To provide a method and an apparatus of joining metallic sheet materials and a metal plate which are very advantageous in the quality of welding and productivity.

After cutting the respective edge parts of a first metallic sheet material 1 and a second metallic sheet material 2 with two cutting laser beams which are different in cutting speed and run in the same direction, the edge part 21 of the first metallic sheet material and the edge part 22 of the second metallic sheet material are butted and temporary welding is performed by applying the welding laser beam intermittently in the opposite direction to the cutting laser beam for cutting. A welding laser beam for performing normal welding runs behind the welding laser beam for performing the temporary welding. An apparatus embodied in this invention is provided with two arms which are moved along the weld zone, wherein a cutting torch which emits the cutting laser beam and a welding torch which emits the welding laser beam are provided on the arms one by one.

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