Laser-assisted machining device

• US 9,364,931 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2014
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metal Industries Research and Development Centre
• Original Assignee: Metal Industries Research and Development Centre
• Inventors: Chuang, Yin, Yeh, Chao-Yung, Tsai, Chung-Li, Lyu, Yu-Ting
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh, Sunil K
• Assistant Examiner(s): RUFO, RYAN C
• Application Number:
  US14/510,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20160101492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 219/121.67, 219/121.68, 219/121.74, 219/121.72, 219/121.77
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 2226/18 Ceramic
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 2260/56 Lasers improving machinability with laser whilst milling B23P25/003
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 3/00 Milling particular work; Special milling operations; Machines therefor milling gear-teeth B23F, heat assisted machining B23P25/00
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0093 combined with mechanical machining or metal-working covered by other subclasses than B23K combined welding or cutting procedures or apparatus B23K28/02
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 25/006 Heating the workpiece by laser during machining

Abstract

A laser-assisted machining device includes a spindle, a beam splitting module and a cutting tool. The spindle has a chamber, and multiple exit holes. The beam splitting module is disposed in the spindle and includes a beam splitter for splitting a main laser beam into a plurality of secondary laser beams that are directed into the chamber, and an outer reflecting unit mounted in the chamber for reflecting the secondary laser beams out of the spindle through the exit holes. The cutting tool is fixedly mounted on the spindle, for machining a workpiece, and includes multiple cutting teeth. The secondary laser beams maintain constant irradiation on multiple areas of the workpiece during rotation of the spindle.

Claims

1. A laser-assisted machining device adapted to be mounted on a machining tool, comprising:

a laser generating unit adapted to be mounted on the machining tool for generating a main laser beam;

a spindle including

a hollow shaft body that is adapted to be mounted rotatably on the machining tool and that is spaced apart from said laser generating unit,

a hollow shaft core that is mounted co-rotatably in said shaft body, and that has a channel extending along a longitudinal axis of said hollow shaft core, and an entry hole communicating with said channel and the external environment, and

a plate body that is connected co-rotatably to and that surrounds said hollow shaft core and that defines a chamber in spatial communication with said channel, said plate body having a light output surface that is disposed opposite to said entry hole along the longitudinal axis, and a plurality of exit holes that are formed in said light output surface and that communicate with said chamber;

a beam splitting module disposed in said spindle and including

a beam splitter that is disposed in said channel for splitting the main laser beam into a plurality of secondary laser beams that are directed into said chamber, and

an outer reflecting unit that is mounted in said chamber for reflecting the secondary laser beams out of said spindle through said exit holes; and

a cutting tool fixedly mounted on said spindle, adapted for machining an workpiece, and including a plurality of cutting teeth, the secondary laser beams traveling respectively through said exit holes to irradiate respectively a plurality of processing areas the workpiece, such that, during rotation of said spindle, the secondary laser beams maintain constant irradiation on the processing areas.

2. The laser-assisted machining device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said beam splitting module further includes an inner reflecting unit that is disposed in said channel and that is spaced apart from said beam splitter for reflecting a portion of the secondary laser beams into said chamber.

3. The laser-assisted machining device as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said outer reflecting unit includes a first reflecting mirror and a second reflecting mirror spaced apart from each other; and

the secondary laser beams include a first secondary laser beam entering said chamber to be reflected by said first reflecting mirror, and a second secondary laser beam being reflected by said inner reflecting unit to enter said chamber to be subsequently reflected by said second reflecting mirror.

4. The laser-assisted machining device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said exit holes include a first exit hole and a second exit hole, the first secondary laser beam being reflected by said first reflecting mirror to exit said chamber via said first exit hole, the second secondary laser beam being reflected by said second reflecting mirror to exit said chamber via said second exit hole.

5. The laser-assisted machining device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said cutting tool includes a first blade and a second blade disposed symmetrically to each other, the first and second secondary laser beams traveling respectively through said first and second exit holes and traveling respectively in front of said first and second cutting teeth to irradiate respectively the processing areas on the workpiece.

6. The laser-assisted machining device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said first and second reflecting mirrors are separately movable for adjusting paths of the first and second secondary laser beams to overlap the first and second processing areas.