A METHOD OF LASER PROCESSING OF A METALLIC MATERIAL WITH OPTICAL AXIS POSITION CONTROL OF THE LASER RELATIVE TO AN ASSIST GAS FLOW, AND A MACHINE AND COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SAID METHOD

A method of laser processing of a metallic material is described, by means of a focused laser beam having a predetermined transverse power distribution on at least one working plane of the metallic material, comprising the steps of: - providing a laser beam emitting source; - leading the laser beam along a beam transport optical path to a working head arranged in proximity to the material; - collimating the laser beam along an optical axis of propagation incident on the material; - focusing the collimated laser beam in an area of a working plane of the material; and - conducting said focused laser beam along a working path on the metallic material comprising a succession of working areas, wherein the laser beam is shaped: - by reflecting the collimated beam by means of a deformable, controlled surface reflecting element having a plurality of independently movable reflection areas, and - by controlling the arrangement of the reflection areas to establish a predetermined transverse power distribution of the beam on at least one working plane of the metallic material as a function of the area of the current working plane and/or of the current direction of the working path on the metallic material.