LASER PROCESSING METHOD AND LASER PROCESSING HEAD

To provide a laser processing head and a laser processing method provided with a spatter guard capable of adjusting the height position in accordance with piercing processing and laser cutting processing of a workpiece, the replacement of a nozzle, etc.SOLUTION: A laser processing method by means of a laser processing machine providing a laser processing head with a spatter guard which can freely move in a vertical direction to prevent the scattering of spatter at the time of laser processing, the method comprising the steps of: keeping a clearance between the lower part 13 of the spatter guard 9 and an upper surface of a workpiece as a slight clearance in order to prevent the state where a lower part 13 of the spatter guard 9 is in contact with an upper surface of a workpiece W, or the scattering of a lot of spatters S to be scattered to the outside at the time of piercing processing; performing piercing processing on the work-piece W; and keeping the clearance between the upper surface of the workpiece and the spatter guard 9 to be a slight clearance to perform laser cutting of the workpiece.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1 【課題】ワークのピアス加工、レーザ切断加工及びノズル交換等に対応して高さ位置を調節することのできるスパッタガードを備えたレーザ加工ヘッド及びレーザ加工方法を提供する。【解決手段】レーザ加工時のスパッタの飛散を防止するためのスパッタガードを、レーザ加工ヘッドに上下動自在に備えたレーザ加工機によるレーザ加工方法であって、前記スパッタガード９の下部１３をワークＷ上面に接触した状態、又はピアシング加工時に飛散する多くのスパッタＳが外部へ飛散することを防止するために、前記スパッタガード９の下部１３とワーク上面との間の間隙を僅かな間隙に保持する工程と、ワークＷにピアシング加工を行う工程と、ワーク上面とスパッタガード９との間の間隙を、僅かな間隙に保持してワークのレーザ切断を行う工程、の各工程を備えている。【選択図】図１