Composite Material Laser Drilling for Straight Through Holes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laser processing methods for composite materials, such as carbon fiber reinforced plastics, struggle to form straight through holes with reduced inclination and increased spatter generation, leading to tapered holes and extended processing times.
Innovation Solution
A two-step laser processing method where the first step involves scanning multiple paths with a lower heat input laser to form a hole processing groove, and the second step uses a higher heat input laser to penetrate the groove, forming a straight through hole while minimizing spatter generation by using an ultrashort pulse laser and assist gas to remove fumes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a laser processing method with reduced degree of multiple lines at the second step is used, then processing depth increases, but the through hole becomes tapered with wall surface inclination
Solution Approach 1:
The laser processing is divided into two distinct steps with different scanning path configurations. The first step uses multiple lines with larger degree to create initial groove, while the second step uses multiple lines with smaller degree to penetrate and form straight through hole, thereby resolving the contradiction between processing depth and hole straightness
Solution Approach 2:
The degree of multiple lines is changed between processing steps - larger degree at first step for groove formation, smaller degree at second step for through hole penetration. This parameter change enables both sufficient processing depth and straight hole geometry
2Volume of moving object
If the degree of multiple lines is increased at the first step, then cutting width increases, but spatters and fumes are increased and attached on the surface
Solution Approach 1:
The processing is segmented into two steps where the first step uses larger degree multiple lines to achieve sufficient cutting width for groove formation, while the second step uses smaller degree multiple lines to minimize spatter and fume generation during through hole penetration
Solution Approach 2:
The degree of multiple lines is optimized at different processing stages - larger degree at first step to enable adequate cutting width, smaller degree at second step to reduce harmful spatter and fume generation
3Productivity
If higher heat input laser is used, then processing speed increases, but heat-affected layer is formed on the surface
Solution Approach 1:
The laser heat input parameters are optimized to balance processing speed and heat-affected layer formation, enabling efficient processing while maintaining surface quality
Solution Approach 2:
The laser processing uses periodic pulsed action to control heat input, allowing high processing speed while minimizing heat accumulation and heat-affected layer formation on the surface
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method effectively reduces spatter and fume attachment, prevents heat-affected layers, and ensures high-quality, straight through holes in composite materials, even with thick sheet thicknesses, by controlling laser power and speed across multiple paths.
Implementation Method 1
irradiating a surface of the composite material with the laser to form a hole processing groove on the composite material
Implementation Method 2
assist gas to remove fumes
Data Source
AI summary
A laser processing method includes a first step of irradiating a surface of a composite material with a laser to form a hole processing groove on the composite material by scanning first paths from an outside corresponding to an inner peripheral surface side of a through hole to be formed to an inside corresponding to a center side of the through hole to be formed, the first paths extending across a width direction of the hole processing groove; and a second step of irradiating and penetrating through the hole processing groove with the laser to form the through hole by scanning second paths from the outside to the inside after the first step, the second paths extending across the width direction of the hole processing groove. The laser used at the first step has a smaller heat input amount per unit time than the laser used at the second step.