Just curious if anyone has attempted to cut dry cloth with a laser.
I’ve been watching a number of videos of large manufacturers and it seems they use lasers for templating - but cut prepreg with something akin to a large vinyl plotter…Since I imagine the epoxy in pre-preg would diffuse the laser - I was thinking it might be possible to cut dry fabric.
I’m sure a large 1000W+ laser would cut through anything, I’m specifically interested in a <100W CO2 experience…
Hi, I’ve tried it with an 80w co2 laser.
It won’t cut?
Where do you want to place the dry fabric for cutting? 
The punctuation is throwing me off here :/. Can you elaborate?
Well I wish I had a sweet 5-axis machine [1], but the machine I’m looking at [2] has a vacuum table underneath with threaded holes to clamp the fabric onto…and can drive up to a 400W CO2 laser.
I’m mostly interested in if it can cut carbon/kevlar, if so how clean, are there any health risks in doing so, etc.
[1] [ame=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TJur00-R8k”]Multi-Axis Laser Cutting & Welding Center - YouTube[/ame]
I’ve tried cutting dry carbon fabric with a 80w co2 laser and it would not cut? Thought my punctuation was ok
Adding the question mark to a sentence that seems to be a statement is a little misleading.
Anyway, we has a 300w CO2 and it cut kevlar,and I think CF…I think 80w will be too little. I played with the laser when it was only working at 150w, and it wasn’t the best thing to cut anything of use. (did not try fabric, only plates)
ps: At high power, the resin will not do anything to diffuse the beam… However, it will CURE the epoxy, which might not be what you want if kitting patterns to be used in a part. If only cutting the outside edge that will be trimmed away, it might be ok. You will also cure the edge and fuse the fibers together, so any normal shearing of the fabric will be retarded by the tows being cured together already. You will not be able to drape the prepreg.
A cutting laser works always with a high pressure gas flow. And you will need much more than 80w to cut a carbon fabric. I am sure that will not work.
Awesome info. Should i be concerning with the dry cloth deforming at the cutting edge enough to slow infusion? Or does the flow medium make all the difference?
More power, got it :).
I don’t think cutting dry cloth will do anything to the edge (like fuse together…unless you are cutting kevlar, PP, inegra, vectran, spectra, etc), so infusion will not be effected. Plus, as long as you have, say a layer of peelply, on top of your preform, the resin will flow along that to the vent line, no matter what the fabric edge is.
I happened to be reading the ASM Composites Handbook #1 the other day. They have a specific section on laser cutting composites. Apparently, even with high wattage (5000+), it’s problematic because the resin can flash cure (or re-cure) on the edges of the fabric, much like slag from a poor plasma cutting operation.
Have a look at that chapter, if you can find the book. It’s now out of print, since the ASM revised it into Handbook #21. I bought a used copy for $100.
I have cut Kevlar dry fabric and K - 3/16” balsa – K plate with a 35w Co2 laser. Cutting the fabric makes for a big pain in handling during lay-up (wet). I found that making the panel then cutting finished parts the only way to go!
Lester