Patent ID: 6678061
Filing Date: 2004-01-13
Classification: B23K,H05K

Abstract:
A method of calibrating an optical system of a laser machine, the laser beam of a laser source being directed at target points of a processing surface via a deflecting unit and an imaging unit, and the positions of markings on the processing surface being registered and measured with the aid of a camera, comprising:arranging a first sample plate with a processing surface in a focal plane of the imaging unit in a first calibrating plane, targeting target points on the sample plate with the laser beam in a grid covering the processing surface and providing the target points with markings, measuring the positions of the markings of the first sample plate with the aid of the camera and comparing them with the positions of the target points, wherein first correction values for correcting any deviations are determined from the comparisons and stored in a first correction table; arranging a second sample plate with a processing surface in a second calibrating plane parallel to and at a prescribed distance from the focal plane, wherein, after that, target points on the second sample plate are targeted with the laser beam in the same grid as the first sample plate and are provided with markings, measuring the positions of the markings of the second sample plate and comparing them with the positions of the target points, wherein second correction values for correcting any deviations are determined from the comparisons and stored in a second correction table, and feeding the correction values from the first correction table and the second correction table to a control unit which determines, as required for each target point in each arbitrary processing plane lying between the focal plane and the second calibrating plane, correction values by interpolation from the first correction values and the second correction values and which makes them available for the activation of the deflecting unit.