# US 2019/0168349 A1 · Machine for workpiece processing

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- Number: US 2019/0168349 A1
- Document ID: US20190168349A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/270,967
- Filed: 2019-02-08
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2012-09-18
- Assignees: Trumpf Laser GmbH
- Applicants: Trumpf Laser GmbH
- Inventors: Juergen Doettling; Robert Ganter; Rainer Banholzer
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190168349A1

## CPC

- B23Q 11/0825: {Relatively slidable coverings, e.g. telescopic}
- B23K 26/706: {Protective screens}
- B23Q 1/66: Worktables interchangeably movable into operating positions
- B23Q 11/0891: {arranged between the working area and the operator}
- B23Q: DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING (tools of the kind used in lathes or boring machines B23B27/00); MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM

## Abstract

A workpiece processing machine includes a separation device for dividing an operating space into a processing region and at least one additional operating region, a laser processing head configured to process the workpiece, and a rotary workpiece changer having a rotatable workpiece support for transporting the workpiece between the processing region and the at least one additional operating region by an opening. The rotatable workpiece support has a protection wall configured to shield the at least one additional operating region with respect to the processing region. The separation device has a protection element movable between a processing position and a transport position and configured to be in abutment with the protection wall in the processing position to close the opening and spaced apart from the protection wall in the transport position. A spacing between the processing position and the transport position is adjustable based on a dimension of the workpiece.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of processing a workpiece by a laser processing machine, comprising:
moving a protection element of the laser processing machine into a processing position, the protection element being in abutment with a protection wall of the laser processing machine in the processing position;
processing a workpiece in a processing region in the laser processing machine by a laser processing head of the laser processing machine;
moving the protection element from a processing position into a transport position; and
rotating a rotatable workpiece support of the laser processing machine to move the processed workpiece from the processing region into an additional operating region in the laser processing machine, a spacing between the processing position and the transport position of the protection element being determined based on one or more dimensions of the workpiece.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a part-region of the laser processing head engages in a free space formed above the protection wall when the workpiece is processed.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the spacing between the processing position and the transport position of the protection element is determined based on a height of the workpiece.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the rotating comprises rotating the rotatable workpiece support to move the processed workpiece from the processing region into the additional operating region through an opening, and
wherein the protection element is in abutment with the protection wall in the processing position to close the opening.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein moving the protection element from a processing position into a transport position comprises moving the protection element in a linear manner between the processing position and the transport position.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
measuring processing radiation into a hollowing space of at least one of the protection element and the protection wall; and
determining that the measured processing radiation exceeds a threshold value, and in response, performing at least one of transmitting a warning to an operator or stopping the processing of the workpiece.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
controlling a drive to position the protection door with the spacing from the processing position based on the one or more dimensions of the workpiece.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
detecting processing radiation entering a hollow space between a pair of sides of the protection wall.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising:
in response to the detecting the processing radiation, transmitting a warning signal to an operator.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising:
in response to the detecting the processing radiation, stopping the processing of the workpiece.