Investigations on processing of carbon fiber reinforced plastics using ultrashort pulsed laser radiation with high average power

In this paper processing of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) using ultrashort pulsed laser radiation with average powers of up to 430 W is investigated. The influence of increasing the average power both by increased pulse fluence and increased repetition rate on the ablation rate and the width of heat affected zone is evaluated and discussed. In addition, the influence of pulse duration is investigated and the potential for CFRP cutting is examined.