LASER WELDING METHOD, LASER WELD JOINT, OUTER PLATE PANEL, AND ROLLING STOCK BODY STRUCTURE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a laser welding method, a laser weld joint, an outer plate panel, and a rolling stock body structure in which the welding quality is secured, and welding traces are made visually inconspicuous. SOLUTION: Plate-like members 1, 2 overlap each other, and are continuously irradiated with laser beams R while laser beams are moved from the out-of-plane direction, and an area to the inner part of the plate-like member 1 opposite to the plate-like member 2 irradiated with laser beams R is heated and melted. The plate-like members 1, 2 are welded while controlling the output of laser beams or the moving speed of laser beams so that the bottom of a molten pool P generated thereby does not reach the outer face S1 of the plate-like member 1 on the opposite side. In the plate-like member 1 on the opposite side, the outer face S1 is subjected to grinding in advance in the direction substantially parallel to the direction of the weld line by the laser beams R. COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI