PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet material processing apparatus which can efficiently and accurately form a groove or a hollow in the sheet material, is relatively low in the equipment cost and the running cost, and does not need shaving dregs treatment and a sheet material processing method using the apparatus.
SOLUTION: A starting point forming part 3 forming a break 16 to be the starting point of a slit in the surface of the sheet material 7 and a chuck stretching part 5 on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the part 3 are installed in the sheet material processing apparatus 1. The sheet material 7, in the starting point forming part 3, after the break 16 is formed in its surface, in the chuck stretching part 5, as it is conveyed from the upstream side in the conveyance direction toward the downstream side in the conveyance direction, by being pulled toward both outsides in the width direction by each chuck 13, is stretched to be extended gradually in the width direction. In this way, the break 16 becomes the slit splitting in the conveyance direction, to form the groove 17 in the surface of the sheet material 7.
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