Experimental study on CFRP drilling with the picosecond laser “double rotation” cutting technique

•The picosecond laser “double rotation” cutting technique is applied to machine CFRP.•No delamination, crack and burrs on the edge, and fibers break neatly without tearing.•The tensile strength and the fatigue performance of the laser drilling CFRP sample is improved. Machining holes on carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) components is a key process in aircraft lightweight manufacturing. The picosecond laser “double rotation” cutting technique was proposed to machine holes on CFRP in this paper. The machining accuracy, the heat affected zone (HAZ), microstructures and mechanical properties were investigated. The result showed that there are no burrs and fractures around the hole. The machining accuracy is about 60 μm, and the machining taper is about 0.64°. There are no interlaminar tearing, cracks and burrs on the cutting section, and the fracture surface of carbon fibers is regular without tearing. The mechanical properties such as the tensile strength and the fatigue performance of CFRP sample after machined using the picosecond laser is improved compared with that machined using the mechanical drilling method.