Drilling rivet holes in composite materials has been a challenge for many years. Traditionally, using standard tools has resulted in rapid tool wear and material damage, including integrity, surface quality and delamination.
Last year, the LaBoKomp project was completed at Laser Zentrum Hannover (LZH) in Hannover, Germany, after the development of a laser-based system to reduce the drilling time per rivet hole in carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) and glass-fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP). The project was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research within the scope of the country’s KMU-Innovativ: Photonik initiative, which supports cutting-edge research by small and medium-sized businesses in Germany.