Patent ID: 8901453

Claim:
A laser processing system comprising: a laser processing head including, a laser emission unit which irradiates a workpiece with laser light, a powder supply unit which receives powder supplied from a powder supply device to the laser processing head, can supply the powder to a laser spot on the workpiece, and includes, a powder discharge unit which can discharge the powder toward the laser spot on the workpiece, and a powder-supply control mechanism which controls the amount of the powder to be supplied to the powder discharge unit, by distributing to the powder discharge unit at least a part of a flow of the powder supplied from the powder supply device; the powder supply device which supplies the powder to the laser processing head; a controller which controls the distributing by the powder-supply control mechanism; and a powder recovery container, wherein the powder-supply control mechanism includes, a plurality of branches arranged on a downstream side of a powder supply channel through which the powder is supplied from the powder supply device to the powder-supply control mechanism, a supply pipe arrangement which connects at least one of the plurality of branches to the powder discharge unit, a return pipe arrangement which connects one or more of the plurality of branches other than the at least one of the plurality of branches to the powder recovery container, and a distribution-ratio control mechanism which controls a distribution ratio between the plurality of branches.