Material processing system with low-inertia laser scanning and end effector manipulation

{
  "publication_number": "US10399178B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Material processing system with low-inertia laser scanning and end effector manipulation",
  "abstract": "An apparatus includes a robotic manipulator with a stationary base, and an end effector actuated by the robotic manipulator, wherein the end effector is adjacent to a workpiece. A scanning laser head unit includes a laser and an optical train configured to move a laser beam over the workpiece. A control unit is configured to move the robotic manipulator such that movement of the end effector tracks movement of the laser beam.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A system comprising: a robotic manipulator selected from a delta robot and a cable-suspended robot, wherein the robotic manipulator comprises a stationary base; an end effector attached to the robotic manipulator, wherein the end effector is adjacent to a sample region of a workpiece, and wherein the end effector is selected from at least one of a debris management apparatus, an optical element, a sensor, a radiation emitter and a material dispenser; an end effector supply system connected to the end effector, wherein the end effector has a mass no greater than 17 grams and is accelerated by the robotic manipulator at a rate up to 150 m/s per second; a scanning laser head unit that is fixed with respect to the workpiece, wherein the laser scanning unit comprises a laser and a galvanometer scanner configured to move a laser beam to a position in the sample region of the workpiece; and a control unit configured to move the robotic manipulator to track the laser beam position within a distance of ±3 millimeters from the position of the laser beam in the sample region of the workpiece, wherein the control unit comprises a trajectory generation module that generates, based on laser trajectory and parameters, power signals for a laser control module to control the laser beam, trajectory data for a laser head unit control module to control the scanning laser head unit, and robot position data for a robotic manipulator control module to actuate the robotic manipulator.",
    "2. The system of claim 1, wherein the debris management apparatus comprises a vacuum nozzle, and the end effector supply system comprises at least one of a vacuum source and a supply of a fluid, optionally wherein the optical element comprises a camera, or the radiation emitter comprises a source of ultraviolet radiation.",
    "3. The system of claim 1, wherein the end effector comprises a material dispenser, and the end effector supply system comprises a source of a reactive material to be dispensed onto the workpiece by the material dispenser, or a material dispenser, and the end effector supply system comprises a source of an inert gas.",
    "4. The system of claim 1, wherein the cable robot comprises a cable control apparatus attached to the stationary base and actuated by the robotic manipulator control signals, an arrangement of at least three tensioned cables each having a first end attached to the cable control apparatus and a second end attached to the end effector.",
    "5. The system of claim 1, wherein the workpiece is non-stationary with respect to the stationary base of the robotic manipulator.",
    "6. A method for debris management, comprising: mounting a scanning laser head unit over a web of material, wherein the scanning laser head unit comprises a laser and a galvanometer scanner configured to move a laser beam over a surface of the material; mounting over the web a robotic manipulator selected from a delta robot and a cable-suspended robot; wherein the robotic manipulator has attached thereto an end effector comprising a debris management apparatus, wherein the end effector has a mass no greater than 17 grams and is accelerated by the robotic manipulator at a rate up to 150 m/s per second; and moving the robotic manipulator and the end effector so that the debris management apparatus tracks the laser beam within a distance of ±3 millimeters from the position of the laser beam in the sample region of the workpiece, and removes debris from the surface.",
    "7. The method of claim 6, wherein the laser beam is controlled by a trajectory generation module that generates, based on laser trajectory and parameters, power signals for a laser control module to control the laser beam, trajectory data for a laser head unit control module to control the scanning laser head unit, and robot position data for a robotic manipulator control module to actuate the robotic manipulator.",
    "8. The method of claim 6, wherein the debris management apparatus is connected to a vacuum source and a source of a gas.",
    "9. The method of claim 6, wherein the web and the head unit are moving relative to one another."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "Lasers can be used in a number of industrial manufacturing processes including, for example, cutting, drilling, machining and scribing. To move a laser beam in a non-scanning (flying optics) laser process, the laser optics move relative to a workpiece being processed, and the orientation of the laser beam with respect to the workpiece remains constant. In contrast, scanning laser processes utilize steering techniques to trace (scan) the desired laser spot trajectories onto the workpiece. In scanning processes the laser beam departure angle is varied using an optical train that remains stationary with respect to the workpiece being processed. In scanning processes, the orientation of the laser beam is a time varying function of the spot trajectory of the beam.\n\nIn general, the present disclosure is directed to a method and an apparatus for achieving highly dynamic localized workpiece processing in conjunction with a scanning laser system. The apparatus utilizes low-inertia robotic mechanisms to drive a low-mass localized end effector that tracks the scanned laser output over a workpiece. The actuators for the robotic mechanisms (for example, heavy motors) remain stationary, requiring only that the end effector and robotic manipulator move and track the laser beam over the workpiece. This configuration results in minimal system inertia, which makes possible accurate tracking by the end effector of a highly dynamic scanned beam. These low-inertia scanning systems provide localized workpiece processing with sufficient acceleration and velocity such that impact on process throughput is minimized.",
  "cpc": [
    "B23K 26/032",
    "B23K 26/082",
    "B23K 26/142",
    "B23K 26/144",
    "B25J 9/1684",
    "G05B 2219/39033",
    "G05B 2219/40623",
    "Y10S 901/02"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B23K 26/03",
    "B23K 26/082",
    "B23K 26/142",
    "B23K 26/144",
    "B25J 9/16"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "3M Innovative Properties Co"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Brett R. Hemes",
    "Schoen A. Schuknecht",
    "Andrew K. Hartzell"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2013-12-11",
  "publication_date": "2019-09-03",
  "grant_date": "2019-09-03",
  "priority_date": "2012-12-20",
  "application_number": "US-201314653921-A",
  "family_id": "51062417",
  "cited_by_count": 2,
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}