Method of and apparatus for supplying cooling water to laser processing head and method of producing cooling water

Abstract

A method of supplying cooling water to a laser processing head includes arranging a cooling water supply path connected to the laser processing head, connecting, to the cooling water supply path, a water supply path for supplying water and an antirust supply path for supplying antirust, keeping constant a ratio between a water quantity fed by a water feed means connected to the water supply path and an antirust quantity fed by an antirust feed means connected to the antirust supply path, mixing the water and antirust in the cooling water supply path, and supplying cooling water to the laser processing head.

1 . A method of supplying cooling water to a laser processing head, comprising;
 providing a cooling water supply path connected to the laser processing head,   connecting, to the cooling water supply path, a water supply path for supplying water and an antirust supply path for supplying antirust,   keeping constant a ratio between a water quantity fed by a water feeder connected to the water supply path and an antirust quantity fed by an antirust feeder connected to the antirust supply path,   mixing the water and antirust in the cooling water supply path, and   supplying cooling water to the laser processing head.   
     
     
         2 . The method of supplying cooling water according to  claim 1 , wherein, in the cooling water supply path, a cooling water tank for storing cooling water is provided and the water and antirust are mixed in the cooling water tank. 
     
     
         3 . The method of supplying cooling water according to  claim 1 , wherein, in the cooling water supply path, a cooling water tank is provided for storing cooling water and the water supply path for supplying water and the antirust supply path for supplying antirust are connected to a mixed solution supply path connected to the cooling water tank, and water fed by the water feeder connected to the water supply path and antirust fed by the antirust feeder connected to the antirust supply path are mixed in the mixed solution supply path and the mixed cooling water is stored in the cooling water tank. 
     
     
         4 . A method of supplying cooling water to a laser processing head, comprising;
 providing, in a cooling water supply path connected to the laser processing head, a cooling water tank for storing cooling water,   connecting, to the cooling water tank, a water supply path for supplying water and an antirust supply path for supplying antirust,   mixing, in the cooling water tank, water fed by a water feeder connected to the water supply path and antirust fed by an antirust feeder connected to the antirust feed path,   adjusting a water feed quantity and/or an antirust feed quantity so that a cooling water conductivity in the cooling water tank comes within a preset range,   maintaining the cooling water conductivity within the preset range, and   supplying the cooling water to the laser processing head.   
     
     
         5 . A method of producing laser processing cooling water, comprising;
 connecting, to a cooling water tank for storing cooling water that is a mixture of water and antirust, a water supply path for supplying the water and an antirust supply path for supplying the antirust,   substantially keeping constant a ratio between a water quantity supplied from the water supply path and an antirust quantity supplied from the antirust supply path, and mixing and storing the water and antirust in the cooling water tank.   
     
     
         6 . A method of producing laser processing cooling water, comprising;
 connecting a mixed water supply path to a cooling water tank for storing cooling water that is a mixture of water and antirust,   connecting, to the mixed water supply path, a water supply path for supplying the water and an antirust supply path for supplying the antirust,   substantially keeping constant a ratio between a water quantity supplied from the water supply path and an antirust quantity supplied from the antirust supply path,   mixing the water and antirust in the mixed water supply path, and   storing the mixed cooling water in the cooling water tank.   
     
     
         7 . The method of producing laser processing cooling water according to  claim 5 , wherein pure water purified from tap water through a pure water unit is employed as the water. 
     
     
         8 . The method of producing laser processing cooling water according to  claim 5 , wherein supplying the water and antirust supplied to the cooling water tank is achieved by keeping constant a ratio between a water quantity and an antirust quantity during a period from a stored water quantity detection means provided for the cooling water tank detects a preset decrease until the water quantity detector detects a preset increase, or until a preset time elapses, or until a flow rate meter provided for the water supply path and a flow rate meter provided for the antirust supply path detect preset flow rates. 
     
     
         9 . The method of producing laser processing cooling water according to  claim 5 , wherein the water and antirust supplied to the cooling water tank is achieved by measuring, with a water meter, a cooling water quantity supplied from the cooling water tank to the laser processing head and after the measured value reaches a preset quantity. 
     
     
         10 . A method of producing laser processing cooling water, comprising;
 providing a cooling water tank for storing cooling water that is a mixture of water and antirust,   connecting, to the cooling water tank, a water supply path for supplying water and an antirust supply path for supplying the antirust,   mixing the water supplied from the water supply path and the antirust supplied from the antirust supply path to produce the cooling water,   measuring a cooling water conductivity in the cooling water tank, and   adjusting a supply quantity of the water and/or of the antirust to maintain the conductivity within a preset range.   
     
     
         11 . An apparatus for supplying cooling water to a laser processing head, comprising;
 a cooling water supply path connected to a laser processing head,   a water supply path for supplying water and an antirust supply path for supplying antirust both connected to the cooling water supply path,   a water feeder connected to the water supply path, and   an antirust feeder connected to the antirust supply path,   wherein a ratio between a water feed quantity by the water feeder and an antirust feed quantity by the antirust feeder is substantially kept constant.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus for supplying cooling water according to  claim 11 , wherein the cooling water supply path is provided with a cooling water tank for storing cooling water. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus for supplying cooling water according to  claim 11 , wherein the water supply path is provided with a pure water unit for conducting a water purifying process and is connected to waterworks. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus for supplying cooling water according to  claim 11 , wherein the water feeder and antirust feeder each are a metering pump or a metering valve. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus for supplying cooling water according to  claim 14 , wherein the metering pump is a pump whose power source is air pressure. 
     
     
         16 . A method of supplying cooling water to a cooling water tank that stores cooling water supplied to a laser processing head, comprising;
 (a) opening the cooling water tank to atmospheric pressure when supplying cooling water, which is water and antirust, or a mixed liquid of water and antirust, to the cooling water tank,   (b) driving a metering pump connected to a water storage tank, to supply water to the cooling water tank,   (c) returning the pressure in the cooling water tank to an original pressure when a fluid sensor arranged on a downstream side of the metering pump detects a water flow, and   (d) driving an antirust supply pump to supply the antirust toward the cooling water tank side.   
     
     
         17 . The method of supplying cooling water according to  claim 16 , further comprising;
 temporarily stopping the metering pump when the fluid sensor arranged on the downstream side of the metering pump detects a water flow, and   again driving the metering pump when a fluid sensor arranged on a downstream side of the antirust pump detects an antirust flow.   
     
     
         18 . An apparatus for supplying cooling water to a laser processing head, comprising;
 a cooling water tank that stores cooling water supplied to the laser processing head,   a water supply path provided with a metering pump to supply water to the cooling water tank, and   an antirust supply path provided with a pump to supply antirust toward the cooling water tank side, wherein   the water supply path is provided with a fluid sensor for detecting a water flow.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus for supplying cooling water according to  claim 18 , wherein the antirust supply path is provided with a fluid sensor for detecting an antirust flow. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus for supplying cooling water according to  claim 18 , wherein a cooling water supply path that connects the cooling water tank to the laser processing head is provided with a changeover valve that optionally opens and closes the cooling water supply path and is able to discharge cooling water from the cooling water tank. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus for supplying cooling water according to  claim 20 , wherein the cooling water supply path is provided with a conductivity meter for detecting a cooling water conductivity. 
     
     
         22 . A method of supplying cooling water to a cooling water tank that stores cooling water supplied to a laser processing head, comprising;
 (a) supplying cooling water, which is water and antirust, or a mixed liquid of water and antirust, to the cooling water tank,   (b) opening the cooling water tank to atmospheric pressure when a supply pressure of at least one of the water and antirust to the cooling water tank decreases,   (c) driving a metering pump connected to a water storage tank to supply water to the cooling water tank,   (d) returning the pressure in the cooling water tank to an original pressure when a fluid sensor arranged on a downstream side of the metering pump detects a water flow, and   (e) driving an antirust supply pump to supply the antirust toward the cooling water tank side.