The Effect of Laser Focal Point Distance on Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics (CFRP) Cutting Performance

摘要

Carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) composites as high performance material in aerospace industry. The application of laser technology to cut the CFRP shows promising advantages. The present study focuses the effect of focal point distance on the kerf width, HAZ, taper angle and morphology surfaces when cutting CFRP using laser process. Experiments have been conducted on CFRP and microstructure of the cross-section of the HAZ during cutting was analyzed. The results showed that focal position gave a significant effect on the cutting characteristic.