Laser cutting method, steel strip production method, laser cutter, and steel strip production equipment

A laser cutter for cutting a vicinity of a joint at which a trailing end of a preceding steel strip is joined to a leading end of a succeeding steel strip, wherein

• the laser cutter is controlled by a control unit comprising an edge position detection unit configured to detect an edge position of the preceding steel strip and of the succeeding steel strip, a cutting track determination unit configured to determine a cutting track based on the edge position, and a cutting execution unit configured to execute laser cutting along the cutting track, and
• in the cutting track, an oscillation start position of a laser is set outward from the edge position by a first predetermined distance in a width direction of the steel strip, an oscillation end position of the laser is set outward from the edge position by a second predetermined distance in the width direction of the steel strip, and a penetration angle of the laser is set to a predetermined angle or less.