JPH09136228A - Working machine with xy-table - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a dislocation from occurring even if an external force is applied laterally to a rail for supporting a lower table by mounting the rail by inserting a rail bottom part into a mounting groove, which receives the bottom part of a rail of a group of lower rails, provided in the upper surface of a base plate on which an XY-table is placed. SOLUTION: A Y-table 14 is supported slidably on a pair of Y-shaft main rails 15 at its both side edge parts, and also supported slidably on a center rail 16 at its center part. Also the pair of Y-shaft main rails 15 and center rail 16 are all designed so that it can be positioned on the internal wall surface of a mounting groove 3a in the lateral direction by inserting a rail bottom part into the mounting groove 3a provided in the upper surface of a surface plate 3. Thus, even if an external force is applied laterally to the rails 15 and 16 according to the movement of the X-table 10 supported on the Y-table 14, these rails 15 and 16 are not dislocated because the positioning on the surface plate 3 is restricted.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention According to the present invention, an XY table capable of transferring mounted workpieces in two directions orthogonal to each other is placed on a base board, and the workpieces are exposed to laser light or the like. The present invention relates to a processing machine with an XY table that can perform precision processing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An XY table mounted on a laser beam machine or the like usually slidably supports the X table (upper table) on which a workpiece is mounted via a suction table or the like. A pair of X-axis rails (upper rails), a first drive unit such as a linear motor that linearly moves the X-table linearly along these X-axis rails, and a Y-table on which these X-axis rails are mounted (lower Table), a pair of Y-axis rails (lower rails) that extend in the direction orthogonal to the X-axis rails and slidably support the Y-table, and linear linear movements of the Y-table along these Y-axis rails. It is roughly configured with a second drive means such as a motor, and is mounted on a base plate which is also called a surface plate.
Then, on the base board on which the Y-axis rail group, the yoke, and the like are placed on the upper surface, X is moved by the first and second driving means.
By linearly moving the table and the Y table in two directions orthogonal to each other, it is possible to set the machining shape for the workpiece. Further, in order to perform precision processing in a micron unit on a work piece, it is necessary to eliminate the influence of expansion and contraction due to temperature change as much as possible, so an X table, a Y table, an X axis rail, a Y axis rail, Stone materials such as granite, which has excellent mechanical strength and a small coefficient of thermal expansion, are widely used as materials for the base board.
The axis rail and the Y-axis rail are lightly tightened with bolts and mounted on the upper surface of the Y table and the upper surface of the base board, respectively.

In this type of XY table, normally X
Air gaps are formed by sending compressed air from the air nozzles provided on the table side between the table and each X-axis rail, and between the Y table and each Y-axis rail. Since the frictional force when moving each table along the rail is significantly reduced, the workpiece can be smoothly transferred in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

[0004]

The conventional XY table described above is mounted on the X-axis rail (upper rail) mounted on the upper surface of the Y table (lower table) and on the upper surface of the base plate (surface plate). Since each Y-axis rail (lower rail) is lightly tightened with a bolt, the X-axis rail is X
There is no risk of misalignment when the table moves back and forth, or misalignment of the Y-axis rail when the Y table reciprocates, but when the X table (upper table) moves on the Y table, this Y table An external force is applied to the Y-axis rail supporting the Y-axis rail in the width direction, and particularly when the X table runs away and the shock damper operates, a shock is applied to the Y-axis rail in the width direction. Could be misaligned on the upper surface of the base board. It should be noted that it is not preferable to firmly tighten the Y-axis rail with bolts in order to prevent such positional displacement, because cracks and cracks easily occur in the Y-axis rail made of stone and the base board.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is that the rail may be displaced even if an external force is applied to the rail supporting the lower table in the width direction thereof. It is to provide a high-reliability processing machine with an XY table.

[0006]

The above object of the present invention is to provide an upper table on which a workpiece is mounted, an upper rail group for movably supporting the upper table, and an upper rail group along the upper rail group. First driving means for linearly moving the upper table in a reciprocating manner, a lower table on which the upper rail group is mounted, and a lower rail group extending in a direction orthogonal to the upper rail group and movably supporting the lower table. A XY table having second driving means for linearly reciprocating the lower table along the lower rail group, and a bottom portion of the rail of the lower rail group on an upper surface of a base board on which the XY table is placed. Is provided, and the rail bottom is inserted into the mounting groove to mount the rail.

[0007]

By inserting the bottom of each rail that slidably supports the lower table into the mounting groove provided on the upper surface of the base board, the rail is positioned in the width direction by the inner wall surface of the mounting groove. With this configuration, even if an external force is applied to the rail in the width direction along with the movement of the upper table on the lower table, the position of the rail is regulated by the base plate, so that the rail is not displaced.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. Here, FIG. 1 is a front view of an XY table according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a side view of the XY table with a part omitted, and FIG. 3 is an overall side view of a laser processing machine including the XY table. 4 is a side view of a portion corresponding to FIG. 3 of the safety cover that covers the laser processing machine, FIG. 5 is a side view of the Y-axis linear motor incorporated in the XY table shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and FIG. 6 is the XY. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the legs of the X table of the table, FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the air blowing surface of the legs of the X table shown in FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the suction table of the XY table. 9A and 9B are explanatory views showing the support structure of the suction table shown in FIG.

The XY table according to this embodiment is adopted in the laser processing machine shown in FIG. That is, this laser processing machine includes a processing machine main body 1 for guiding a laser beam (YAG laser) supplied from a laser oscillator 5 by an optical system including a lens group, a beam splitter, and the like, and irradiating the workpiece, and a mounted object. An XY table 2 that can transfer a workpiece (glass substrate) in two directions orthogonal to each other by a linear motor, a surface plate (base plate) 3 on which the processing machine body 1 and the XY table 2 are mounted, and the surface plate 3 And a vibration isolation table 4 on which a laser beam is mounted. A safety cover 7 (see FIG. 4) having a cover frame 6 shown by a chain line in FIG. Covering. In addition, reference numeral 21 in FIG. 1 denotes an optical surface plate on which the processing machine body 1 is mounted.
It is supported by the surface plate 3 via 2.

The XY table 2 has a shaft hole 9a provided at the center of the bottom surface and a large number of suction holes 9b communicating with the vacuum pump 8. The mounted work piece can be mounted through the suction hole 9b group. A suction table 9 that can be sucked and fixed by sucking air, and an X table 10 that rotatably supports the suction table 9 by inserting a columnar support shaft 10a into the shaft hole 9a of the suction table 9. , A pair of parallel X-axis rail portions 11a slidably supporting the X-table 10 on both side edges and having a concave sectional shape, and the X-axis installed inside the support table 11. An X-axis linear motor 12 that linearly reciprocates the X table 10 along the rail portion 11a, an X-axis linear encoder 13 that detects position data of the X table 10, and a Y on which the support base 11 is mounted.
The table 14, three Y-axis rails 15 and 16 extending in a direction orthogonal to the X-axis rail portion 11a and slidably supporting the Y-table 14, and these Y-axis rail groups 15 and 1
A Y-axis linear motor 17 that linearly moves the Y table 14 back and forth along a line 6, and a Y-axis linear encoder 18 that detects position data of the Y table 14 are mainly configured. However, the X table 10 and each X-axis rail portion 11
Between a, and the Y table 14 and the Y-axis rails 15 and 16
An air gap is formed by blowing compressed air from an air nozzle provided on the table side between them respectively, and by reducing the frictional force by these air gaps, the workpiece is moved in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. It can be transferred smoothly.

In order to eliminate the influence of expansion and contraction due to temperature change as much as possible, in the present embodiment, the suction table 9, X is used.
Table 10, support 11, Y table 14, and Y
Granite called Indian Black is used as the stone material for the shaft rail groups 15 and 16, and Granite called Rustenburg is used as the stone material for the surface plate 3.

The laser beam machine equipped with such an XY table 2 drives and controls the XY table 2 to move the workpiece mounted on the suction table 9 in a horizontal plane with high positional accuracy. Therefore, by moving the workpiece along a predetermined locus with respect to the spot-shaped laser beam (beam spot) emitted from the tip (objective lens) of the optical system of the processing machine body 1, A desired processing pattern by beam irradiation can be drawn on the workpiece. Specifically, in a manufacturing process of a liquid crystal display element for full-color display, a product in which a stripe-shaped transparent electrode extending in one direction and a color filter laminated on the electrode are formed on a glass substrate is processed. The color filter is mounted on the suction table 9 and the beam spot is emitted from the processing machine main body 1 while the workpiece is appropriately transferred by the XY table 2, whereby the color filters are arranged at a constant pitch interval in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction thereof. Can be removed with.

Since the linear motors 12 and 17 incorporated in the XY table 2 generate a strong magnetic force for driving a heavy object, in this embodiment, a CRT for a monitor or a monitor arranged in the periphery is measured. In order to prevent the magnetic forces of the linear motors 12 and 17 from adversely affecting the machine, the safety machine 7 mainly made of a ferromagnetic material covers the laser machine. That is, the safety cover 7 is, as shown in FIGS.
4 is an iron plate, a degaussing plate, and the like. Specifically, the part A in FIG. 4 is the place where the stainless steel plate of SUS304 is attached, and the parts a and c are the inside of the stainless steel plate of SUS304 and the stainless steel plate of SUS430. It is a two-layer structure where a degaussing plate is attached to enhance the degaussing effect. Among these, the claw part is a double-opening cover that can be opened and closed. In addition, the d part has the same configuration as the claw part on the outside of the colored acrylic plate. It is a part of the three-layer structure. Thus, if the laser processing machine is covered with the safety cover 7 having a degaussing effect, and a strong magnetic force is expected in the vicinity of the linear motors 12 and 17, the degaussing effect is enhanced by forming a two-layer structure. There is no fear that the magnetic forces of 12 and 17 will adversely affect the peripheral equipment, and the optical system of the processing machine main body 1 can be easily adjusted by opening the double-opening cover of the c. Further, when directly confirming whether or not the laser beam is properly applied to the workpiece, if the both-sided covers of the section D are opened, it is possible to perform visual confirmation safely through the colored acrylic plate.

Next, the detailed structure of the XY table according to this embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 8, a large number of suction holes 9b communicating with the vacuum pump 8 are provided on the upper surface of the suction table 9, and the vacuum pump 8 is provided through the suction hole 9b group.
By sucking air with, the suction table 9 can suck and fix the mounted workpiece.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, a shaft hole 9a for inserting the support shaft 10a of the X table 10 is provided in the central portion of the bottom surface of the suction table 9, and the shaft around the support shaft 10a is provided. Between the outer gap, that is, between the outer wall surface of the support shaft 10a and the inner wall surface of the shaft hole 9a, a gap is maintained by mixing a large number of resin balls (resin spacers) 19a with grease slightly larger than the gap of the shaft gap. Agent 19 is filled. However, the support shaft 10a is a convex body made of stainless steel, and the inner wall portion of the shaft hole 9a is also formed in a bearing structure made of stainless steel. The support shaft 10a rotatably supports the suction table 9 through the gap maintaining agent 17, and when positioning the workpiece suction-fixed on the suction table 9 with respect to the X table 10 with high accuracy. The motor 20 shown in FIG.
The suction table 9 is driven by the support shaft 10a
Can be appropriately rotated about the rotation center. Further, while the gap of the axial gap is 15 to 16 μm, the gap maintaining agent 19 disperses the resin balls 19 a having a diameter of 20 μm before the filling, so that the resin balls 19 a are crushed after the filling. In this state, they are dispersed in the axial gap, so that even if strict size control is not performed, the axial gap is always kept uniform, and there is no play in the vicinity of the rotation center of the suction table 9. It is like this. When the positioning for rotating the suction table 9 is completed, the X table 10 can suck and fix the suction table 9 by sucking air from the air nozzle on the upper surface side.

As shown in FIG. 2, the X-table 10 has a support base 1 having a pair of parallel X-axis rail portions 11a.
An X-axis linear motor 12 for reciprocally moving the X-table 10 along the X-axis rail portion 11a is installed inside the support base 11 slidably. The linear motor 12 is composed of a coil 12a integrated with the X table 10, a magnet 12b and a yoke 12c extending in parallel with the X-axis rail portion 11a, and the X output from the X-axis linear encoder 13. Based on the position data of the table 10, the position of the X table 10 is controlled via the coil 12a which is a movable part. Further, in this X-axis linear encoder 13, a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element are integrated with the X-table 10 to form a detection section 13a, and a scale section (linear scale) 13b fixed to one X-axis rail 11a has a light-emitting element. The light is emitted and the reflected light is captured by the light receiving element, and the position of the moving X table 10 can be detected in real time.

In this embodiment, the X table 10 is slidably supported by the pair of parallel X-axis rail portions 11a provided on both side edges of the support base 11.
It is easy to give a high degree of parallelism to the pair of X-axis rail portions 11a, and when the support base 11 is installed on the Y table 14, the positional accuracy of the rail portion 11a group is easily increased. be able to. Moreover, in this embodiment, the point of action P of the magnetic driving force generated by the X-axis linear motor 12 is made to substantially coincide with the center of gravity of the X table 10 driven by the linear motor 12, so that the X table 10 is started. There is no risk of rattling at the time of stopping, and it is possible to improve the processing accuracy.

Next, the support structure and driving method of the Y table 14 on which the support base 11 is mounted will be described. The Y table 14 has its both side edges slidable by a pair of Y axis main rails 15. The center rail (Y-axis auxiliary rail) 16 is slidably supported by the center rail (Y-axis auxiliary rail) 16.
The Y table 14 is reciprocated along the shaft rail groups 15 and 16. As shown in FIG. 5, each of the pair of linear motors 17 has a coil 17 a integrated with the Y table 14 and Y-axis rail groups 15 and 16.
The pair of linear motors 17 are constituted by a magnet 17b and a yoke 17c extending in parallel with the coil 1 which is a movable part based on the position data of the Y table 14 output from the Y-axis linear encoder 18.
The position of the Y table 14 is controlled via 7a. Further, in the Y-axis linear encoder 18, a light emitting element and a light receiving element are integrally formed in a substantially central portion of the Y table 14 to form a detecting portion 18a, and a scale portion (linear scale) 18b fixed to the center rail 16 emits light. The light of the element is irradiated and the reflected light is captured by the light receiving element, and the position of the moving Y table 14 can be detected in real time.

That is, in this embodiment, the Y table 14
In addition to the pair of Y-axis main rails 15 supporting both side edge portions of the Y-table 14, the center portion of the Y-table 14 is supported by the center rail 16 located between the both main rails 15. Even if the center rail 16 is located near the central portion of the Y table 14,
Since the Y table 14 receives the load of 0, there is no fear that the Y table 14 is bent, and even when the X table 10 is located on the side edge portion of the Y table 14, the load of the X table 10 is applied to one Y axis main rail 15 Since the center rail 16 and the center rail 16 are dispersed and received, the air gap between the upper surface of the remaining Y-axis main rail 15 and the Y table 14 does not undesirably widen. It should be noted that the arrow in FIG. 1 indicates the compressed air blown out by the Y table 14, and as can be seen from this arrow, there is an air gap between the upper surface and both side surfaces of each Y-axis main rail 15 and the Y table 10. And an air gap is formed between the upper surface of the center rail 16 and the Y table 10.

Further, in the present embodiment, the detecting portion 18a of the Y-axis linear encoder 18 for detecting the position data of the Y table 14 is installed at a location integrally reciprocating in the vicinity of the center rail 16 and reciprocating linearly with the Y table 14. Therefore, the position data of the Y table 14 detected by the detector 18a is obtained by averaging the relative positions of the pair of Y-axis main rails 15 supporting both side edges of the Y table 14. Therefore, it is possible to accurately grasp the actual position change of the mounted workpiece. When the position control based on the detection result of the one Y-axis linear encoder 18 is performed in synchronization with the two Y-axis linear motors 17 as described above, the position control is performed on one of the linear motors 17. Since the phenomenon in which the position of the moved Y table 14 is changed by the position control of the other linear motor 17 does not occur, the positional deviation of the transferred workpiece can be avoided and the processing accuracy is improved.

Here, the X table 10 and the Y table 14
The shape of the air blowing surface that blows the compressed air toward the X-axis rail portion 11a group and the Y-axis rail group 15 and 16 will be described with reference to FIGS. Although these drawings show the air blowing surface (rail facing surface) 10b of the leg portion of the X table 10, the surface facing the upper surface of the X-axis rail portion 11a group of the X table 10 and the Y table 14 are shown. Among them, the surface facing the upper surface and both side surfaces of the Y-axis main rail group 15 or the surface facing the upper surface of the center rail 16 is also an air blowing surface having substantially the same shape. Now, the air blowing surface 10b of the illustrated X table 10
In addition to exposing a large number of air nozzles 10c, an exhaust groove 10d extending across adjacent air nozzles 10c is provided, so that the air is supplied to the air gap through the air nozzles 10c. The compressed air has a relatively wide gap, and these exhaust grooves 10
Attempts to flow through d, resulting in a stable compressed air discharge flow path. In particular, since a similar exhaust groove is provided on the air blowing surface of the Y table 14 to stabilize the discharge passage of the compressed air, by moving the X table 10 on the Y table 14, either one of the Y tables is moved. Even when the air gap on the upper surface side of the shaft main rail 15 becomes slightly wide, there is no possibility that a large amount of compressed air will flow into it from another place and an irregular air flow will be generated. It is possible to avoid the occurrence of vibration due to the irregular air flow in the.

In this embodiment, the air blowing surface is
An example is shown in which an exhaust groove extending across adjacent air nozzles is provided. However, the plane shape of the exhaust groove provided around each air nozzle is a square shape with the air nozzle as the center or a square shape. By setting it in a V shape, it is possible to further stabilize the discharge passage of the compressed air.

Next, the Y-axis rail group 1 in this embodiment
The mounting structure of 5, 16 will be described. Y table 1
The pair of Y-axis main rails 15 and the center rail 16 that slidably support 4 are mounted on the upper surface of the surface plate 3 by inserting the rail bottom into the mounting grooves 3a. Since it is designed to be positioned in the width direction on the inner wall surface, even if an external force is applied to the rails 15 and 16 in the width direction as the X table 10 supported on the Y table 14 moves. Since the position of the rails 15 and 16 is regulated by the surface plate 3, there is no fear that the rails 15 and 16 will be displaced.

Further, in this embodiment, as described above, XY
The suction table 9, the X table 10, the support table 11, the Y table 14, and the Y-axis rail group 1 which are the components of the table 2.
For materials such as 5,16, Indian Black (a type of granite), which is known as a stone material with a small thermal expansion coefficient and particularly high mechanical strength, is selected, so large tensile force, compression force, bending stress etc. The durability of each component of the XY table 2 to which is added is improved, and each table 10, 14 or the support 11 or each rail group 1 is used even if used for a long time
It is difficult for damage such as cracks to occur in the parts 5 and 16. Moreover, since Rustenburg (a type of granite) known as a stone material having a particularly small coefficient of thermal expansion is selected as the material of the surface plate 3 having a large area on the base of the apparatus, it is a large surface plate 3. However, the amount of expansion and contraction due to temperature change is extremely small.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where two Y-axis main rails and one center rail are provided as the Y-axis rail group for slidably supporting the Y table has been described. Needless to say, the present invention can be applied to a conventional general configuration in which the Y table is supported only by the pair of Y axis rails.

[0027]

As described above, the XY according to the present invention
On a machine with a table, insert the bottom of each rail that slidably supports the lower table into the mounting groove provided on the upper surface of the base plate (surface plate), and the rail will be Since it is configured to be positioned on the lower table, even if an external force is applied to the rail in the width direction along with the movement of the upper table on the lower table, the rail is displaced because the position is regulated by the base board. There is no fear, and therefore, an excellent effect that high reliability can be maintained is achieved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of an XY table according to this embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the XY table with a part thereof omitted.

FIG. 3 is an overall side view of a laser processing machine including the XY table.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a portion corresponding to FIG. 3 of a safety cover that covers the laser beam machine.

5 is a side view of a Y-axis linear motor incorporated in the XY table shown in FIGS.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a leg portion of an X table of the XY table.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an air blowing surface of a leg portion of the X table shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a suction table of the XY table.

9 is an explanatory view showing a support structure of the suction table shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Processing Machine Main Body 2 XY Table 3 Surface Plate (Base Plate) 3a Mounting Groove 9 Adsorption Table 10 X Table (Upper Table) 11 Support Base 11a X Axis Rail Part 12 X Axis Linear Motor (First Driving Means) 13 X Axis Linear encoder 14 Y table (lower table) 15 Y-axis main rail 16 Center rail (Y-axis auxiliary rail) 17 Y-axis linear motor (second drive means) 18 Y-axis linear encoder

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An upper table on which a workpiece is mounted, an upper rail group for movably supporting the upper table, and first driving means for linearly reciprocating the upper table along the upper rail group. A lower table on which the upper rail group is placed, a lower rail group that extends in a direction orthogonal to the upper rail group and movably supports the lower table, and the lower table along the lower rail group. An XY table having a second drive means for reciprocating linear movement is provided, and a mounting groove for receiving the bottom of the rail of the lower rail group is provided on the upper surface of the base board on which the XY table is mounted, and the mounting groove is provided with the above-mentioned mounting groove. A processing machine with an XY table, characterized in that the rail bottom is inserted and the rail is attached. 2. The lower rail group according to claim 1, wherein the lower rail group has at least two lower rails, and outer side surfaces of at least outermost rails of the lower rails are respectively formed on wall surfaces forming the mounting groove. A processing machine with an XY table, characterized in that both rails are attached so as to be in contact with each other. 3. The processing machine with an XY table according to claim 1, wherein the upper and lower tables, the upper and lower rail groups, and the base board are all made of stone having a small coefficient of thermal expansion.