Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics

Cutting or drilling of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) components is required, for example, when a component needs to be trimmed or prepared for rivets. Lasers can be a very attractive tool for drilling and cutting fiber‐reinforced plastics, as they have already been successfully used in sheet metal processing: laser light is non‐wear and non‐tactile. It provides consistent production results, even on complex geometries. Today, mechanical processes still dominate manufacturing, although the mechanical load caused by the pressure of drilling can easily lead to delamination, and tools wear out quickly.