Investigation of Laser Grooving for Composite Materials

An analysis of the laser grooving process was conducted for several composite materials. An analytical model was developed to determine groove depth from process parameters and thermal properties of the material. Experimental measurements of groove depth, groove width and damage width were taken for variations in scanning velocity, beam power, and beam passes. A close agreement was found between model predictions and experimental results for groove depths in carbon/teflon. Model predictions consistently overestimated depth values for glass-fiber composites, and correction for heat losses was added to the model to improve agreement with data. Glass/polyester also showed differences in groove depth, width and damage width for variations in beam scanning direction relative to fiber orientation. The groove width and damage width results for all three materials were compared with surface quality standards for laser cutting of composites.