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Carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP) composite is most attractive materials to reduce the weight of transportations. To increase the production volume and the efficiency in the field of CFRP component, fast, highly precise and cost-efficient technologies are required. Although laser cutting meets these requirements, it is not used because of insufficient knowledge about the effect of thermal damage on the material behavior. In this study, the effect of several cutting processes on the static tensile strength and the fatigue strength was evaluated for CFRP consisting of thermoset resin matrix and carbon fibers. The CFRP was cut using two different-type of lasers; a CO2 gas laser and single-mode fiber lasers, and a conventional mechanical tool. The mechanical cutting specimen produced a cut of high quality. While, the laser cutting specimens clearly showed a heat-affected zone (HAZ). The static tensile strength and the fatigue strength by laser cutting specimens clearly decreased in comparison with mechanical cutting specimen. The laser cutting specimen exhibited a linear dependency of the tensile strength on the HAZ, indicating that the main effect resulted from thermal destruction of CFRP within the HAZ.

We report on the laser cutting of carbon fiber reinforced thermo-plastic (CFRTP) and carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) with a cw IR fiber laser (average power: 2 kW). CFRTP and CFRP are a composite material which contains carbon fibers and binding plastics. A well-defined 2D laser cutting of CFRTP and CFRP flat plates which were free of debris around the groove was performed by the laser irradiation with a fast beam galvanometer scanning on a multiple-scan-pass method. The area of laser-induced damages in the samples was observed by microscopic X-ray Computed Tomography. Laser cutting with a high speed beam scanning exhibits a clean top and an excellent sidewall quality along with a negligible heat affected zone. In addition, the laser cutting of CFRP for a three-dimensional molded sample was performed with a five-axis laser cutting machine.

We report on the laser cutting of carbon fiber reinforced thermo-plastics (CFRTP) with a cw IR fiber laser (single-mode fiber laser, average power: 350 W). CFRTP is a high strength composite material with a lightweight, and is increasingly being used various applications. A well-defined cutting of CFRTP which were free of debris and thermal-damages around the grooves, were performed by the laser irradiation with a fast beam galvanometer scanning on a multiple-scanpass method.

Laser cutting of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) with a cw IR fiber laser (λ= 1090 nm, average power: 1kW). A well-defined cutting of CFRP which was free of debris and thermal-damages around the grooves, was performed by the laser irradiation with a fast beam galvanometer scanning on a multiple-scan-pass method.

We report on the laser cutting of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) with a cw IR fiber laser (average power: 1kW). CFRP is a high strength composite material with a lightweight, and is increasingly being used various applications. A well-defined cutting of CFRP which were free of debris and thermal-damages around the grooves, were performed by the laser irradiation with a fast beam galvanometer scanning on a multiple-scan-pass method.

Carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) composite material, which is expected to reduce the weight of automotive, airplane and etc., was cut by laser irradiation with a pulsed-CO 2 laser (TRUMPF TFL5000; P=800W, 20kHz, W=8 s, O =10.6 m, V=1m/min) and single-mode fiber lasers (IPG YLR-300-SM; P=300W, O =1.07 m, V=1m/min)(IPG YLR-2000-SM; P=2kW, O =1.07 m, V=7m/min). To detect thermal damage at the laser cutting of CFRP materials consisting of thermoset resin matrix and PAN or PI TCH-based carbon fiber, the cut quality was observed by X-ray CT. The effect of laser cutting process on the mechanical strength for CFRP tested at the tensile test. Acoustic emission (AE) monitoring, high-speed camera and scanning electron microscopy were used for the failure process analysis. AE signals and fractographic features ch aracteristic of each laser-cu t CFRP were identified. Keywords: CFRP, Laser process, Fiber laser, CO 2 laser, Water-jet, Machining, Tensile test, X-ray CT, Acoustic emission