Comparative study between Laser and Water-jet machining of polymer composites

ABSTRACT: One of the most important group of advanced materials in Engineering is the polymer composite such as Carbon Fiber Reinforce Polymer (CFRPC) or Glass Fiber Reinforce Polymer (GFRP) which have been used in different industries including aerospace, shipbuilding and automotive. The mechanical manufacturing processes are not appropriate for shaping of Polymer Composites because these cause material damage. In this work, two advanced of manufacturing processes named as Water-jet machining and Laser machining were employed with an objective to find the most useful one in reducing processing damages. To do so, samples of two materials (CFRPC and GFRPC) were cut employing both of the processes and then Scanning Electron Microscopy and Open Hole Tensile Test were performed on each sample. The Scanning Electron Microscopy showed that the Laser-machined work pieces underwent melting of resin in the composite and caused delamination in the surrounding areas of cut surface. From the results of Open Hole Tensile Test, it was found that the Laser machining caused reduction in strength of GFRPC, however no such an effect was noticed for CFRPC. Water-jet machining did not pose any adverse effect on strength of either material. In conclusion, Water-jet machining process is the most suitable method to process considered composites from perspectives of surface quality, delamination, productivity and cost. Keywords: Carbon Fiber Reinforce Polymer Composite; Glass Fiber Reinforce Polymer Composite; Delamination. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………