Patent ID: 11906388

Abstract:
A beam irradiation unit (a collimator unit, a processing head, and a nozzle) includes a plurality of optical components, and is configured to convert a laser beam, which is divergent light, to collimated light and then to condense the light to irradiate a sheet metal. A photodetection element (a photodiode) detects intensity of reflected light reflected by an inspected optical component that is one of the plurality of optical components. A control device (an NC device) controls irradiation of a pierced hole with the laser beam as inspection light, subsequently to piercing the portion of the sheet metal to be cut to manufacture a product, and compares, with a threshold, the intensity of the reflected light detected by the photodetection element during the irradiation with the inspection light, to detect whether the inspected optical component is deteriorated, or a degree of the deterioration.