We report on the laser drilling and cutting of 2 mm thick CFRP with the Rigel g200; a green, Q-switched diode-pumped solid-state (DPSS) Nd:YAG laser system. The laser beam was delivered with a 600 × 600 µm square core fibre to produce an average output power of 200 W at a wavelength of 532 nm. Laser drilling and cutting results of CFRP composites are presented using a galvanometer scanning head and multiple passes. Debris free square holes with cross-section 400 × 400 µm were achieved with little or no thermal damage around the holes or cutting kerf. Further improvements to process speed and quality will be investigated using the Rigel u80 laser operating at 355 nm wavelength and delivering average powers of up to 80 watts.
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