Abstract

Carbon composite materials are of increasing interest in many high-technology applications, but their inhomogeneous nature can cause problems in machining processes, because the mechanical properties are not isotropic. An investigation has been carried out into the details of the mechanisms involved in cutting carbon-fibre reinforced resins with ultraviolet laser light. Excimer lasers offer a way of machining shapes of arbitrary complexity to very fine tolerances, with little impact on the surrounding material. The range of parameters over which optimum machining is obtained has been investigated by several groups, and it has been shown that fairly exacting operating conditions must be met to get a good product.

© 1994 IEEE