Laser Cutting of Kevlar and Mild Steel Composite Structure: End Product Quality Assessment

In the present study laser cutting of composite structure, consisting of Kevlar laminate at the top and mild steel sheet at the bottom, is considered. The end product quality is assessed using the thermal cutting standards. To compare the end product quality of composite structure cuts, Kevlar laminate and mild steel sheet are cut using the same cutting parameters. The kerf widths for Kevlar laminate and mild steel sheet cuts are predicted from the analytical formulation based on the lump parameter analysis. It is found that the end product quality of composite structure cuts is lower than that corresponding to Kevlar laminate and mild steel sheet cuts.