Optimization of delamination factor in drilling GFR–polypropylene composites

Glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene composites often replace the conventional materials due to their special or unique mechanical properties. As the applications of these composites increase for a number of industries, drilling of these composites is inevitable for subsequent composite product manufacturing stage. In the drilling of composites, the thrust force is induced during the drilling operation; as a result, it causes damage. This damage is characterized by the delamination factor, which depends on the machining parameters such as speed of the spindle, feed rate, and drill diameter. The study on the delamination in the drilling of glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene is limited and has been carried out comprehensively. The effect of machining parameters on delamination in the drilling of glass fiber-strengthened polypropylene (GFR-PP) composites is studied through the Box–Bhenken design. Response surface method, along with the desirability analysis, is used for modeling and optimization of delamination factor in the drilling. The result proves that the models are effectively used to forecast the delamination in the drilling of GFR-PP composites. Also, the result indicates that the foremost issue that influences the delamination is the feed rate.     

Delamination in drilling GFR-thermoset composites

Delamination is a major problem associated with drilling fiber-reinforced composite materials that, in addition to reducing the structural integrity of the material, also results in poor assembly tolerance and has the potential for long-term performance deterioration. Delamination-free in drilling different fiber reinforced thermoset composites is the main objective of the present paper. Therefore the influence of drilling and material variables on thrust force, torque and delamination of GFRP composites was investigated experimentally. Drilling variables are cutting speed and feed. Material variable include matrix type, filler and fiber shape. Drilling process was carried out on cross-winding/polyester, continuous-winding with filler/polyester, chopped/polyester, woven/polyester and woven/epoxy composites. A simple inexpensive accurate technique was developed to measure delamination size.

The results show that the presence of sand filler in continuous-winding composites not only raised the values of cutting forces and push-out delamination but also increased their values with increasing cutting speed. In contrast, increasing the cutting speed in drilling cross-winding, woven and chopped composites reduces the push-out delamination as a result of decreasing the thrust force. The thrust forces in drilling continuous-winding composite are more than three orders of magnitude higher than those in the cross-winding composites. Chopped composites have lower push-out delamination than those made from woven fibers. For the same fiber shape, the peel-up and push-out delaminations of woven/epoxy composite are lower than that for woven/polyester composites. Delamination, chipping and spalling damage mechanisms were observed in drilling chopped and continuous-winding composites. In drilling woven composites the delamination was observed at different edge position angles due to the presence of the braids that made by the interlacing of two orthogonal directions of fibers tows (warp and fill). Delamination-free in drilling cross-winding composites was achieved using variable feed technique.     

Experimental investigation on drilling of natural flax fiber-reinforced composites

Natural fiber composites (NFCs) have strong potential to replace glass fiber-reinforced plastics. An instrumental operation in machining composite structures is hole making which facilitates assembly of parts. Understanding the effects of drilling process parameters on feature properties of NFCs has great benefits. In this regard, to make a good quality and accurate hole in composite structures, appropriate selection of drill bit and cutting parameters is important. This paper investigates delamination behavior and hole quality of flax/epoxy composite laminates in response to feed, spindle speed, and three different types of drill bit. As indicated by analysis of variance results, drill bit type and feed have greater influences on the thrust force. It appeared that delamination factor and surface roughness were significantly influenced by drill bit, but not by feed and spindle speed. The choice of drill bit has great impact on the delamination factor (67.27%) and surface roughness (74.44%), respectively.     

Analysis of delamination in drilling glass fiber reinforced polyester composites

Glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) composite materials are finding increased application in aeronautical, automobile and structural applications. Drilling is a complex process, owing to their tendency to delaminate is used to join composite structures. In the present work, an attempt has been made to develop empirical relationships between the drilling parameters such as fiber orientation angle, tool feed rate, rotational speed and tool diameter with respect to delamination in drilling of GFR–polyester composites. The empirical relationship has been developed by using response surface methodology. The developed model can be effectively used to predict the delamination in drilling of GFRP composites within the factors and their limits are studied. The result indicated that the increase in feed rate and drill diameter increases the delamination size whereas there is no clear effect is observed for fiber orientation angle. The spindle speed shows only little effect on delamination in drilling of GFR–Polyester composites.     

Analysis of Surface Integrity in Drilling Metal Matrix and Hybrid Metal Matrix Composites

Hybrid metal matrix composites consist of at least three constituents-a metal or an alloy matrix and two reinforcements in various forms, bonded together at the atomic level in the composite. Despite their higher specific properties of strength and stiffness, the non homogeneous and anisotropic nature combined with the abrasive reinforcements render their machining difficult. In this paper, the surface integrity of machining in drilling hybrid composites has been discussed. Drilling tests are carried out at different spindle speed, feed rates, and different drill tool materials to investigate the effect of the various cutting parameters on the surface quality and the extent of the deformation of drilled surface due to drilling. Materials used for the present investigation are Al356/10SiC (wt%) metal matrix and Al356/10SiC-3mica (wt%) hybrid composites. The composites are fabricated using stir casting route. The drilling tests are conducted on vertical computer numeric control (CNC) machining center using carbide, coated carbide and polycrystalline diamond (PCD) drills. The surface roughness decreases with increasing spindle speed and increases with increasing feed rate. The machined surface is analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SEM images of the machined surfaces indicate the presence of grooves and pits. Microhardness depth profiles indicate that the subsurface damage is limited to the top of 100-250 μm.     

Machinability analysis in drilling woven GFR/epoxy composites: Part I – Effect of machining parameters

The present paper deals with the effect of machining parameters (feed, speed and drill diameter) on the thrust force and machinability of woven glass fiber-reinforced epoxy (GFRE) composites. The selected machinability parameters were delamination size, surface roughness, and bearing strength. The results show that, delamination-free in drilling GFRE composites was not observed, in the range of the investigated cutting parameters. Surface roughness instrument can be used as an indication for the position of the internal delamination damage in drilling GFRE composites. The high values of correlation coefficients between thrust force and the machinability parameters confirm the importance of reducing the thrust force to improve the load carrying capacity of composite structure assembled by rivets or bolted joints.     

Drilling analysis of chopped composites

This work investigates the effects of the drilling parameters, speed, and feed, on the required cutting forces and torques in drilling chopped composites with different fiber volume fractions. Three speeds, five feeds, and five fiber volume fractures are used in this study. The results show that feeds and fiber volumes have direct effects on thrust forces and torques. On the other hand, increasing the cutting speed reduces the associated thrust force and torque, especially at high feed values. Using multivariable linear regression analysis, empirical formulas that correlate favorably with the obtained results have been developed. These formulas would be useful in drilling chopped composites. The influence of cutting parameters on peel-up and push-out delaminations that occurs at drill entrance and drill exit respectively the specimen surfaces have been investigated. No clear effect of the cutting speed on the delamination size is observed, while the delamination size decreases with decreasing the feed. Delamination-free in drilling chopped composites with high fiber volume fraction remains as a problem to be further investigated.     

A review of modeling and control during drilling of fiber reinforced plastic composites

Drilling induced damage in polymer–matrix composites (PMCs) is a research area of immense engineering importance. Various approaches have been tried worldwide to minimize drilling induced damage. In this study, a review of automated drilling operation has been done. Various mathematical modeling methods used for dynamic phenomenon of drilling in PMCs and conventional materials have been discussed. Drilling of fiber reinforced plastic composites can be modeled using empirical techniques, neural network/fuzzy-logic and transfer function modeling methods. This paper brings state-of-the-art in the control of drilling process. The drilling of fiber reinforced plastic composites can be controlled using neural network, fuzzy logic, supervisory, PI, PID, pole placement and adaptive controllers. Results indicate that thrust force and torque have not been controlled simultaneously for delamination free drilling in PMCs. Critical thrust force has also not been precisely tracked. There is a need to create a combined mathematical model consisting of thrust force, torque and feed rate coupled with a suitable control law for simultaneous control of thrust force as well as torque for delamination free drilling of composites.     

Investigations on Drilling of Bidirectional Cotton Polyester Composite

Cotton fiber composites are currently used in the interior parts of automobiles, insulation boards, fiber boards, and various parts of high-friction mechanical assemblies. These composites are subjected to machining operations. Drilling is an indispensable machining operation for assembly of different parts. The present work aimed to carry out experimental and analytical investigations on drilling of bidirectional cotton polyester composite. Influence of feed, spindle speed, and drill point angle on machining characteristics like thrust force, torque, and delamination factor was studied by conducting experiments derived from Taguchi's L27 orthogonal array. To determine the significance of each drilling process parameters and their interactions, analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was conducted. Modeling of drilling parameters was carried out through multiple regression analysis and their optimization for minimizing cutting forces and machining induced damage was carried out using signal to noise ratio analysis.     

玻璃纤维增强聚丙烯复合材料制孔损伤

为抑制玻璃纤维增强聚丙烯复合材料（GF/PP）制孔损伤并提高其制孔效率,本文通过钻削实验获得多种进给速度下的GF/PP复合材料钻削轴向力和出口温度,使用高速摄影设备对刀具钻出过程进行在线观测,研究出口材料去除过程及其损伤成因,分析进给速度对GF/PP复合材料制孔损伤的影响规律。结果表明：GF/PP复合材料的钻削出口温度在低速进给时显著升高,在高速进给时基本趋于稳定;出口撕裂是重要的出口损伤形式,成因是大片毛刺受副切削刃的撞击和撕挤,进给速度过高或过低均会加剧损伤; 0°毛刺在低速进给时较严重,入口撕裂在高速进给时较严重。     

Investigations on drilling of hemp/glass hybrid composites

The present study aimed to examine the influence of tool geometry, spindle speed and feed on thrust force (TF) and delamination in hybrid hemp-glass composites. The pure glass polyester, pure hemp polyester and hybrid hemp/glass polyester composite specimens were prepared using hand layup technique. The drilling experiments were performed according to the full factorial design. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the impact of layering arrangement of fibers, feed (0.06, 0.18, 0.3?mm/rev), speed (1000, 3000, 5000?rpm), tool geometry (Plexi Point, Brad, Parabolic) and their interactions on TF and delamination. It was observed that drill geometry is major determinant for TF and delamination. Empirical models were developed using regression analysis and grey relational analysis was performed for optimizing the input parameters for TF and delamination at entry and exit.     

Review of z-pinned composite laminates

This paper reviews published research into polymer composite laminates reinforced in the through-thickness direction with z-pins. Research into the manufacture, microstructure, delamination resistance, damage tolerance, joint strength and mechanical properties of z-pinned composites is described. Benefits of reinforcing composites with z-pins are assessed, including improvements to the delamination toughness, impact damage resistance, post-impact damage tolerance and through-thickness properties. Improvements to the failure strength of bonded and bearing joints due to z-pinning are also examined. The paper also reviews research into the adverse effects of z-pins on the in-plane mechanical properties, which includes reduced elastic modulus, strength and fatigue performance. Mechanisms responsible for the reduction to the in-plane properties are discussed, and techniques to minimise the adverse effect of z-pins are described. The benefits and drawbacks of z-pinning on the interlaminar toughness, damage tolerance and in-plane mechanical properties are compared against other common types of through-thickness reinforcement for composites, such as 3D weaving and stitching. Gaps in our understanding and unresolved research problems with z-pinned composites are identified to provide a road map for future research into these materials.     

Drilling in carbon/epoxy composites: Experimental investigations and finite element implementation

Drilling carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRPs) is typically cumbersome due to high structural stiffness of the composite and low thermal conductivity of plastics. Resin-rich areas between neighbouring plies in a laminate are prone to drilling-induced delamination that compromises structural integrity. Appropriate selection of drilling parameters is believed to mitigate damage in CFRPs. In this context, we study the effect of cutting parameters on drilling thrust force and torque during the machining process both experimentally and numerically. A unique three-dimensional (3D) finite element model of drilling in a composite laminate, accounting for complex kinematics at the drill-workpiece interface is developed. Cohesive zone elements are used to simulate interply delamination in a composite. Experimental quantification of drilling-induced damage is performed by means of X-ray micro computed tomography. The developed numerical model is shown to agree reasonably well with the experiments. The model is used to predict optimal drilling parameters in carbon/epoxy composites.     

Finite element model for compression after impact behaviour of stitched composites

A finite element (FE) model using coupling continuum shell elements and cohesive elements is proposed to simulate the compression after impact (CAI) behaviour and predict the CAI strength of stitched composites. Continuum shell elements with Hashin failure criterion exhibit the composite laminate damage behaviour; whilst cohesive elements using traction-separation law characterise the laminate interfaces. Impact-induced delamination is explicitly modelled by reducing material properties of damaged cohesive elements. Computational results have demonstrated the trend of increasing CAI strength with decreasing impact-induced delamination area. Spring elements are introduced into the model to represent through-thickness stitch thread in the composite laminates. Results in this study validate experimental finding that CAI strength is improved when stitching is incorporated into the composite structure. The proposed FE model reveals good CAI strength predictions and indicates good agreement with experimental results, making it a valuable tool for CAI strength prediction of stitched composites.     

Analysis of fracture mechanisms and surface quality in drilling of composite materials

The aim of this work is to clarify the interaction mechanisms between the drilling tool and material. Drilling tests were carried out on glass/polyester and carbon/epoxy composites using different twist drills. The cutting tools and machined surfaces were examined by optical microscopy, scanning microscopy and surface profilometry to study composite damage and tool wear. Among the defects caused by drilling, delamination appears to be the most critical and may occurs at both the entrance and exit planes. A prediction model of thrust force for drilling without delamination is proposed. __________ Translated from Problemy Prochnosti, No. 1, pp. 48–51, January–February, 2008.     

Numerical prediction of delamination onset in carbon/epoxy composites drilling

Despite the fact that their physical properties make them an attractive family of materials, composites machining can cause several damage modes such as delamination, fibre pull-out, thermal degradation, and others. Minimization of axial thrust force during drilling reduces the probability of delamination onset, as it has been demonstrated by analytical models based on linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM).A finite element model considering solid elements of the ABAQUS^® software library and interface elements including a cohesive damage model was developed in order to simulate thrust forces and delamination onset during drilling. Thrust force results for delamination onset are compared with existing analytical models.     

纤维增强复合材料磨削制孔加工技术研究进展

纤维增强复合材料具有优良的物理、化学和力学性能,在航空航天、汽车、新能源等高新技术领域应用广泛。相比传统钻铣刀具,磨料工具在纤维增强复合材料制孔时,加工后的分层、毛刺、撕裂及热损伤等缺陷更小,且磨料工具可以稳定加工硬度更高的纤维增强陶瓷基复合材料。首先,综述了纤维增强复合材料在磨削制孔过程中的切屑形成、磨削轴向力、磨削温度等磨削加工机制;其次,探讨了近年来国内外在纤维增强复合材料磨削制孔技术中的制孔加工缺陷及其评价方法;然后,分析了纤维增强复合材料磨削制孔质量及其影响因素;此外,综述了纤维增强复合材料磨削制孔刀具及其磨损机制等方面的研究现状;最后,对纤维增强复合材料磨削制孔加工技术研究进行了总结和展望。      

Effect of damage levels and curing stresses on delamination growth behaviour emanating from circular holes in laminated FRP composites

This paper deals with the study of the effect of drilling induced delamination damage levels and residual thermal stresses (developed during manufacturing process of cooling the laminate form curing temperature to room temperature) on delamination growth behaviour emanating form circular holes in graphite/epoxy laminated FRP composites. Two sets of full three dimensional finite element analyses (one with the residual thermal stresses developed while curing the laminate and the other without residual thermal stresses i.e. with mechanical loading only) have been performed to calculate the displacements and interlaminar stresses along the delaminated interfaces responsible for the delamination onset and propagation. Modified crack closure integral (MCCI) techniques based on the concepts of linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) have been used to calculate the distribution of individual modes of strain energy release rates (SERR) to investigate the interlaminar delamination initiation and propagation characteristics. Asymmetric variations of SERR obtained along the delamination front are caused by the overlapping stress fields due to the coupling effect of thermal and mechanical loadings. It is found that parameters such as ply orientation, drilling induced damage levels and material heterogeneity at the delaminated interface dictate the interlaminar fracture behaviour of laminated FRP composites.     

An innovative tool for engineering good-quality holes in composite laminates

Drilling of polymer composites by means of traditional tools does cause a significant amount of damage to the surface. The forces generated during drilling are the major factors that exert an influence on hole quality. This makes the design and development of the drill geometries an area of paramount importance. Over the years, several tools have been developed and commercialized to minimize the damage induced by drilling. In this technical paper, we presented and discussed about an innovative tool point geometry that was designed, developed, and implemented for the purpose of investigating the drilling performance of composite laminates. The performance of the developed drill bit is compared with extensively used twist drill bit in reference to the drilling induced forces and damage. The input parameters considered are tool point geometry, speed, and feed. Results of this investigation reveal that both forces and damage are significantly reduced when holes are produced using the developed drill bit.     

Trepanning on unidirectional composites: delamination studies

Drilling of fibre reinforced plastics with conventional tools often results in defects like delamination, debonding, fibre pull-out, etc. Thrust is a major factor responsible for delamination and it mainly depends on tool geometry and feed rate. Trepanning tools, which were used in this study, were found to give reduced thrust while making holes on thin laminated composites. In this work the peculiarities of trepanning over drilling of unidirectional composites has been emphasised. The models for prediction of critical thrust and critical feed rate at the onset of delamination during trepanning of unidirectional composites based on fracture mechanics and plate theory also have been presented. Mathematical models correlating thrust and torque with tool diameter and feed rate have been developed through statistically designed experiments and effect of various parameters on them have been discussed. The critical feed rate is a function of strain energy release rate, elastic properties, sub-laminate thickness and diameter of the tool. It is observed that sub-laminate thickness is the most decisive parameter from the viewpoint of critical feed rates.