Apparatus for laser cutting and/or marking

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for cutting and/or marking products by means of laser beams. The apparatus comprises at least one laser light emitter moveable in a first direction (X) along a cross-bar, the cross-bar being in turn moveable above a working plan in a second direction (Y) transversal to said first direction (X), and at least two motors for moving the laser light emitter and the cross-bar. The laser light source is positioned to direct a laser light beam onto said working plan. Advantageously the two motors are positioned fixed and are coupled together and both to the laser light source, and to the cross-bar, by means of a transmission belt.

Description

Further aspects of the present invention will be more evident from the following illustrative non-limiting description, with reference to the annexed schematic drawings,

wherein:

the FIG. 1 is a simplified scheme of an apparatus according to the present invention;

the FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an apparatus according to the present invention;

the FIG. 3 is a top view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2;

the FIG. 4 is a detail of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2;

the FIG. 5 is a detail of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2.

Claims

1. An apparatus for cutting and/or marking products by means of laser light beams, comprising at least one laser light emitter movable in a first direction along a cross-bar, said cross-bar being in turn moveable above a working plan in a second direction transversal to said first direction, said emitter being positioned to direct a laser light beam towards said working plan, at least two motors for moving said emitter and said cross-bar, characterized in that said at least two motors are positioned fixed and drive at least one transmission belt engaging said cross-bar, to control its movement in said first directions, and being engaged to said emitter.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said transmission belt is driven by both said two motors at the same time and wounds at least in part on one or more idler wheels rotatably engaged to said cross-bar.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmission belt extends along a closed path and its ends are fixed to said emitter.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that said cross-bar engages two parallel guides arranged laterally with respect to said working plan and said transmission belt extends along the H path defined by the cross-bar and said two lateral guides, being guided by a plurality of idler wheels and by said motors.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that said two motors are each positioned in correspondence of a first end of said lateral guides, and at least an idler wheel is positioned in correspondence of the second end of the lateral guides, opposite to said first end, to divert the trajectory of said transmission belt from one of said motors to an idler wheel engaged to the cross-bar.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, characterized by comprising further two motors, each of the four motors being positioned in correspondence of an end of said lateral guides, said transmission belt connecting said four motors and being guided by the idler wheels of the cross-bar.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said emitter is a laser light source or a focalizing head suitable to focalize onto said product a laser light beam generated by an external source.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said laser source has a power comprised in the range 10 W-500 W.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by comprising a unit to control said motors and said emitters.

10. A method for performing the cutting and/or the marking products positioned on a working plan by means of a laser beam, comprising the steps of providing a laser light emitter moveable above said working plan along two orthogonal directions X and Y, characterized by comprising the step of moving said emitter by means of at least one transmission belt driven by two motors positioned fixed.

11. A method for cutting and/or marking products positioned on the working plan of the apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by comprising the step of operating said two motors at the same speed and in opposite direction to translate said moveable cross-bar in said first direction and the step of operating said two motors at the same speed and in the same direction to translate said emitter along the moveable cross-bar in said second directions.

12. A method for cutting and/or marking products positioned on the working plan of the apparatus according to claim 6, characterized by comprising the step of operating a first couple of motors at the same speed and in opposite direction with respect to a second couple of motors to translate the moveable cross-bar in said first direction and the step of operating said first couple of motors at the same speed and in the same direction of the second couple of motors to translate said emitter along the moveable cross-bar in said second direction.

13. The method according to claim 11, characterized by comprising the further step of operating said motors to move said laser beam onto said product with an energy distribution being constant in time and in space.

14. Use of the apparatus according to claim 1 for the treatment of products by means of laser light.