Method and device for the production of a swaging

#The invention relates to a method and a device for the production of a swaging.

#Filigree swagings may be produced by means of laser beams. FIG. 1 shows a known device for this process. 1 denotes a laser light source, 2 denotes a switch (optical or electric), 3 denotes a focus control, 4 denotes a beam guide, 5 denotes a workpiece, 6 denotes a swaging, 7 denotes a control device, 8 denotes a sensor (depth sensor, location-sensing), 9 denotes a workpiece table, 10 denotes a laser beam, and 11 denotes the z axis adjustment of the worktable. The plane of projection is considered as the x-z plane, as schematically shown. The y axis is perpendicular to the plane of projection.

#A laser beam 10 is generated in the laser 1. 2 symbolizes an ON/OFF tracer which may be designed as a q-switch, as well as an intensity control device. Traced and, if necessary, level controlled laser light then reaches the focus control 3 which is able to adjust the focal position in the z direction. After that, the laser light passes through a beam guide 4 which may consist e.g. of mirrors positioned at right angles to each other. The mirrors are capable of rotating within specified angle ranges and thus can effect that the point of impingement of the laser beam 10 on the workpiece 6 is controlled in the x-y plane.

#A number of embodiments are described below with reference to the drawings, wherein:

#FIG. 1 schematically shows the structure of a device for the production of a swaging,

#FIG. 2 shows the course of ray, particularly in a focus adjustment device,

#The method according to the invention can be respectively realized by suitably designing the control device 7 in FIG. 1 or suitably controlling the focus adjustment device 3 in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 4 schematically shows a “layer map” for a swaging to be produced. 40 symbolizes the outer surface of the swaging desired to be the last one. 41 refers to one of the layers to be ablated and further layers 42, 43, . . . follow below that. This means that in the end the work is carried out in the direction of the arrow 44 by ablating in layers. After the ablation of a layer a following layer may be approached by changing the focal position through the focus adjustment device 3 (triggered by the control device 7). This means that after a layer has been ablated the focus as a whole is relocated downward by Δz in FIG. 4 by suitably controlling the focus adjustment device 3, and then the following layer will be ablated. During this ablation the focal position compensation can be compensated again in the z direction in a known manner, as described with reference to FIG. 3. The focal position can be guided to the individual layers 41, 42, 43, . . . as often as allowed by the available stroke of the focus adjustment device 3. A specific portion of the stroke may possibly be needed to compensate the focal position, as described in FIG. 3. The additionally available portion of the stroke may be used to control the individual layers. When the maximum possible stroke has altogether been attained, a mechanic guiding may be carried out along the z axis after several layers (position member 11 in FIG. 1). Then several guidings to several layers may be carried out again through a focal position adjustment by Δz.

#Thus, mechanical guiding and one or more guidings through focal position adjustments may be alternatively performed in total. If the available stroke of the focus adjustment device 3 permits, 20 layers may for example be approached one by other by guiding the focal position correspondingly. Next, mechanical guiding by the thickness of 21 layers is performed along the z direction and a plurality of layers, e.g. 20, can be approached again through focal position adjustment.

#As the focal position adjustment is considerably faster than the mechanical guiding along the z axis (with the initiation of the necessary control steps and subsequently the repeated switch-over towards the ablation control being the essential value of the latter instead of the repositioning time), it is possible to save time altogether.