Patent Description:
The methods disclosed in the document are used in particular but not exclusively in laser cutting of substances of metal, such as steel, and in particular for laser cutting of substances in the form of plates, tubes or bars.

It is known that in laser cutting, cutting gas is used to flush out, by means of a nozzle concentric with the laser beam, the molten or vaporized material from the hole, recess or cut formed by the laser beam.

Depending on the type of material and the desired cutting speed, the cutting gas may for example consist of oxygen, nitrogen, helium, argon, carbon dioxide or combinations thereof. The cutting gas may thus be inert or reactive.

For many applications, inert gases such as nitrogen or helium are desirable since they reduce the effect, such as oxidation, on the material being cut. To achieve high cutting speeds, a cutting gas which reacts exothermically, such as oxygen gas, is selected. In such an exothermic reaction, to a great extent oxide coatings may occur on and around the cut surfaces. Such oxide coatings can have a negative effect on subsequent surface treatment or joining. It is therefore desirable to use inert cutting gas.

The nozzle comprises a channel which extends between an inlet and an outlet and may taper in the direction towards the outlet. The laser beam may be focused through the channel and outlet, and cutting gas may be conducted under high pressure through the channel and outlet.

It is known that a higher laser power allows cutting of thicker material. It is also known to increase the pressure of the cutting gas when cutting thicker material.

<CIT> discloses an approach for improving the cutting speed by bringing the cutting gas to form an eddy. The rotational movement of the eddy is created by means of a set of radially short, oblique wings on the inwardly facing conical surface of the nozzle. Document <CIT> discloses a method in accordance with the preamble of claim <NUM>.

There remains however a further desire to enable cutting of thicker material and/or to enable higher cutting speeds, while retaining the quality of the recess, hole or cut produced, for a specific laser power.

One object is to create a laser nozzle which allows a higher cutting speed and/or cutting of thicker material for a specific laser power.

The invention is defined by the attached independent claim <NUM>. Embodiments arise from the dependent claims, the description which follows and the attached drawings.

A method is created for producing a laser nozzle for gas-assisted cutting by means of a laser beam. The produced laser nozzle comprises an inlet, an outlet, and a channel extending between the inlet and outlet for the laser beam and cutting gas, which channel has a central axis. The channel has a first portion with an inwardly facing surface. According to the method, the outlet is formed such that, before the nozzle is first used, the outlet has no opening or has an opening diameter which is smaller than a diameter of the laser beam, and that the laser beam is allowed to cut away an edge portion of the outlet to form the opening.

<FIG> shows a laser cutting device <NUM> which comprises a holder <NUM> for a workpiece and a cutting head holder <NUM>.

The holder <NUM> is arranged to carry a workpiece such as a plate, a bar, a tube or another part, which may be made of metal, preferably steel or aluminium.

The cutting head may comprise a laser source <NUM> and a laser cutting head <NUM>. The cutting head may also comprise a focusing device <NUM>. A cutting gas source <NUM> is connected to the laser cutting head <NUM>.

The laser beam emitted by the laser head may, but need not, be focused by means of the focusing device <NUM>, which may be integrated with the laser source or the laser head or be formed as a part arranged between the laser source <NUM> and laser head <NUM>.

The laser beam extends along a beam axis which may coincide with a central axis Z of the laser head.

The laser head <NUM> contains a chamber <NUM> which has a connection <NUM> for cutting gas, to which the cutting gas source <NUM> is connected.

The laser head has an inlet <NUM> for the laser beam and an outlet <NUM> for the laser beam.

A laser nozzle <NUM> is arranged at the outlet <NUM>. The laser nozzle <NUM> is formed as a body <NUM> with an inlet <NUM>, an outlet <NUM> and a channel <NUM> extending in between. The laser nozzle <NUM> may be mounted on the laser head outlet <NUM>, for example by means of a screw joint or bayonet fitting. In the example shown, the laser nozzle has a threaded portion <NUM> at its inlet <NUM> which engages in a corresponding threaded portion on the outlet of the laser head <NUM>.

The body <NUM> may be formed as a substantially cylindrical or conical part with a length amounting to around <NUM>-<NUM>, preferably <NUM>-<NUM>. In the example shown, the body has a substantially vertical conical form, the bottom surface periphery of which has been modified to make it easier to grip when the nozzle <NUM> is screwed in and out of engagement with the laser head <NUM>.

The channel <NUM> may have an inward surface <NUM> which is approximately cylindrical or approximately conical.

An approximately helical or spiral blade <NUM> extends along at least a portion <NUM> of the channel <NUM>. The blade extends over at least <NUM> degrees around the central axis Z. For example, the blade may extend over at least <NUM> degrees (i.e. one turn) along the surface, preferably at least <NUM> degrees, at least <NUM> degrees, at least <NUM> degrees, at least <NUM> degrees (i.e. two turns), at least <NUM> degrees, at least <NUM> degrees or at least <NUM> degrees (i.e. three turns).

At the central axis Z, a beam path is shown, the diameter of which corresponds approximately to a maximum diameter of a laser beam for which the nozzle is suitable.

It is clear that the diameter of the beam path may be fixed or diminishing, where it may rather be suitable to use a focused laser beam.

The beam path is defined by a radially inner edge of the blade.

The laser beam has the approximate form of a cylinder or cone with a radius RL from the central axis Z. In the case where the laser beam has a conical form, the radius RL varies along the central axis Z and may be expressed as RL(Z).

The wall has a radius RA which, in the case of a conical wall, varies along the central axis Z and may be expressed as RA(Z).

In the case that both the wall and the laser beam are cylindrical, the radial extent of the blade may be expressed as RA-RL.

In the case that both the wall and the laser beam are conical, the radial extent of the blade may be expressed as RA(Z)-RL(Z).

In the case that the wall is cylindrical and the laser beam conical, the radial extent of the blade may be expressed as RA-RL(Z).

In the case that the wall is conical and the laser beam cylindrical, the radial extent of the blade may be expressed as RA(Z)-RL.

The blade <NUM> thus extends radially inwardly from the wall towards the beam path at a distance which is at least <NUM>% of the difference RA-RL, preferably at least <NUM>%, at least <NUM>%, at least <NUM>% or at least <NUM>%.

The outlet <NUM> from the laser nozzle <NUM> may be adapted to a greatest nominal beam diameter at the outlet.

A second portion <NUM> may be present at the outlet downstream of the first portion <NUM>. This second portion may have an inward conical surface which is formed such that a cone angle of said second inward conical surface <NUM> is greater than a cone angle of said first portion <NUM>.

According to one embodiment, the outlet may have a size, typically the diameter, which is sufficiently large for the laser beam to be able to extend out through the outlet without influencing this or being influenced thereby.

According to the embodiment shown in the figures however, the outlet <NUM> has a diameter which is smaller than a nominal beam diameter at the outlet. This means that, when the laser beam is activated for the first time after assembly, the outlet is cut away by the laser beam so that the outlet has a diameter which is precisely adapted to the laser beam.

Preferably, the initial diameter of the outlet may be <NUM>-<NUM>% of a nominal maximum beam diameter, preferably <NUM>-<NUM>%, or <NUM>-<NUM>%.

According to one embodiment, the laser nozzle - including blade - may be made from one material piece, or from two or more material pieces which are permanently joined together. For example, two material pieces may be joined along a plane which contains the central axis Z.

According to another embodiment, which is shown in the figures, the laser nozzle <NUM> may have an inset <NUM> in which flanges are formed. The inset may be fixedly or separably arranged in the laser nozzle <NUM>.

The inset <NUM> may have a radially outward form which is approximately cylindrical or approximately conical, and an inward form which is correspondingly approximately cylindrical or approximately conical, with the blade as described above.

The inset may be received in a recess in the nozzle <NUM>, the shape of which may correspond to the outer form of the inset <NUM>.

The inset <NUM> may extend all the way to the outlet <NUM> so that the edge <NUM> which is cut away forms part of the inset. Alternatively, the outlet <NUM> may be formed by the nozzle so that the part <NUM> which is cut away forms part of the nozzle <NUM>.

It is clear that the laser nozzle <NUM> or inset <NUM> may be provided with one, two or more blades, which may form one, two or more helical parallel channels through the nozzle.

According to one embodiment, n blades (wherein <NUM> ≤ n ≤ <NUM>) each with an extension of up to <NUM>/n ± <NUM> degrees may be placed such that together they extend all the way along the inwardly facing surface.

When the nozzle <NUM> is used, it is mounted in the known fashion, wherein the cutting gas and laser beam are attached. Due to the shape of the blade, an improved eddying of cutting gas occurs which extends downward into the recess, hole or cut formed by the laser beam, and thereby allows more effective removal of vaporized material.

By forming the opening <NUM> with a diameter which is smaller than the nominal beam diameter, it is ensured that the diameter <NUM> of the opening matches the recess, hole or cut formed by the laser beam, and hence the quantity of cutting gas which does not penetrate therein is minimized.

Alternatively, the nozzle <NUM> or inset <NUM> may be produced without an opening or with a very small opening, wherein the laser is allowed to create the opening when it is first started after mounting of the nozzle/inset on the laser head. On such start-up, it may be desirable to start the laser with a lower power than for normal cutting, and/or to apply the cutting gas with a lower pressure than usual, and then to increase the laser power and/or cutting gas pressure when the opening is formed.

Furthermore, the outlet of the nozzle or inset may be formed with thinner material in the region where the opening is expected to be formed.

<FIG> show an embodiment of a laser nozzle <NUM> in which the blade <NUM> extends approximately over <NUM> turns, i.e. around <NUM> degrees, around the central axis Z.

Since the blade <NUM> extends over the same axial length along the central axis Z, the blade <NUM> has a different pitch in the different embodiments.

An inner wall may be arranged on the radially inner part of the blade, which extends axially along part of the nozzle and divides the part of the channel in which the blade is situated from the part of the channel in which the laser beam runs. The inner wall may have a substantially conical or cylindrical form.

Claim 1:
Method for gas-assisted laser cutting, comprising:
supplying a laser beam (<NUM>) and a cutting gas through a laser nozzle (<NUM>) comprising:
an inlet (<NUM>),
an outlet (<NUM>), and
a channel (<NUM>) extending between the inlet (<NUM>) and outlet (<NUM>) for the laser beam and cutting gas, which channel has a central axis (Z),
wherein the channel (<NUM>) has a first portion (<NUM>) with an inwardly facing surface (<NUM>),
characterised in that
before the start of said laser cutting, the outlet (<NUM>) has no opening or has an opening diameter which is smaller than the diameter of the laser beam (<NUM>), and wherein the laser beam (<NUM>) is allowed to cut away an edge portion (<NUM>) of the outlet (<NUM>) so that the outlet has a diameter corresponding to said diameter of the laser beam (<NUM>).