Method and apparatus for laser machining using a laser beam

A method for laser machining and an apparatus (1) for performing the inventive method to equalize spot areas (2) of a laser beam (3), which are dissimilar in the direction of their main axes (X, Y). For this purpose, a second laser beam (4) is decoupled from the initially common laser beam (3) by a splitting element (8) and through reflection from a reflector (7) is coupled into the optical axis (9) by a combining element (8). Due to the inclined arrangement of the reflector (7), so that a line (N) normal to its surface forms an angle of 0 to 90° with the main axes (X, Y), the spot area (10) of the second laser beam (4) is rotated relative to the first spot area (2) such that as a result of the superimposition, the total area of the superimposed spot areas (2, 10) will be symmetrical about a given point. As a result, machining using the laser beams (3,4) forming the spot areas (2, 10) is independent of the direction of advancement of the laser machining device.