The present disclosure is directed generally to laser processing systems and, more specifically, to laser processing systems that employ multi-camera vision subsystems and associated methods of use and manufacture.
Laser processing systems are being adopted in manufacturing for material processing at an ever-increasing rate. Laser processing offers many advantages over more conventional processing techniques. For example, laser processing is particularly suited for cutting shapes or profiles out of materials, marking or preparing materials by removing or modifying surface layers of materials, and welding or sintering materials, because it offers the advantage of providing non-contact, tool-less, and fixture-less methods of processing materials. In many cases, laser processing is replacing processes that require investments in tooling such as dies for die cutting, masks for silk screening, or templates and fixtures for hard tooling.
The following disclosure describes various embodiments of laser processing systems that employ multi-camera vision subsystems and associated methods of using and manufacturing such systems. In some embodiments, a laser material processing system includes a housing with a material support therein and a lid pivotably coupled to and movable relative to the housing. The system also comprises an optical carriage assembly configured to receive and modify a laser beam from a laser source and direct the laser beam toward a material to be processed carried by the material support. The system further comprises a display and a multi-camera vision subsystem operably coupled to a controller and the display. The multi-camera vision system comprises a first camera carried by the lid and configured to obtain first imaging data when the lid is in an open position, and a second camera movably carried by the optical carriage assembly and configured to provide second imaging data. The first imaging data from the first camera comprises imaging data from all or substantially all of a material processing field within the housing, while the second imaging data from the second camera comprises more precise imaging data from only a selected region of the material processing field that is less than the entire material processing field. The first and second imaging data can be displayed together and/or separately via the display.
In another embodiment of the present technology, a method for processing one or more materials or compositions of materials with a laser processing system comprises generating, via a first camera carried by the laser processing system, a first preview image of one or more materials to be processed. The first preview image comprises an image of an entire material processing field. The method further comprises generating, via a second camera carried by the laser processing system, a second preview image. The second preview image comprises an image of only a selected portion of the material processing field from the first preview image. Based on the second preview image, the method can further include modifying a design file relative to a material to be processed.
Certain details are set forth in the following description and in
Depending upon the context in which it is used, the term “optical element” can refer to any of a variety of structures that can direct, transmit, steer, shape, or otherwise modify or influence laser radiation. In general, the term “optical element” can refer to different structures that provide generally similar functions. In addition, optical elements can have any of a variety of shapes or configurations depending on cost, efficiency, or other parameters of an optical system. For example, in some embodiments a conventional spherical lens can be replaced with a Fresnel lens (or vice-versa). Further, unless clearly indicated by the context, the use of a specific term in the disclosure to describe an optical element (e.g., a lens, mirror, etc.) does not limit the optical element to that particular structure or device. The term “optics” as used herein can refer to a discrete arrangement of optical elements that can optionally include electrical components, mechanical components, or other suitable components.
Many of the details, dimensions, angles, or other portions shown in the Figures are merely illustrative of particular embodiments of the technology and may be schematically illustrated. As such, the schematic illustration of the features shown in the Figures is not intended to limit any structural features or configurations of the processing systems disclosed herein. Accordingly, other embodiments can have other details, dimensions, angles, or portions without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. In addition, further embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced without several of the details described below, while still other embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced with additional details or portions.
Referring again to
The processing system 100 can further include a controller 108 operably coupled to the one or more motors for moving the optical carriage assembly 106 and/or one or more of the guide rails/guide members. In operation, the controller 108 can cause the beam delivery subsystem 110 to move the laser beam in X- and Y-axis directions to process materials placed on the work plane 112. The controller 108 can include, for example, a special purpose computer or data processor specifically programmed, configured, or constructed to perform computer-executable instructions. Furthermore, the controller 108 can refer to any device capable of communicating with a network or other electronics having a data processor and other components, e.g., network communication circuitry.
The processing system 100 further includes a display 109 operably coupled to the controller 108 and configured to display an image or representation of the work plane 112 and material(s) being processed both before and during laser processing. The display 109 may use image data from the multi-camera vision subsystem 120, other available imaging sources, or combinations thereof. The image data may be presented as two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or four-dimensional (including e.g., time-based or velocity-based information) images and/or as images from design file(s) created before processing. In additional embodiments, the display 109 may be adapted to provide additional information/functionality to the user before, during, and/or after laser processing.
Beginning at block 205 (and with reference to both
At block 210 (and with reference to both
Obtaining detailed imaging data via the second camera 124 (block 210) can take a significant amount of time—the scanning operations are time intensive, particularly when obtaining such a significant amount of image data necessary to create the detailed, precise views show in
As an optional step, after reviewing the detailed information presented in preview 307, a user may further manipulate one or more design files relative to the corresponding material before processing.
Returning to
As discussed above, various aspects and implementations of the technology as described herein can be provided automatically or semi-automatically. Although this has been described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as routines executed by a general-purpose computer, e.g., a server or personal computer. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that aspects of the technology can be practiced with other computer system configurations, including Internet appliances, set-top boxes, hand-held devices, wearable computers, mobile phones, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, minicomputers, mainframe computers, programmable logic controllers, or the like. Aspects of the technology can be embodied in a special purpose computer or data processor that is specifically programmed, configured, or constructed to perform one or more of the computer-executable instructions explained in detail below. Indeed, the terms “computer” or “controller” as used generally herein, refers to any of the above devices as well as any data processor or any device capable of communicating with a network, including consumer electronic goods such as gaming devices, cameras, or other electronics having a data processor and other components, e.g., network communication circuitry. Data processors include programmable general-purpose or special-purpose microprocessors, programmable controllers, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), or the like, or a combination of such devices. Software may be stored in memory, such as random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, or the like, or a combination of such components. Software may also be stored in one or more storage devices, such as magnetic or optical based disks, flash memory devices, or any other type of non-volatile storage medium or non-transitory medium for data. Software may include one or more program modules which include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, and so on that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types.
Aspects of the technology can also be practiced in distributed computing environments, where tasks or modules are performed by remote processing devices, which are linked through a communications network, such as a Local Area Network (“LAN”), Wide Area Network (“WAN”) or the Internet. In a distributed computing environment, program modules or subroutines may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices. Aspects of the technology described herein may be stored or distributed on tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media, including magnetic and optically readable and removable computer discs, stored in firmware in chips (e.g., EEPROM chips). Alternatively, aspects of the invention may be distributed electronically over the Internet or over other networks (including wireless networks). Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that portions of the technology may reside on a server computer, while corresponding portions reside on a client computer. Data structures and transmission of data particular to aspects of the invention are also encompassed within the scope of the technology.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the various embodiments of the disclosure. For example, although many of features of the system are described above with reference to singular components that are illustrated schematically in the Figures, in other embodiments the system can include multiple components. Similarly, while certain features are shown have multiple components, in other embodiments, the system can include more or fewer components than are illustrated. Moreover, because many of the basic structures and functions of laser processing systems are known, they have not been shown or described in further detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the described embodiments.
As used herein, the word “or,” unless expressly stated to the contrary, means any single item in a list of items, all of the items in the list, or any combination of the items in the list. The expression “an embodiment,” or similar formulations thereof, means that a particular feature or aspect described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the present technology. For ease of reference, identical reference numbers are used herein to identify similar or analogous components or features; however, the use of the same reference number does not imply that the parts should be construed to be identical. Indeed, in many examples described herein, identically-numbered parts are distinct in structure or function.
Many of the details, dimensions, angles, or other portions shown in the Figures are merely illustrative of particular embodiments of the technology and may be schematically illustrated. As such, the schematic illustration of the features shown in the Figures is not intended to limit any structural features or configurations of the processing systems disclosed herein. Accordingly, other embodiments can have other details, dimensions, angles, or portions without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. In addition, further embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced without several of the details described below, while still other embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced with additional details or portions. Further, while various advantages associated with certain embodiments of the disclosure have been described above in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and not all embodiments need necessarily exhibit such advantages to fall within the scope of the disclosure.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/978,055, filed Feb. 18, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62978055 | Feb 2020 | US |