Laser control method and laser control apparatus

Abstract

A laser control method for controlling a laser beam irradiated, onto a target object to be processed, during execution of a laser processing program, the method including: providing a processing condition table describing a plurality of different feed velocities, in association with a processing condition of the laser beam corresponding to individual feed velocities; detecting an actual feed velocity of the laser beam that is relative processing velocity of the laser beam relative to the target object while a processing is performed along a processing path instructed by the laser processing program; and determining the processing condition of the laser beam corresponding to the actual feed velocity based on the processing condition table.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram useful for explaining the component construction of a laser control apparatus according to the present embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram useful for explaining the function of the same laser control apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart useful for explaining the determination of a laser power corresponding to the detected actual feed velocity (by means of feed velocity control);

FIG. 4 is a flow chart useful for explaining the determination of a processing condition corresponding to the corner angle (by means of corner angle control).

Claims

1. A laser control method for controlling a laser beam irradiated, onto a target object to be processed, during execution of a laser processing program, the method comprising: providing a processing condition table describing a plurality of different feed velocities, in association with a processing condition of the laser beam corresponding to individual feed velocities;detecting an actual feed velocity of the laser beam that is relative processing velocity of the laser beam relative to the target object while a processing is performed along a processing path instructed by the laser processing program; anddetermining the processing condition of the laser beam corresponding to the actual feed velocity based on the processing condition table.

2. A laser control apparatus for controlling a laser beam irradiated, onto a target object to be processed, during execution of a laser processing program, the apparatus comprising: a processing condition storage section that stores previously a first processing condition table describing a plurality of different feed velocities, in association with a processing condition of the laser beam corresponding to individual feed velocities;a velocity detecting section for detecting an actual feed velocity which is relative processing velocity of the laser beam relative to the target object while a processing is performed along a processing path instructed by the laser processing program; anda processing condition calculating section that determines the processing condition of the laser beam corresponding to the actual feed velocity detected by the velocity detecting section based on the first processing condition table.

3. A laser control apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a corner angle calculating section which automatically detects a corner section included in the processing path and calculates a corner angle of the corner section, wherein the processing condition storage section stores further previously a second processing condition table describing a plurality of different corner angles in association with the processing condition of the laser beam corresponding to individual corner angles; andthe processing condition calculating section determines the processing condition of the laser beam corresponding to the corner angle calculated by the corner angle calculating section based on the second processing condition table.

4. A laser control apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a signal output section for outputting a registered number of the processing condition of the laser beam determined by the processing condition calculating section as an external signal.

5. A laser control apparatus for controlling a laser beam irradiated, onto a target object to be processed, during execution of a laser processing program, the apparatus comprising: a processing condition storage section that stores previously a processing condition table describing a plurality of different corner angles, in association with a processing condition of the laser beam corresponding to individual corner angles;a corner angle calculating section which, while a processing is performed along a processing path instructed by the laser processing program, automatically detects a corner section included in the processing path and calculates a corner angle of the corner section; anda processing condition calculating section that determines the processing condition of the laser beam corresponding to the corner angle calculated by the corner angle calculating section based on the processing condition table.

6. A laser control apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a signal output section for outputting a registered number of the processing condition of the laser beam determined by the processing condition calculating section as an external signal.