Abstract
Laser machining of composites offers several advantages over conventional methods, such as no tool wear and contact force-induced material disintegration. The drawback in using the laser is the formation of a heat affected zone (HAZ). In the current investigations, analytical heat conduction models are used to determine the extent of the HAZ for anisotropic materials. The conductivity models allow for consideration of the anisotropic heat conductivity for GlassMat/PP and GlassMatUD/PP. Extensive experiments were conducted on composite materials to examine HAZ. The predictions of the analysis are compared with experimental results. The analytical results show a good agreement with experiments. The objective of this study is to optimize the work process.