Growth in industrial application of multiaxis (five or more axes) laser systems for cutting, drilling, and welding of three dimensional parts is occurring as laser systems expand their capability to address needs for:
Greater accuracy and repeatability of laser processed parts
Flexibility for economical small lot manufacturing
High process reliability
Key to this growth is advances in the design and capability of lasers and laser systems. These advances are resulting in systems which are easier to use, have greater capabilities, and lend themselves to greater automation and process control.
Integration of sensing for in-process identification of the workpiece or workpiece fixture position is one area of advancement. Sensing has resulted in greater accuracy of laser processing compared to other methods, even in highly distorted sheet metal parts. Setup time for economical low volume manufacturing has been reduced by sensing the location of a fixture and by automatically identifying the part number of a workpiece being readied for processing. Process reliability is increased by sensing key process control variables, including laser power at the workpiece and gas assist nozzle condition. Teach programming time is greatly reduced using camera assisted methods.
This paper highlights advances, and their implications for users of multiaxis laser systems, in two areas: (1) programming and (2) process monitoring and control.