Experimental Study on Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Composites Cutting with Nanosecond Laser

Abstract

The carbon fiber-reinforced composite (CFRP) has the properties of a high specific strength, low density and excellent corrosion resistance; it has been widely used in aerospace and automobile lightweight manufacturing as an important material. To improve the CFRP cutting quality in the manufacturing process, a nanosecond laser with a wavelength of 532 nm was applied to cut holes with a 2-mm-thick CFRP plate by using laser rotational cutting technology. The influence of different parameters on the heat-affected zone, the cutting surface roughness and the hole taper was explored, and the cutting process parameters were optimized. With the optimized cutting parameters, the minimum value of the heat-affected zone, the cutting surface roughness and the hole taper can be obtained, which are 71.7 μm, 2.68 μm and 0.64°, respectively.