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.     

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.     

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.     

Assessment of factors influencing surface roughness on the machining of glass fiber-reinforced polymer composites

In recent years, the utilization of glass fiber-reinforced polymers (GFRP) composite materials in many different engineering fields has undergone a tremendous increase. Accordingly, the need for accurate machining of composites has increased enormously. In the present work, an attempt has been made to assess the influence of machining parameters on the machining of GFRP composites. Design of experiments (full factorial design) concept has been used for experimentation. The machining experiments were conducted on all geared lathe using coated cermet tool inserts with two level of factors. The factors considered were cutting speed, work piece fiber orientation angle, depth of cut and feed rate. A procedure has been developed to assess and optimize the chosen factors to attain minimum surface roughness by incorporating: (i) response table and response graph; (ii) normal probability plot; (iii) interaction graphs; (iv) analysis of variance (ANOVA) technique.     

Multiple Performance Optimization of Machining Parameters on the Machining of GFRP Composites Using Carbide (K10) Tool

The present investigation focuses on the multiple performance machining characteristics of GFRP composites produced through filament winding. Grey relational analysis was used for the optimization of the machining parameters on machining GFRP composites using carbide (K10) tool. According to the Taguchi quality concept, a L27, 3-level orthogonal array was chosen for the experiments. The machining parameters namely work piece fiber orientation, cutting speed, feed rate, depth of cut and machining time have been optimized based on the multiple performance characteristics including material removal rate, tool wear, surface roughness and specific cutting pressure. Experimental results have shown that machining performance in the composite machining process can be improved effectively by using this approach.     

Optimizing the Machining Parameters for Minimum Surface Roughness in Turning of GFRP Composites Using Design of Experiments

In recent years, glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP) are being extensively used in variety of engineering applications in many different fields such as aerospace, oil, gas and process industries. However, the users of FRP are facing difficulties to machine it, because of fiber delamination, fiber pull out, short tool life, matrix debonding, burning and formation of powder like chips. The present investigation focuses on the optimization of machining parameters for surface roughness of glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP) using design of experiments (DoE). The machining parameters considered were speed, feed, depth of cut and workpiece (fiber orientation). An attempt was made to analyse the influence of factors and their interactions during machining. The results of the present study gives the optimal combination of machining parameters and this will help to improve the machining requirements of GFRP composites.     

Delamination and Surface Roughness Analyses in Drilling Hybrid Carbon/Glass Composite

Previous attempts at drilling of fibrous composites have been challenging due to the limited mechanical properties and presence of severe delamination damage at the top and bottom surfaces of the drilled hole. With the recent introduction of hybrid carbon/glass fiber reinforced polymer (HFRP) composites in both research literature and industrial applications, the need for evaluating their drillability is inevitable prior to their final usage. This is mainly because of the unique properties of HFRP composites as compared to the single-type FRP composites. Therefore, this paper aims to present a research initiative that will elucidate the high-range parametric effects of drilling control factors on delamination damage and surface quality. Taguchi methodology and statistical analysis of variance were applied to determine the performance of the drilling process. Experimental results revealed that delamination damage and surface quality values were strongly influenced by the feed and special tool geometries rather than the spindle rotational speed. Changes in the feed are likely to contribute to increase in the thrust force and strain rate on the workpiece. Confirmation tests have shown the closeness of the calculated values via a regression model and additive rule with the experimental values. This indicates that the regression model from the response surface can be employed to estimate delamination damage and surface roughness during drilling of HFRP composite.     

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.     

Parametric optimization studies on drilling of sandwich composites using the Box–Behnken design

This study was carried out to investigate the parametric influence on the performance of drilling newly made sandwich composites. Sandwich composite was prepared by using steel and jute as reinforcements and polyester as the matrix material. Drilling experiments were carried out by considering input factors such as spindle speed, feed rate of the spindle, point angle of the drill and tool diameter. Three output factors, namely thrust force developed during drilling, surface roughness of the drilled hole and damage at the entrance surface, were studied. All output factors were optimized by using the Box–Behnken approach, and the best machining conditions were taken on the basis of the desirability approach. Confirmatory experiments were conducted and compared against the Box–Behnken model. The comparison showed only a minor error, and hence the optimization is satisfactory.     

A review of mechanical drilling for composite laminates

Composite laminates (CFRP, GFRP, and fiber metal composite laminates) are attractive for many applications (such as aerospace and aircraft structural components) due to their superior properties. Usually, mechanical drilling operation is an important final machining process for components made of composite laminates. However, composite laminates are regarded as hard-to-machine materials, which results in low drilling efficiency and undesirable drilling-induced delamination. Therefore, it is desirable to improve the cost-effectiveness of currently-available drilling processes and to develop more advanced drilling processes for composite laminates. Such improvement and development will benefit from a comprehensive literature review on drilling of composite laminates. This review paper summarizes an up-to-date progress in mechanical drilling of composite laminates reported in the literature. It covers drilling operations (including conventional drilling, grinding drilling, vibration-assisted twist drilling, and high speed drilling), drill bit geometry and materials, drilling-induced delamination and its suppressing approaches, thrust force, and tool wear. It is intended to help readers to obtain a comprehensive view on mechanical drilling of composite laminates.     

碳纤维增强复合材料螺旋铣孔切削力及加工质量研究

针对传统钻孔方法加工复合材料时易导致分层、撕裂等缺陷的问题,采用螺旋铣作为新的制孔技术,根据飞机装配现场的实际加工条件,构建以机器人为移动载体、螺旋铣孔终端执行器为加工单元、螺旋铣孔专用刀具为切削工具的加工系统,采用该加工系统对碳纤维增强复合材料(CFRP)螺旋铣孔关键工艺参数进行正交试验,并讨论了刀具主轴转速、每齿进给量和轴向切削深度等工艺参数对切削力的影响规律;通过对加工缺陷的监测,探讨了切削力与CFRP分层、撕裂等缺陷之间的关系;最后对工艺参数进行优化,经试验验证,优化后轴向切削力较优化前降低26%以上,孔入口及出口处均无撕裂、毛刺,加工质量最优。     

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.     

Analysis of effect of fiber orientation on Young’s modulus for unidirectional fiber reinforced composites

Young’s modulus of unidirectional glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites for wind energy applications were studied using analytical, numerical and experimental methods. In order to explore the effect of fiber orientation angle on the Young’s modulus of composites, from the basic theory of elastic mechanics, a procedure which can be applied to evaluate the elastic stiffness matrix of GFRP composite as an analytical function of fiber orientation angle (from 0° to 90°), was developed. At the same time, different finite element models with inclined glass fiber were developed via the ABAQUS Scripting Interface. Results indicate that Young’s modulus of the composites strongly depends on the fiber orientation angles. A U-shaped dependency of the Young’s modulus of composites on the inclined angle of fiber is found, which agree well with the experimental results. The shear modulus is found to have significant effect on the composites’ Young’s modulus, too. The effect of volume content of glass fiber on the Young’s modulus of composites was investigated. Results indicate the relation between them is nearly linear. The results of the investigation are expected to provide some design guideline for the microstructural optimization of the glass fiber reinforced composites.     

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.     

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 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.     

Thrust Force Analysis in Drilling Glass Fiber Reinforced/Polypropylene (GFR/PP) Composites

Glass fiber reinforced thermoplastic (GFRTP) composites are an important alternate to the conventional engineering materials owing to their good application-oriented properties. Drilling is unavoidable and an important operation used in automotive and aerospace industries in the assembly stage. The reduction of thrust force is required to minimize delamination. This paper examines the parameters that influence the thrust force on drilling glass fiber reinforced polypropylene (GFR/PP). The experiments are conducted using the Box–Behnken experimental design method. An empirical relation is established for determining the thrust induced in the drilling of GFRTP. The factors that affect the drilling process and their interaction are analyzed and presented in detail.     

考虑界面效应的GFRP复合材料蠕变模型

建立了包含界面的玻璃纤维增强树脂复合材料(GFRP)蠕变混合率单胞模型,对GFRP的蠕变性能进行分析;并与GFRP在应力水平为初始弯曲强度的20%所对应的载荷下的弯曲蠕变实验结果进行对比。分析了界面模量、界面厚度、纤维连续性与形态以及位向等因素对复合材料蠕变性能的影响。结果表明:相较于不考虑界面效应的混合率模型,本模型具有更高的准确性,与实验结果更为吻合;界面模量反应了纤维与基体的结合程度,对复合材料的蠕变性能产生影响,其蠕变柔量随着界面模量的增大而减小;界面厚度的增大会导致复合材料的蠕变柔量略微增大;相较于连续纤维增强树脂复合材料,短切纤维毡增强树脂复合材料的蠕变性能更易受到界面效应的影响;纤维方向对复合材料蠕变性能有显著影响,随着纤维方向角的增大,复合材料蠕变柔量增大,但当纤维方向角达到60°后,纤维已基本失去载荷传递和增强能力,复合材料蠕变柔量不再继续随着纤维方向角的增大而增大。      

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.     

硬质合金台阶钻结构参数及钻削工艺参数对CFRP开孔性能的影响

基于VMC850B立式加工中心和UltraPAC超声C-扫描仪,搭建了碳纤维增强树脂基复合材料(CFRP)钻削试验平台,探讨了台阶钻结构参数及钻削工艺参数对CFRP钻削过程中的钻削轴向力和分层因子的影响。结果表明,钻削工艺参数对第一段钻削轴向力影响较大,台阶钻结构参数对第二段钻削轴向力的影响较大;分层因子的大小与第一段钻削轴向力和第二段钻削轴向力有关,当第一段和第二段直径比d/D0.5时,分层因子主要与第一段钻削轴向力有关;减小分层的优水平组合为第一段直径2.8mm,第二段锋角95°,主轴转速7000r/min,进给速度2.5mm/s。