Simulator and optimizer of laser cutting process
AssigneeThe Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
InventorsPaul Di Pietro, Y. Lawrence Yao
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for stabilizing the cutting front temperature of a laser beam on a workpiece in order to improve the quality of the laser beam cut. The technique and system models the temperature of a virtual grid of nodes on the workpiece's surface and determines the effect of the laser beam on each node's temperature including the creation of the kerf. An optimization technique is then performed on the results from temperature model which creates a power data profile to indicate the correct level of power which the laser should be operated for every point on the laser cut. The technique and system is especially useful when boundary, turns or holes are required where the cutting conditions change creating excessive heat accumulation.
Claims24
A method for improving the quality of a cut made in workpiece during a laser beam cutting process, comprising the steps of:
- generating a model of the temperatures of a plurality of modes on said workpiece, wherein said nodes indicate relative positions on said workpiece;
- generating a laser power data profile for said cutting process responsive to said node's modeled temperature;
- and
- varying said laser beam's power responsive to said power data profile.
A system for performing a laser cutting operation on a workpiece, comprising:
- a laser with a controllable beam to cut said workpiece;
- a processing unit for modeling said workpiece's temperature for said laser cutting operation and for providing a laser power data profile for stabilizing said workpiece's cutting front temperature;
- and
- a controller for changing said laser beam's power responsive to said power data profile.
A method for improving the quality of a cut made in a workpiece during a laser beam cutting operation, wherein a plurality of nodes indicate relative positions on said workpiece, comprising the steps of:
- a. comparing a temperature associated with a first and second adjacent said node along said cut;
- b. incrementally increasing said laser's power if said first node's temperature is less than said second node's temperature by a selected amount;
- c. incrementally decreasing said laser's power if said first node's temperature is greater than said second nodes temperature by said selected amount;
- and
- d. repeating steps a through c until each of said adjacent nodes in said cut are compared.
An apparatus for improving the quality of a cut made in a workpiece during a laser beam cutting operation comprising:
- means for generating a model of such workpiece's cutting front temperature for said laser cutting operation;
- means for stabilizing said workpiece's modeled cutting front temperature;
- and
- means for providing a laser power data profile responsive to said stabilized modeled cutting front temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.