Laser processing method and laser processing program creation device

A laser processing program creation apparatus, which creates allocation data as a laser processing program to form a product having a predetermined shape by using an angle or a channel as a material to be processed, the angle or channel being composed of a plurality of planes and having a predetermined plate thickness, and cutting the material with a laser beam in a direction intersecting an axis about which the material is rotated, the apparatus comprising:

• a plate thickness region setter configured to set an outer corner between the planes adjacent to each other as a development auxiliary line and set ranges corresponding to plate thicknesses in the planes of the material as plate thickness regions between the development auxiliary line and a pair of plate thickness lines sandwiching the development auxiliary line for a development view representing the plurality of planes developed in a plane;
• an evaluation region setter configured to sequentially select each of the plurality of planes as a target plane and set a region in an adjacent plane adjacent to the target plane as an evaluation region, the region in the adjacent plane including at least a range surrounded by the development auxiliary line and the plate thickness line located in the adjacent plane;
• a position calculator configured to calculate the position of the extremity of the profile of the product in the axial direction in the evaluation region;
• a line segment setter configured to set a first line segment in the target plane, the first line segment passing through the calculated position of the extremity and extending in the direction orthogonal to the axis;
• a determiner configured to determine whether the first line segment interferes with the product;
• a processing area setter configured to locate a processing area to form a notch or a hole in a region between the first line segment and the profile of the product in one of the plurality of target planes where the first line segment does not interfere with the product;
• and
• an allocation data creator configured to create allocation data to, in the target plane where the processing area is located, allocate a trajectory for laser beam cutting to form a notch or a hole in the processing area and to, in the target plane where the processing area is not located, allocate a trajectory for laser beam cutting to cut the material along the profile of the product.