Positioning method, apparatus and a product thereof

A method of laser micro-machining a work piece with a laser, the method comprising by the steps of:

• locating the workpiece on a carrier forming a part of a transport system whereby the carrier can be displaced along a path parallel to an X-axis of the workpiece, a Y-axis lying transverse the path, and a Z-axis lying transverse the path;
• focusing an image generated by an output beam from the laser, at a working datum position defined relative to the path, the path is established by the transport system to traverse the first datum position;
• defining a plane by the X- and Y-axis lying substantially perpendicular to the output beam;
• displacing the workpiece along the path by way of the transport system so as to enable the work-piece to be subject to micro-machining by way of the laser;
• maintaining a distance between the datum position and a current first surface position of the workpiece in a vicinity of the of the datum position;
• and
• varying the working datum position to accord with local variations in thickness of the workpiece so that the working datum position is maintained at a fixed distance relative to a surface of the workpiece.

An apparatus for laser micro-machining a work piece by a laser, the apparatus comprising:

• a carrier forming a part of a transport system whereby the carrier can be displaced along a path parallel to an X-axis of the workpiece, a Y-axis lying transverse the path, and a Z-axis lying transverse the path;
• a means whereby an output beam from a laser can be one of focused or imaged at a predetermined working datum defined relative to the path which path is established by means of the transport system to traverse the first datum position;
• a plane defined by the X- and Y-axis lying substantially perpendicular to the output beam;
• a drive means for causing the workpiece to be displaced along the path by way of the transport system so as to enable the work-piece to be subject at the datum position to micro-machining by way of the laser, by following a process of:
• maintaining means for regulating distance between a current working datum position and a current first surface position of the workpiece in the vicinity of the datum position;
• and
• focusing adjusting means, enabling the working datum position to accord with local variations in thickness of the workpiece so that the working datum position is maintained at a fixed distance relative to a surface of the workpiece and providing a carrier and transport system enabling the workpiece to be displaced along the path with the plane of the workpiece defined by the X-axis and the Y-axis either vertical or at some other angle to the horizontal.