Lasers have the ability to effectively process carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) without affecting the integrity of the material.
JK Lasers, in partnership with the Liverpool John Moores University revealed the special ability of lasers from an ongoing study in the UK. The lasers have the capability to drill, mill and cut CFRP.
The new Boeing 787 Dreamliner passenger jet raises hopes for less expensive flights. The jet has a carbon composite design that leads to lower fuel consumption. The carbon fibres in the CFRP composite material have high heat conductivity, which prevents easy processing using conventional techniques. Mechanical drilling and milling processes cause chipping, delamination, heat damage and tool wear.
In the study, the researchers used JK200FL, a 200 W fiber laser and traditional process heads for drilling and cutting tests. They used a scanning head along with the laser for performing milling and trepanning processes. In the cutting and milling tests, the fiber laser’s small spot size led to minimal thermal damage and a cleaner edge, when compared to mechanical processes. The laser reduced the risk of tool wear as the material was removed in a non-contact process. In drilling tests, the laser was used to drill holes in composite materials having a thickness of 1 mm and above. It caused minimal burn-back that affected only the top layers of the fibres, while producing an excellent cut.
JK Lasers’ Worldwide Technical Key Account Manager, Mohammed Naeem, stated that CFRP can be used to produce lighter, efficient products such as the Boeing 787. But the complexity and the costs of CFRP processing has to be tackled, he added.