Study on mechanism of spray-mist-assisted laser processing of carbon fiber reinforced plastic

•A method of spray mist to impact the wall to form a flowing and thin water film to assist laser low thermal damage processing for CFRP is carried out. The machining method in this study can effectively control thermal damage and reduce HAZ.•The loss characteristics of spray mist on laser transmission were studied by the beam analyzer and the laser power meter. The material removal mechanism of spray-mist-assisted laser processing of CFRP was revealed by the high-speed camera and the X-ray diffraction (XRD).•The influence law of key process parameters (offset distance, laser power, cutting speed, and oxygen content) on machining quality is discussed by the statistical analysis, and the process parameters were optimized. A regression equation between process parameters and machining quality was established.