MACHINE TOOL AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING A WORKPIECE

• US 20090005898A1
• Filed: 06/25/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trumpf Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH + Company KG (Trumpf GmbH + Company KG)
• Original Assignee: Trumpf Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH + Company KG (Trumpf GmbH + Company KG)
• Inventors: Kilian, Friedrich, Schmauder, Frank, Pfisterer, Dieter
• Granted Patent: US 7,899,575 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/172
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/083 Devices involving movement of the workpiece in at least one axial direction
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0869 Devices involving movement of the laser head in at least one axial direction
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/38 by boring or cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/0461 Welding tables

Abstract

The invention relates to a machine tool for processing a plate-like workpiece, including a processing tool. The processing tool is movable relative to the workpiece and the workpiece is movable relative to the processing tool along a common movement axis. A control unit selectively actuates the processing tool and the workpiece in such a manner that in a first processing mode both the processing tool and the workpiece are moved along the common movement axis and, in a second processing mode the processing tool alone is moved along the common movement axis. The invention further relates to a method for processing a workpiece of the kind mentioned above, to a method for creating a processing program, and to a computer program product having code for performing all steps of the method for creating the processing program.

Claims

1. A machine tool for processing a plate-like workpiece comprising:

a processing tool, the processing tool being movable relative to the workpiece and the workpiece being movable relative to the processing tool along acommon movement axis, and

a control unit configured to selectively actuate the processing tool and the workpiece so that, in a first processing mode both the processing tool and the workpiece are moved along the common movement axis, and, in a second processing mode, the processing tool alone is moved along the common movement axis.

2. A machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to switch, during processing of the workpiece, from the first processing mode to the second processing mode before the final cutting-free of a workpiece cut-out from the workpiece.

3. A machine tool according to claim 1, further comprising a suction device configured to apply suction to the workpiece in the second processing mode.

4. A machine tool according to claim 1, further comprising a workpiece table configured to move the workpiece.

5. A machine tool according to claim 4, wherein at least one aperture for the removal of cut-off workpiece cut-outs is provided in the workpiece table.

6. A machine tool according to claim 5, wherein the workpiece comprises a movable element configured to close the aperture.

7. A machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the processing tool comprises a laser processing head.

8. A machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured so that in a third processing mode the workpiece alone is moved.

9. A machine tool according to claim 1, wherein a movement region of the processing tool is smaller than a movement region of the workpiece.

10. A method for processing a plate-like workpiece, comprising:

providing a processing tool that is movable relative to the workpiece, and providing a support configured to move the workpiece relative to the processing tool, the movement of the processing tool and the movement of the workpiece being along a common movement axis,

processing the workpiece, and

during processing, selectively actuating movement of the processing tool and the workpiece in such a manner that a portion of the processing of the workpiece takes place in a first processing mode, in which both the processing tool and the workpiece are moved along the common movement axis, and a portion of the processing of the workpiece takes place in a second processing mode, in which the processing tool alone is moved along the common movement axis.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein selectively actuating movement comprises, before a final cutting-free of a workpiece cut-out from the workpiece, switching from the first processing mode to the second processing mode.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising cutting a slit between the workpiece cut-out and the workpiece in the first processing mode, and then, after switching, cutting the workpiece cut-out free from the workpiece in the second processing mode at a residual connection which has been left during partial cutting-free.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein switching from the first processing mode to the second processing mode is performed as soon as the length of the residual connection becomes less than 40 mm.

14. A method according to claim 12, further comprising fixing the workpiece in position before the final cutting-free operation.

15. A method according to claim 12, wherein, after the final cutting-free operation, the workpiece cut-out is removed from the workpiece by gravity or by the application of suction.

16. A computer-readable medium having encoded thereon software for operating a control unit of a machine tool, the software comprising instructions for causing the control unit to switch between a first processing mode, in which the processing tool and the workpiece both move along the axis, and a second processing mode, in which the processing tool moves along the axis and the workpiece remains stationary.

17. A computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the software further comprises cutting instructions for causing at least one of cutting-free of a workpiece cut-out and cutting-out of a workpiece cut-out, and wherein the switching instructions are executed before the cutting instructions.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the software further comprises instructions for recognizing that a length of a residual connection of a workpiece cut-out to a workpiece is less than a threshold length, and causing execution of the switching instructions in response to the recognition.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the software further comprises instructions for recognizing that a length of a residual connection of a workpiece cut-out to a workpiece is too short to allow further movement of the workpiece, and wherein, in response to the recognition, the switching instructions cause execution of the second processing mode.

20. A computer-readable medium having encoded thereon software for operating a control unit of a machine tool, the software comprising

first instructions for executing a first processing mode in which a processing tool and a workpiece move along the axis;

second instructions for executing a second processing mode in which the processing tool moves along the axis and the workpiece remains stationary; and

switching instructions for causing the machine tool to switch between the first and second processing modes.