X and Y orthogonal cut direction processing with set beam separation using 45 degree beam split orientation apparatus and method
View Patent ↗An X & Y orthogonal cut apparatus for scribing a pair of parallel cuts on a planar workpiece, the workpiece plane having an X-axis and a Y-axis, where the apparatus includes a laser device generating at least two beams including a first beam and a second beam, the first beam and the second beam each having an impact point on the workpiece, the first and second impact points being positioned diagonally with respect to the X and Y axes of the workpiece, and at least one actuator to move at least one of the impact points relative to the workpiece and the workpiece relative to the impact points.
1. An X & Y orthogonal cut apparatus for scribing a pair of parallel cuts on a planar workpiece, the workpiece plane having an X-axis and a Y-axis perpendicular to the X-axis, the apparatus comprising:
a laser device, the laser device generating at least two beams including a first beam and a second beam along a Z-axis orthogonal to each of the X-axis and the Y-axis, the first beam and the second beam concurrently impacting the workpiece at a first and a second impact point, the first and second impact points being positioned with respect to the X and Y axes of the workpiece plane such that a line formed by the first and second impact points has a slope of either one or negative one;
at least one actuator that moves the first and second beams or the workpiece bi-directionally along the X-axis and moves the first and second beams or the workpiece bi-directionally along the Y-axis in order to move the first and the second impact points to scribe a first pair of parallel cuts along the X-axis and a second pair of parallel cuts along the Y-axis; and
a controller that maintains a relative position of the first and second beams while the first and second beams are concurrently impacting the workpiece at the first and the second impact point such that the first and second impact points of the beams maintain the slope of the line at a same value during the first pair of parallel cuts along the X-axis of the workpiece plane and during the second pair of parallel cuts along the Y-axis of the workpiece plane, the second pair of parallel cuts being perpendicular to the first pair of parallel cuts.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the laser device comprises:
a first shutter to control the first beam; and
a second shutter to control the second beam.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the controller aligns at least one of a first end of a cut made by the first beam with a first end of a cut made by the second beam and a second end of the cut made by the first beam with a second end of the cut made by the second beam.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one actuator comprises a first actuator that moves the workpiece bi-directionally along the Y-axis.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising:
positioning optics mounted along the Z-axis to direct the laser beams at the workpiece; and wherein the at least one actuator comprises a second actuator that moves the positioning optics bi-directionally along the X-axis.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the laser device comprises at least one diode-pumped laser.
7. An X & Y orthogonal cut apparatus for a laser device generating at least two beams including a first beam and a second beam for scribing a pair of parallel cuts on a planar workpiece, the workpiece plane having an X-axis and a Y-axis perpendicular to the X-axis, the apparatus comprising:
positioning optics for directing the first beam and the second beam along a Z-axis orthogonal to each of the X-axis and the Y-axis to concurrently impact the workpiece at a first and a second impact point, the first and second impact points being positioned with respect to the X and Y axes of the workpiece such that a line formed by the first and second impact points has a slope of either one or negative one;
a first actuator that moves the positioning optics bi-directionally along one of the X-axis and the Y-axis to concurrently move the first and the second beams so that their first and second impact points scribe a pair of parallel cuts along the one of the X-axis and the Y-axis;
a second actuator that moves the workpiece bi-directionally along the other of the X-axis and the Y-axis to concurrently move the first and the second beams so that their first and second impact points scribe a pair of parallel cuts along the other of the X-axis and the Y-axis, such that the pair of parallel cuts along the other of the X-axis and the Y-axis are perpendicular to the pair of parallel cuts along the one of the X-axis and the Y-axis; and
a controller that maintains a relative position of the first and second beams such that the first and second impact points of the beams maintain the slope of the line formed by the first and second impact points at a same value during the pair of parallel cuts along the X-axis and during the pair of parallel cuts along the Y-axis.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:
a first shutter to control the first beam; and
a second shutter to control the second beam.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the controller operates the first and second shutters to align at least one of a first end of a cut made by the first beam with a first end of a cut made by the second beam and a second end of the cut made by the first beam with a second end of the cut made by the second beam.
10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the positioning optics comprises at least one of a minor and a lens to position the impact points.
11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the laser device is located remote from the first actuator.
12. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the laser device is mounted to the first actuator.
13. A method for scribing a planar workpiece oriented along an X-axis and a Y-axis perpendicular to the X-axis using a laser device generating at least a first beam and a second beam, the method comprising:
directing the first beam and the second beam along a Z-axis orthogonal to each of the X-axis and the Y-axis to concurrently impact the workpiece at a first impact point and a second impact point, the first and second impact points positioned with respect to the X and Y axes of the workpiece such that a line formed by the first and second impact points has a slope of either one or negative one;
performing, using at least one actuator, at least one of concurrently moving the first and second beams and their first and second impact points relative to the workpiece and moving the workpiece relative to the first and second beams and their first and second impact points to control a first cut of the first beam along a direction of one of the X-axis and the Y-axis and to control a first cut of the second beam along the direction of the one of the X-axis and the Y-axis such that a first pair of parallel lines is scribed;
maintaining an orientation of the workpiece with respect to its X and Y axes after the first pair of parallel lines is scribed; and
performing, using at least one actuator, at least one of concurrently moving the first and second beams and their first and second impact points relative to the workpiece and moving the workpiece relative to the first and the second impact points to control a second cut of the first beam along a direction of the other of the X-axis and the Y-axis and to control a second cut of the second beam along the direction of the other of the X-axis and the Y-axis while maintaining the orientation of the workpiece with respect to its X and Y axes such that a second pair of parallel lines is scribed, the second pair of parallel lines being perpendicular to the first pair of parallel lines.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the laser device is arranged along the Z-axis and the at least one actuator comprises:
a first actuator that moves the laser device bi-directionally along the X-axis; and
a second actuator that moves the workpiece bi-directionally along the Y-axis; wherein one of the first actuator concurrently moves the first and second beams or the second actuation moves the workpiece to scribe the first pair of parallel cuts and the other of the first actuator concurrently moves the first and second beams or the second actuator moves the workpiece to scribe the second pair of parallel cuts perpendicular to the first pair of parallel cuts.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein each of the first pair of parallel cuts and the second pair of parallel cuts forms respective saw cutting zones in a surface of the workpiece.
16. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein each of the first and the second pair of parallel cuts defines a saw cutting zone in a surface of the workpiece.
17. The method of claim 13 wherein the first pair of parallel lines defines a saw cutting zone in a surface of the workpiece, the method further comprising:
sawing through the workpiece in the saw cutting zone along the one of the X-axis and the Y-axis.
18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
ending the first cut of the first beam at a first beam end point;
ending the first cut of the second beam at a second beam end point wherein the first pair of parallel lines defines a first saw cutting zone in a surface of the workpiece and wherein the first beam end point and the second beam end point are positioned diagonally with respect to the X- and Y-axes;
starting the second cut of the first beam at the first beam end point;
starting the second cut of the second beam at the second beam end point, the second pair of parallel lines forming a second saw cutting zone in the surface of the workpiece;
sawing through the workpiece in the first saw cutting zone along the one of the X-axis and the Y-axis; and
sawing through the workpiece in the second saw cutting zone along the other of the X-axis and the Y-axis.