Robotically operated laser head
AssigneeGSI Lumonics Corporation
InventorsGerald F. Hermann, Mark S. Leybzun
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A laser cutting or welding device, the device having a laser head (10) and a robot (35), wherein the laser head is attached to the robot (35). The laser head (10) has a housing (12), a focal lens (26) disposed within the housing and a light source (18) in optical communication with the focal lens (26). The housing (12) has a nozzle with a tip (90), the tip having an exit port (17). The laser head (10) has means (33) for adjusting a light path of a light beam directed from the light source onto a focal optic to center a focusing beam formed by the focal optic coaxial with the tip. In one aspect hereof, the laser device has a crash avoidance system.
Claims21
In as laser device of the type having a laser head and a robot, the laser head being mounted to the robot, the laser head having a housing, a focal lens disposed within the housing, a light source in optical communication with the focal lens, a nozzle disposed within the housing, and a nozzle tip disposed within the nozzle having a sensor, the laser device having means for multiple operating modes wherein the improvement comprises:
- means for determining a distance the laser head is operating at above a surface of a workpiece;
- means for determining the position of the laser head at either an extended limit, a retracted limit, or an intermediate position above a workpiece;
- means for stopping the operation of the laser device to avoid damage to the laser device in response to the means for determining when the head is at either the retracted limit, the extended limit, or at the intermediate distance above a surface of a workpiece;
- means for sensing the operating mode of the laser device to determine a method of crash detection comprising the laser head and the nozzle tip sensor cooperating to signal the means for stopping;
- and
- means for selecting and communicating the method of crash detection to the means for stopping.
A method of operating a robotic laser material processing device having a robotic member and a laser head, while avoiding defective laser machining of a workpiece caused by an undesirable laser beam impinging on the workpiece of damage caused by a crash between the device and an object including the workpiece, a fixture, or other structure in a path of the device, the method comprising:
- activating, through the use of robotic control program, a first mode of operation so as to control the device during a first time interval when a surface of a workpiece is not being tracked in relation to changing topography of the workpiece, the first mode of operation having an associated crash protection tolerance defined by a predetermined minimum distance between the object and a location of the device;
- measuring a distance of the head relative to a surface of an object to obtain a distance measurement;
- comparing the distance measurement with the predetermined minimum distance;
- generating a signal to communicate a crash condition whenever the distance measurement is less than the predetermined minimum;
- detecting, during the operation of the unit in the mode, a position of the laser head relative to a travel limit;
- and
- generating, based upon the detected position relative to a limit, a signal to communicating a crash condition so that the operation of the unit is stopped if the laser head is within a predetermined proximity to the limit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.