Laser hole cutting in Kevlar: Modeling and quality assessment

Machining of Kevlar laminates with conventional methods results in poor end-product quality and excessive specific energy requirement for machining. However, laser machining has considerable advantages over the conventional methods due to precision and rapid processing. In the present study, laser hole cutting into Kevlar laminates with different thicknesses and properties is carried out. The laser output power, frequency, and cutting speed are varied during the hole-cutting experiments. The specific energy requirements for cutting, thermal efficiency of the cutting process, and kerf width are formulated and predicted for various laser parameters and Kevlar properties. The cut quality is associated with the damage size around the holes cut and statistical analysis is carried out to examine the affecting parameters on the damaged size. It is found that specific energy requirement is significantly lower than that of the conventional drilling method. The damage size is affected significantly by the laser irradiated power. The quality of holes, as judged by the percentage of damage size around the cut edges cut by a laser beam, is considerably improved compared to the conventional methods.