerals.
[0036]
[0037] The laser processing machine 13 has a processing head 17 for irradiating the laser beams ejected from the transmission fiber 12, onto the workpiece. This processing head 17 has a collimator unit 14 for converting the laser beams from said fiber 12 into approximately parallel beams by a collimator lens 15, a bend mirror 16 for reflecting the laser beams LB converted into the approximately parallel beams, to downward in a Z-axis direction that is perpendicular to X-axis and Y-axis directions, and a condensing lens 18 for condensing the laser beams LB reflected to downward by the bend mirror 16. For the collimator lens 15 and the condensing lens 18, it is possible to use general lenses such as plano-convex lenses made of quartz, for example.
[0038] Note that, although omitted to be shown in
[0039] The laser processing machine 13 is further equipped with a processing table 21 on which the material to be processed (workpiece) W is mounted, a gate shaped X-axis carriage 22 that moves in the X-direction on the processing table 21, and a Y-axis carriage 23 that moves in the Y-axis direction that is perpendicular to the X-axis direction, on the X-axis carriage 22. The collimator lens 15 inside the collimator unit 14, the bend mirror 16, and the condensing lens 18 inside the processing head 17 are fixed to the Y-axis carriage 23 in states of having optical axes adjusted in advance, and moved in the Y-axis direction along with the Y-axis carriage 23. Note that it is also possible to provide a Z-axis carriage that is capable of moving in a vertical direction with respect to the Y-axis carriage 23, and provide the condensing lens 18 on that Z-axis carriage.
[0040] The laser processing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention irradiates the laser beams LB of a prescribed condensed diameter that are condensed by the condensing lens 18, onto the material to be processed W, and also moves them on the X-axis carriage 22 and the Y-axis carriage 23, while removing molten materials by injecting an assist gas coaxially. By this, the laser processing machine can carry out a cutting processing on the material to be processed W. For the material to be processed W, various materials such as a stainless steel, a mild steel, an aluminum can be enumerated. A plate thickness of the material to be processed W is about 0.1 mm to 100 mm, for example,
[0041]
[0042] As shown in
[0043] For the plurality of LDs 3.sub.1, 3.sub.2, 3.sub.3, . . . , 3.sub.n it is possible to adopt various types of semiconductor lasers, where a combination of their types and numbers is not particularly limited and can be selected appropriately in accordance with the purpose of the sheet metal processing. The wavelengths λ1, λ2, λ3, . . . , λn of the LDs 3.sub.1, 3.sub.2, 3.sub.3, . . . , 3.sub.n can be selected to be less than 1000 nm, or selected in a range of 800 nm to 990 nm, or selected in a range of 910 nm to 950 nm, for example, but in this embodiment, they are set to be 910 nm to 950 nm.
[0044] The laser beams of multiple wavelengths λ1, λ2, λ3, . . . , λn are controlled by being managed in groups (blocks) of respective wavelength bands. Then, the output can be variably adjusted individually for each wavelength band. Also, the output of the entire wavelength bands can be adjusted such that a desired absorption rate for the workpiece is obtained.
[0045] At a time of the cutting processing, the LDs 3.sub.1, 3.sub.2, 3.sub.3, . . . , 3.sub.n are operated simultaneously, while an appropriate assist gas such as oxygen, nitrogen and the like is sprayed in vicinity of a focal position. By this, the laser beams of respective wavelengths from these respective LDs cooperate with each other, while they also cooperate with the assist gas such as oxygen and the like, to melt the workpiece at high speed. Also, the workpiece is cut at high speed as these molten work materials are blown off by the assist gas.
[0046] The spectral beam combining unit 50 is equipped with a fixing unit 51 for bundling and fixing ejecting end sides of the fibers 4.sub.1, 4.sub.2, 4.sub.3, . . . , 4.sub.n to make a fiber array 4, a collimator lens 52 for converting the laser beams from the fibers 4.sub.1, 4.sub.2, 4.sub.3, . . . , 4.sub.n into parallel beams, a diffraction grating 53 for diffracting the laser beams of multiple wavelengths λ1, λ2, λ3, . . . , λn, and a condensing lens 54 for condensing the laser beams from the diffraction grating 53 and injecting them into the transmission fiber 12. Note that, between the diffraction grating 53 and the condensing lens 54, there is provided a partial reflection coupler 55, that constitutes a resonator together with reflection faces provided at rear end portions of the LD units 3.sub.1, 3.sub.2, 3.sub.3, . . . , 3.sub.n. This partial reflection coupler 55 is preferably arranged between the collimator lens 52 and the condensing lens 54.
[0047] Referring to
[0048] (The Sheet Metal Cutting Processing Method)
[0049] In the following, using the above described laser processing machine, one embodiment of a sheet metal processing method of the present invention for cutting a mild steel plate with a plate thickness of 1 mm to about 4.5 mm and an aluminum plate with a plate thickness of 1 mm to 5 mm will be described.
[0050] 1. A Method for Cutting a Mild Steel Plate with a Plate Thickness of 1 mm about 4.5 mm
[0051] This method is one that cuts a mild steel plate with a thickness of greater than or equal to 1 mm and less than or equal to 4.5 mm, by using a laser processing machine having a DDL module for oscillating laser beams of multiple wavelengths, a transmission fiber for transmitting the laser beams of multiple wavelengths from said DDL module; and a processing head that condenses the laser beams of multiple wavelengths transmitted by said transmission fiber and irradiates them onto the sheet metal, and obtains a cut surface with a surface roughness (Ra) of less than or equal to 0.4 μm.
[0052] Here, the surface roughness (Ra) means an arithmetic average roughness.
[0053] Said surface roughness (Ra=0.4 μm) is much smaller compared with the case of cutting a mild steel plate of the same thickness by a CO.sub.2 laser processing machine (the surface roughness in the case of cutting by the CO.sub.2 laser processing machine will be Ra>1.2 μm).
[0054] In said method, it is preferable that an assist gas is oxygen, and its pressure is 0.05 (MPa) to 0.2 (MPa).
[0055] In said method, it is preferable that a focal length of a condensing lens mounted on said processing head is 150 (mm) to 250 (mm).
[0056] In said method, it is preferable that, in a case where a BPP is 10.3 (mm*mrad), for example, a power of the laser beams from said processing head is 1600 (W) to 2000 (W), a power density is 8.9×1.0.sup.5 (W/cm.sup.2) to 2.8×10.sup.6 (W/cm.sup.2), a beam waist diameter is 300 (m) to 480 (μm), and a Rayleigh length is 2.2 (mm) to 5.6 (mm).
[0057] In said method, it is preferable that a nozzle diameter of a nozzle for ejecting said assist gas is 0.8 (mm) to 4 (mm), and a nozzle height is 0.5 (mm) to 1.5 (mm).
[0058] 2. A Method for Cutting an Aluminum Plate with a Plate Thickness of 1 mm to about 5 mm
[0059] This method is one that cuts an aluminum plate with a thickness of greater than or equal to 1 mm and less than or equal to 5 mm, by using a laser processing machine having a DDL module for oscillating laser beams of multiple wavelengths, a transmission fiber for transmitting the laser beams of multiple wavelengths from said DDL module; and a processing head that condenses the laser beams of multiple wavelengths transmitted by said transmission fiber and irradiates them onto the sheet metal, and obtains a cut surface with a surface roughness (Ra) of less than or equal to 2.5 μm.
[0060] This surface roughness (Ra=2.5 μm) is much smaller compared with the case of cutting an aluminum plate of the same thickness by a fiber laser processing machine (the surface roughness in the case of cutting by the fiber laser processing machine will be Ra>2.7 μm). Note that this is the case with a plate thickness of 2 mm, and that difference will be even larger in the case with a plate thickness of greater than 2 mm, as will be described below.
[0061] In said method, it is preferable that an assist gas is nitrogen, and its pressure is greater than or equal to 0.8 (MPa).
[0062] In said method, it is preferable that a focal length of a condensing lens mounted on said processing head is 120 (mm) to 190 (mm).
[0063] In said method, it is preferable that, in a case where a BPP is 10.3 (mm*mrad), for example, a power of the laser beams from said processing head is 1600 (W) to 2000 (W), a power density is 1.5×10.sup.6 (W/cm.sup.2) to 4.8×10.sup.6 (W/cm.sup.2), a beam waist diameter is 230 (μm) to 364 (μm), and a Rayleigh length is 1.3 (mm) to 3.4 (mm).
[0064] In said method, it is preferable that a nozzle diameter of a nozzle for ejecting an assist gas is 1.5 (mm) to 4 (mm), and a nozzle height is 0.3 (mm) to 1.0 (mm).
[0065] In the following, practical examples of said embodiment will be described.
1. AN INDEX FOR THE PROCESSING EVALUATION
[0066] The following practical example shows a practical example in which a mild steel plate and an aluminum plate are cut by the laser processing machine of said embodiment (the laser processing machine using the DDL module), a comparative example in which a mild steel plate and an aluminum plate are cut by the CO.sub.2 laser processing machine having the CO.sub.2 laser oscillator, and a comparative example in which a mild steel plate and an aluminum plate are cut by the fiber laser processing machine having the fiber laser oscillator.
[0067] Then, said sheet metals are cut by the laser beams from the DDL module according to the embodiment of this invention, the laser beams from the CO.sub.2 laser oscillator, and the laser beams from the ytterbium fiber laser oscillator, and the surface roughnesses of their cut surfaces are compared.
[0068] Note that said surface roughness (Ra) means an arithmetic average roughness. This refers to “a value obtained by the following equation, expressed in micrometers (μm), when a reference length is extracted from a roughness curve in a direction of its average line, an X-axis is taken as the direction of the average line of this extracted portion, a Y-axis is taken as a direction of a longitudinal magnification, and the roughness curve is expressed by y=f(x)” (JIS B 0601 (1994), MS B 0031 (1994)).
2. PRACTICAL EXAMPLE 1
a Mild Steel Plate Cutting Method
[0069]
[0070] Here, values of parameters for the laser beams and the optical elements in the laser processing machine using the DDL module were as shown in the following table 1.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Mild steel plate cutting method Plate thickness (mm) Plate thickness (mm) 1 1.6 3.2 4.5 Focal length of 190 mm 190 mm 190 mm 190 mm condensing lens Assist gas type O2 O2 O2 O2 Assist gas pressure 0.15 MPa 0.08 MPa 0.09 MPa 0.07 MPa Nozzle diameter 0.8 mm 0.8 mm 0.8 mm 1.4 mm Nozzle height (gap) 0.7 mm 0.7 mm 0.7 mm 0.7 mm Cutting speed 8 m/min 5.5 m/min 3.8 m/min 2.8 m/min Beam waist 364 μm 364 μm 364 μm 364 μm BBP 10.3 10.3 10.3 10.3 Rayleigh length 3.4 mm 3.4 mm 3.4 mm 3.4 mm Output 2 kW 2 kW 2 kW 2 kW Power density 1922.904 1922.904 1922.904 1922.904 (kW/cm.sup.2)
[0071] Note that, in
[0072] As can be seen from
[0073] Consequently, it is appreciated that the surface roughness of the cut surface cut by the laser processing machine of said embodiment becomes much smaller than the surface roughness of the cut surface cut by the CO.sub.2 laser processing machine.
[0074] Note that the surface roughness of the cut surface cut by the laser processing machine using the fiber laser will be almost similar to the cut surface by the laser processing machine of said embodiment.
[0075] From the above, it can be seen that the surface roughness of the cut surface with which said mild steel plate is cut by the laser processing machine of the embodiment will be almost similarly large as the surface roughness of the cut surface cut by the laser processing machine using the fiber laser, but will be much smaller than the surface roughness of the cut surface cut by the CO.sub.2 laser processing machine.
3. PRACTICAL EXAMPLE 2
an Aluminum Plate Cutting Processing Method
[0076]
[0077] In this case, parameters for the laser beams and the optical elements in the laser processing machine of said embodiment were as follows.
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Aluminum plate cutting method Plate thickness (mm) Plate thickness (mm) 1 2 3 4 Focal length of 120 mm 150 mm 150 mm 150 mm condensing lens Assist gas type N2 N2 N2 N2 Assist gas pressure 0.8 MPa 1.2 MPa 1.5 MPa 1.2 MPa Nozzle diameter 2 mm 2 mm 2 mm 4 mm Nozzle height (gap) 0.5 mm 0.3 mm 0.3 mm 0.3 mm Cutting speed 14 m/min 6 m/min 4 m/min 2.2 m/min Beam waist 230 μm 300 μm 300 μm 300 μm BBP 10.3 10.3 10.3 10.3 Rayleigh length 1.3 mm 2.2 mm 2.2 mm 2.2 mm Output 2 kW 2 kW 2 kW 2 kW Power density 4820.613 2830.856 2830.856 2830.856 (kW/cm.sup.2)
[0078] Note that, in
[0079] As can be seen from
[0080] In contrast to that, in the case of cutting that aluminum plate by the fiber laser processing machine, the surface roughness of the cut surface becomes greater than or equal to 2.5 μm. Also, with a plate thickness of greater than or equal to 3 mm, the surface roughness becomes greater than or equal to 3.0 μm.
[0081] Consequently, it is appreciated that the surface roughness of the cut surface with which said aluminum plate is cut by the laser processing machine of the embodiment becomes considerably smaller than the surface roughness of the cut surface cut by the fiber laser processing machine.
[0082] Note that, in the case of the cutting processing on said aluminum plate by the CO.sub.2 laser processing machine, the surface roughness of its cut surface was about 1.5 μm to 2.5 μm.
[0083] Consequently, according to this exemplary test, it can be seen that, in the case of cutting said aluminum plate, the surface roughness Ra is considerably smaller for the cut surface by the laser processing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention than the cut surface by the fiber laser processing machine.
[0084] 4, According to the above noted 2 and 3, if the laser processing machine of said embodiment is used in the case of the cutting processing of both the mild steel plate and the aluminum plate, it is possible to obtain the cut surface with the surface roughness that is very small even in the case of either sheet metal.