Patent attributes
A laser beam processing apparatus includes a laser oscillator for producing a laser beam for processing a processing object, a focus head for focusing the laser beam output from the laser oscillator onto the processing object, a photo detector for detecting light emanating from the processing object in response to irradiation with the laser beam and a reference light generated from a reference light generating unit via a nozzle attached to the focus head, a correlation adjusting unit for adjusting correlation between the light detected during the processing and processing state of the processing object from the reference light detected by the photo detector, and a control unit for controlling the laser oscillator by monitoring the processing situation of the processing object from the light detected during the processing and that is adjusted by the correlation adjusting unit.