Abstract: An optical measuring device for monitoring a joint seam, joining head and laser welding head. The optical measuring device monitors a joining region in a workpiece and has at least one light-section device with a first light source for casting a light fan in the direction of the workpiece to be joined, making a triangulation light line within the joining region which intersects a joint seam. An illumination device with a second light source homogeneously illuminates the joining region. A first optical sensor with a first observation beam path for spatially resolved imaging of the triangulation light line is projected onto the joint seam. A second optical sensor with a second observation beam path for spatially resolved imaging of the joint seam is coaxially coupled with the first observation beam path. The readout rate of the first and second optical sensors is >1 kHz and <500 Hz, respectively.

Abstract: A method for monitoring a laser machining operation to be performed on a workpiece by detecting at least two current measured valued by at least one sensor which monitors the laser machining operation and determining at least two current characteristic values from the at least two current measured value, wherein the at least two current characteristic values jointly represent a current fingerprint in a characteristic value space and providing a predetermined point set in a characteristic value space, and classifying the laser machining operation by\detecting the position of the current fingerprint relative to the predetermined point set in the characteristic value space.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for controlling a processing operation of a workpiece by means of a Reinforcement Learning (RL) agent unit, comprising the steps of: (a) observing an interaction zone in the workpiece by means of at least one radiation sensor to generate at least one sensor signal st, wherein the workpiece is processed using an actuator having an initial actuator value at; (b) determining a basis function ?(st) from the set of sensor signals st; (c) determining a reward function rt giving the probability of good results of the processing operation; (d) choosing a next actuator value at+1 on the basis of a policy ? depending on the reward function rt and the basis function ?(st); and (e) repeating the steps (a) to (d) for further time points to perform a RL controlled processing operation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for closed-loop controlling a processing operation of a workpiece, comprising the steps of: (a) recording a pixel image at an initial time point of an interaction zone by means of a camera, wherein the workpiece is processed using an actuator having an initial actuator value; (b) converting the pixel image into a pixel vector; (c) representing the pixel vector by a sum of predetermined pixel mappings each multiplied by a corresponding feature value; (d) classifying the set of feature values on the basis of learned feature values into at least two classes of a group of classes comprising a first class of a too high actuator value, a second class of a sufficient actuator value and a third class of a too low actuator value at the initial time point; (e) performing a control step for adapting the actuator value by minimizing the error et between a quality indicator ye and a desired value; and (f) repeating the steps (a) to (e) for further time points to perform a closed-l

Abstract: A laser processing head for processing a workpiece by means of laser beam, including a housing through which a beam path for the laser beam is led and which has a focusing optical unit for focusing the laser beam onto a joint of the workpiece to be processed. A light cutting device is fitted to the housing and has a light source for generating a light line on the workpiece. A camera is arranged in an observation beam path in front of the camera such that the camera images the light line at the location to be joined and also the portion. The system also includes an image processor which calculates a minimum distance between the stored target trajectory and the current welding path midpoint.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for classifying a multitude of images recorded by a camera observing a processing area of a workpiece processed by a processing beam, comprising the steps of: recording a first pixel image and a multitude of subsequent pixel images by the camera during a processing operation; detecting mismatches of a position and orientation of a keyhole generated by the processing beam in the workpiece within an image plane of the subsequent pixel images in comparison to the first pixel image; compensating the mismatches of the position and orientation of the respective keyholes in the subsequent pixel images with regard to the first pixel image, to produce a set of pixel images having each a normalized keyhole position and orientation; classifying the set of normalized pixel images into at least two classes by means of a classifier.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for monitoring a laser machining operation to be performed on a workpiece, comprising the following steps: detecting at least two current measured values by at least one sensor, which monitors the laser machining operation, determining at least two current characteristic values from the at least two current measured values, wherein the at least two current characteristic values jointly represent a current fingerprint in a characteristic value space, providing a predetermined point set in the characteristic value space, and classifying the laser machining operation by detecting the position of the current fingerprint relative to the predetermined point set in the characteristic value space, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one camera unit, which records camera images with different exposure times and processes them together by using a high dynamic range (HDR) method, in order to provide images having a high contrast ratio as the current measured values.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for classifying a multitude of images recorded by a camera observing a processing area of a workpiece processed by a processing beam, comprising the steps of: recording a first pixel image and a multitude of subsequent pixel images by the camera during a processing operation; detecting mismatches of a position and orientation of a keyhole generated by the processing beam in the workpiece within an image plane of the subsequent pixel images in comparison to the first pixel image; compensating the mismatches of the position and orientation of the respective keyholes in the subsequent pixel images with regard to the first pixel image, to produce a set of pixel images having each a normalized keyhole position and orientation; classifying the set of normalized pixel images into at least two classes by means of a classifier.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for controlling a processing operation of a workpiece by means of a Reinforcement Learning (RL) agent unit, comprising the steps of: (a) observing an interaction zone in the workpiece by means of at least one radiation sensor to generate at least one sensor signal st, wherein the workpiece is processed using an actuator having an initial actuator value at; (b) determining a basis function ?(st) from the set of sensor signals st; (c) determining a reward function rt giving the probability of good results of the processing operation; (d) choosing a next actuator value at+1 on the basis of a policy ? depending on the reward function rt and the basis function ?(st); and (e) repeating the steps (a) to (d) for further time points to perform a RL controlled processing operation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for closed-loop controlling a processing operation of a workpiece, comprising the steps of: (a) recording a pixel image at an initial time point of an interaction zone by means of a camera, wherein the workpiece is processed using an actuator having an initial actuator value; (b) converting the pixel image into a pixel vector; (c) representing the pixel vector by a sum of predetermined pixel mappings each multiplied by a corresponding feature value; (d) classifying the set of feature values on the basis of learned feature values into at least two classes of a group of classes comprising a first class of a too high actuator value, a second class of a sufficient actuator value and a third class of a too low actuator value at the initial time point; (e) performing a control step for adapting the actuator value by minimizing the error et between a quality indicator ye and a desired value; and (f) repeating the steps (a) to (e) for further time points to perform a closed-l

Abstract: The invention relates to a laser machining head (100) for machining a workpiece by means of a working laser beam (108), with a camera (102) with an imaging lens system (116) arranged in front of said camera in the beam path for observing a machining region of the workpiece that is being machined by means of the working laser beam (108), with a focusing lens system (114) for focusing the working laser beam (108) on the workpiece surface (104) or on a position defined in relation to the workpiece surface (104), and with an evaluation unit (122) which is designed to calculate a corrective adjusting displacement (?Zos, ?ZB) by means of an adjusting displacement (?dKL) of the imaging lens system (116) in the direction of the optical axis in order to refocus the camera image when there is a shift in the focal point of the focusing lens system (114), which corrective adjustment displacement compensates a shift in the focal point of the focusing lens system (114) in relation to the workpiece surface (104) or with res

Abstract: A description is given of a modular laser processing system (10) for processing a workpiece (20) by means of a processing laser beam (14), which system has a multiplicity of functional modules (100) with a beam passage region (102) which can be connected to one another in series along a processing laser beam path, comprising a functional module (100) embodied as a fiber connection module (104) and serving for accommodating a fiber end from which the processing laser beam (14) emerges, and a functional module (100) embodied as a collimator module (106) and having a collimator lens (16a, 16b, 16c), which collimates the processing laser beam (14), wherein the collimator lens (16a, 16b, 16c) is selected from a group of collimator lenses having different focal lengths which correspond to a raster dimension (L1) or to an integer multiple thereof, characterized in that the length (A) of the beam passage region (102) of a functional module (100) along the processing laser beam path corresponds to the raster dimension

Abstract: An insert (18) for holding an optical system (90, 92), in particular a focusing optics, in a laser machining head (10) for machining a workpiece with a laser beam. The optical system (90, 92) is displaced in the longitudinal direction of the laser beam relative to the insert (18) via adjusting means. The adjusting means includes a linear adjusting device (64, 66, 68) with a synchronous linear motor (68). The laser machining head (10) has a housing (14) in which the insert (18) can be introduced laterally.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device (10, 32, 56) for cutting a workpiece (12) by means of a working laser beam (14), comprising a housing (16), through which a path is made for the working laser beam (14) and which has a focusing lens (18) for focusing the working laser beam (14) onto the workpiece (12) to be cut within a working area (48), a lighting device (44) with a light source (46) for the incoherent lighting of the working area (48) of the workpiece (12) to be cut, a camera (32), coupled coaxially into the path of the working laser beam, for observing the working area (48) of the workpiece (12) to be cut, wherein an optical filter, which is substantially opaque to the working laser beam (14), is arranged ahead of the camera (32) in the path of the observation beam (22), and comprising a processing unit (56), which is designed for processing image data from the camera (32), in order to determine the geometry and quality of a slit (50) produced in the workpiece (12) by the working laser beam (14), wherein

Abstract: The invention relates to a laser processing head (10) for processing a workpiece (10) by means of laser beam (12), comprising a housing (14), through which a beam path for the laser beam is led and which has a focusing optical unit (18) for focusing the laser beam onto a joint (42) of the workpiece to be processed, a light cutting device (30) fitted to the housing (14) and having a light source (34) for generating a light line (38) on the workpiece (16), which cuts a location to be joined at a predetermined distance (d) from the joint, a camera (24) with an optical bandpass filter (28) arranged in an observation beam path in front of the camera, wherein the light source (34) has an at least local emission maximum in the wavelength passband of the bandpass filter and the optical bandpass filter (28) is configured in such a way that the laser beam (12) is not transmitted, and wherein the camera images the light line at the location to be joined and also the portion—transmitted by the bandpass filter—of the proc

Abstract: An optical measuring device for monitoring a joint seam, joining head and laser welding head. The optical measuring device monitors a joining region in a workpiece and has at least one light-section device with a first light source for casting a light fan in the direction of the workpiece to be joined, making a triangulation light line within the joining region which intersects a joint seam. An illumination device with a second light source homogeneously illuminates the joining region. A first optical sensor with a first observation beam path for spatially resolved imaging of the triangulation light line is projected onto the joint seam. A second optical sensor with a second observation beam path for spatially resolved imaging of the joint seam is coaxially coupled with the first observation beam path. The readout rate of the first and second optical sensors is >1 kHz and <500 Hz, respectively.

Abstract: The invention relates to a laser machining head (100) for machining a workpiece by means of a working laser beam (108), with a camera (102) with an imaging lens system (116) arranged in front of said camera in the beam path for observing a machining region of the workpiece that is being machined by means of the working laser beam (108), with a focusing lens system (114) for focusing the working laser beam (108) on the workpiece surface (104) or on a position defined in relation to the workpiece surface (104), and with an evaluation unit (122) which is designed to calculate a corrective adjusting displacement (?Zos, ?ZB) by means of an adjusting displacement (?dKL) of the imaging lens system (116) in the direction of the optical axis in order to refocus the camera image when there is a shift in the focal point of the focusing lens system (114), which corrective adjustment displacement compensates a shift in the focal point of the focusing lens system (114) in relation to the workpiece surface (104) or with res

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for clamping components during machining, in particular during welding of sheet-metal components arranged in two or multiple layers. The apparatus includes a holder for a machining head, in particular for a laser machining head, a pressure-exerting element fitted on the holder in a movable fashion relative thereto, a pressure-exerting device provided operatively between the holder and the pressure-exerting element and having a first actuating element for moving the pressure-exerting element relative to the holder into a first direction, and a second actuating element for moving the pressure-exerting element into a second direction which is opposite to the first direction, and a force-setting device for controlling the pressure-exerting device in order to set a clamping force. During welding, the clamping force is exerted on the sheet-metal components by the pressure-exerting element.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for regulating an automatic treatment process. In order to ensure the desired quality of the treatment result and to improve it as compared with conventional methods, provision is made for a line of light (15) to be projected, by means of a light source (12) and first optics (13) arranged between the light source (12) and a workpiece (10) to be treated, onto a region of the workpiece (10) treated by means of a treatment head (24), for the line of light (15) to be projected onto a receiver arrangement (18) by second optics (17), and, by means of an evaluation circuit (22), for at least one treatment parameter of a treatment machine (23) to be regulated as a function of the comparison of an actual value of a parameter determined from the course of a profile with its desired value.

Abstract: An apparatus for observing and controlling a laser machining process. A working laser beam is focused in an interaction zone on a workpiece by means of a focusing mirror. The apparatus includes a radiation-sensitive receiver arrangement, and an observation mirror which deflects radiation coming from a region of the interaction zone and couples the radiation out of a working beam path onto the receiver arrangement. The observation mirror has substantially the same imaging properties as the focusing mirror. In addition, an evaluation circuit is provided to which output signals from the receiver arrangement of the observation apparatus are supplied, which processes the output signals received from the receiver arrangement and which supplies output signals for an open-loop and closed-loop control circuit, which in turn controls the laser beam and/or the laser machining process as a function of the output signals from the evaluation circuit.