Thermal evaluation of a laser microdrilling process for thin CFRP-laminates

The aviation market is rebounding post-COVID, driving the demand for lightweight materials to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. However, machining Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) is challenging and costly. Microdrilling (⪅1 mm diameter) for acoustic linings, consisting of CFRP skins in a sandwich structure, is widely requested. Laser drilling offers advantages such as smaller hole diameters and wear-free machining. To scale up laser microdrilling, process efficiency and heat control are crucial. This study conducted a thermal evaluation using a short pulse laser and thermal camera. The temperature curves were evaluated taking into account results obtained from studies based on a layout using design of experiments.