Device for aligning and positioning a workpiece relative to a laser beam of a laser processing machine

An apparatus for orienting and positioning a workpiece relative to a laser beam of a laser head that laser machines the workpiece, the apparatus comprising:

• an apparatus base;
• the laser head mounted at the apparatus base;
• a workpiece locating device which receives the workpiece to be laser machined by the laser beam while the workpiece locating device including the workpiece is movable about 6 axes in 4 linear degrees of freedom and 2 rotational degrees of freedom relative to the laser head;
• and
• a movement device having at least three axes which moves the workpiece locating device relative to the apparatus base, the movement device including
• a rigid body;
• a first carriage disposed on and disposable along the rigid body;
• a first rotary drive which generates a torque around an axis of rotation B and drives the rigid body to rotate around the axis of rotation B relative to the apparatus base, whereby the rigid body protrudes radially outwards from the axis of rotation;
• a first linear drive arranged on the rigid body which generates a linear driving force along a linear axis Xw of the rigid body running radially to the axis of rotation B and displaces the first carriage on the rigid body along the linear axis Xw on the rigid body so that an intersection point between a workpiece rotation axis C and the axis of rotation B remains constant when the rigid body rotates about the axis of rotation B and the first carriage moves along the linear axis Xw in a fourth linear degree of freedom of the 4 linear degrees of freedom;
• and
• a second rotary drive arranged on the first carriage, wherein the second rotary drive generates a torque around the workpiece rotation axis C differing from the axis of rotation B and drives the workpiece locating device to rotate around the workpiece rotation axis C.