Abstract

High-power laser metalworking apparatus, especially one having a carbon dioxide laser. After the laser beam emerges from an optical resonator it is deflected by a mirror against a workpiece and focused on the surface thereon. An image-rotating means is disposed in the beam path after the deflection mirror, and has an odd number of fully reflective mirrors, but at least 3 such mirrors. The angle of rotation of the image-rotating means is electronically controllable in accordance with the direction of the path of the working movement. The image-rotating means and focusing system advantageously form a single component in which at least one of the mirrors of the image-rotating means focuses the laser beam onto the surface of the workpiece. Preferred is a laser having an unstable optical resonator with at least three fully reflective mirrors of cylindrical curvature, the mirrors whose planes of curvature are parallel to one another defining the optical resonator, and the third mirror, or every additional mirror, being concavely curved in a plane perpendicular with respect to the mirrors defining the resonator.