Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) is an attractive material because of high-strength and light-weight. Drilling or laser processing are generally employed to form holes, of which performance is not necessarily satisfactory. In this research, the feasibility of ultrasonic punching technique was assessed for thermoplastic and thermosetting CFRPs. It was found that the softening of a resin by frictional heat becomes the key to pierce the CFRP plates with a punching tool.
