Some experimental investigations in the drilling of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) composite laminates

In this paper, a concept of delamination factor F_d (i.e. the ratio of the maximum diameter D_max in the damage zone to the hole diameter D) is proposed to analyze and compare easily the delamination degree in the drilling of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) composite laminates. Experiments were performed to investigate the variations of cutting forces with or without onset of delamination during the drilling operations. The effects of tool geometry and drilling parameters on cutting force variations in CFRP composite materials drilling were also experimentally examined. The experimental results show that the delamination-free drilling processes may be obtained by the proper selections of tool geometry and drilling parameters. The effects of drilling parameters and tool wear on delamination factor are also presented and discussed.Cutting temperature has long been recognized as an important factor influencing the tool wear rate and tool life. An experimental investigation of flank surface temperatures is also presented in this paper. Experimental results indicated that the flank surface temperatures increase with increasing cutting speed but decreasing feed rate. Optimal cutting conditions are proposed to avoid damage from burning during the drilling processes.     

微细铣削铝合金6061表面毛刺研究

目的揭示微细铣削铝合金6061过程中,铣削工艺参数(切削深度a_p、每齿进给量f_z、切削速度v)、顺逆铣方式、刀具磨损对毛刺大小及形态的影响规律,为控制铝合金6061毛刺,提高表面质量,优化切削工艺提供参考。方法基于单因素试验方法,采用涂层硬质合金微直径铣刀,对铝合金6061进行了铣削加工试验,分别对切削参数单因素试验的逆铣、顺铣顶端毛刺大小数据以及刀具磨损、毛刺形态信息进行采集和分析。结果直观绘制了a_p、v、f_z对逆顺铣两侧顶端毛刺大小的影响规律图。单因素切削速度试验中,顺铣侧毛刺最大为323μm,逆铣侧最大为268μm;单因素每齿进给量试验中,顺铣侧毛刺最大为332μm,逆铣侧最大为331μm;单因素切深试验中顺铣侧毛刺最大为314μm,逆铣侧最大为264μm。结论逆铣比顺铣的顶端毛刺小,随切削深度增加,毛刺依次呈现长条须状、撕裂状、波浪形锯齿状。刀具磨损是造成切削过程不稳定的重要因素,同时也会造成毛刺形态和大小不稳定。为尽量减少毛刺,应采用锋利刀具和逆铣方式,控制切削深度,选择合适的切削速度和进给量。     

A failure analysis of water jet drilling in composite laminates

Delamination is a major concern in the manufacturing processes of composite materials. It reduces not only the structural integrity of the laminate but also the long-term reliability of the assembly. Water jet drilling, in spite of its advantages of no tool wear and thermal damage, often creates delamination composite laminate at bottom. The current paper presents an analytical approach to study the delamination during drilling by water jet piercing. The analysis uses fracture mechanics with plate theory to describe the mechanism of delamination. This model predicts an optimal water jet pressure for no delamination as a function of hole depth and material parameters (opening-mode delamination fracture toughness and modulus of elasticity). Good agreement is achieved with data obtained from water jet drilling of graphite epoxy laminate. The predicted optimal water jet pressure can be applied in a control scheme for maximizing the productivity of water jet drilling of composite laminates.     

Computerized tomography and C-Scan for measuring delamination in the drilling of composite materials using various drills

Whilst drilling is the most frequently employed operation of secondary machining for structure joining, delamination is a very serious defect during drilling of fiber-reinforced composite materials,. The evaluation of the delamination damage in the material is important but rather difficult, particularly for carbon fiber-based composites, because their colour makes visual inspection difficult. A special technique using medical equipment for computerized tomography is presented in this paper. It is compared to techniques using ultrasonic and is demonstrated as a feasible and an effective tool for the evaluation of drilling-induced delamination.     

制孔分层损伤对CF/PEEK复合材料拉伸性能和表面应变分布的影响

目的 研究钻削制孔表面分层损伤与拉伸载荷下开孔碳纤维增强聚醚醚酮（CF/PEEK）复合材料表面应变分布的相关性。方法 通过对CF/PEEK复合材料层合板进行钻削制孔实验,分析不同进给速度对钻削温度、钻削轴向力、制孔出口表面分层和孔壁表面损伤的影响。采用数字图像相关技术（DIC）和力学实验相结合的方法,研究分层损伤程度对开孔CF/PEEK复合材料层合板拉伸性能和表面应变分布的影响。使用扫描电镜观测开孔试件的断裂形貌,分析开孔试件受拉伸载荷时的破坏模式。结果 随着进给速度的增加,钻削温度降低,钻削轴向力提高,出口表面分层和孔壁损伤程度加剧。随着分层损伤程度的增加,层合板的拉伸强度呈现出降低的趋势,试件的拉伸强度从558.4 MPa降低到525.63 MPa,降低了5.87%。在中应力和高应力状态下,试件x方向的最大负应变随着分层损伤程度的增加而增加。在高应力状态下,试件y方向的最大正应变随着分层损伤程度的增加而增加。试件的断裂方式主要是基体开裂、分层和纤维撕裂,断口有纤维脱落和纤维拔出,垂直于载荷方向的纤维破坏模式为剥离破坏,与载荷方向一致的纤维破坏模式为拉伸破坏。结论 钻削制孔表面分层损...     

Prediction of the location of delamination in the drilling of composite laminates

An analytical approach for the determination of the position of the onset of delamination during the drilling of composite laminates based on linear elastic fracture mechanics is presented in this paper. The critical thrust force calculated from the predicted position of the onset of delamination has a reasonable agreement with experimental results obtained in the drilling of T300/5208 graphite epoxy composite laminates reported in the literature. Thus, the analytical method developed in the present study may be applied to the drilling of composite laminates drilling with the avoidance of delamination.     

Drilling delamination and thermal damage of carbon nanotube/carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites processed by microwave curing

The drilling-induced delamination and thermal damage of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composite materials are serious problems especially for high value components of the aviation industry. To suppress the delamination and drilling ablation, an innovative approach was employed in this study. The multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were introduced to the matrix resin to improve the interlaminar strength and thermal conductivity. The as-prepared composite was processed by microwave curing to enhance the interface strength between carbon fiber and the carbon nanotubes modified matrix. During the drilling processes, optical fiber Bragg grating sensors were utilized to precisely measure the drilling temperature. Experimental results indicated that the interlaminar fracture toughness was increased by more than 66% compared to that of the traditional thermal cured samples without MWCNTs. And the delamination factor was decreased by 16% according to the computerized tomography scanning results. The maximum drilling temperature of the MWCNTs reinforced composite was below the glass transition temperature of the matrix resin and declined by 23 °C compared to traditional composites. With this novel method of carbon nanotube modification and microwave curing, we provide the capability of reducing the drilling delamination and thermal damage of carbon fiber composites simultaneously, and explored the possibility of manufacturing and machining integration.     

Effect of deviation on delamination by saw drill

Various cutting techniques are available to drill holes, but drilling is the most common way in secondary machining of composite materials owing to the need for structure joining. Twist drills are widely used in the industry to produce holes rapidly and economically. Since the twist drill has a chisel edge, increasing the length of a chisel edge will result in an increase in the thrust force generated. Whereas, a saw drill has no chisel edge; it utilizes the peripheral distribution of the thrust force for drilling. As a result, the saw drill can achieve better a machining quality in drilling composite laminates than twist drill. The deviation of cutting edge that occurs in saw drill would result in an increase of thrust force during drilling, causing delamination damage when drilling composite materials in particular. A comprehensive model concerning delamination induced by the thrust force of a deviation saw drill during drilling composite materials has been established in the present study. For a deviation saw drill, the critical thrust force that triggers delamination increases with increasing β. A lower feed rate has to be used with an increasing deviation saw drill in order to prevent delamination damage. The results agree with real industrial experience. A guide for avoiding the drill deviation during drill regrinding or drill wear has been proved analytically by the proposed model, especially when the deviation ratio (β) affects the critical thrust force. This approach can be extended to examine similar deviation effects of various drills.     

Effect of pilot hole on thrust force by saw drill

The applications of composite materials are numerous, especially in the structural parts of aerospace, automotive and marine industries. Owing to the marked anisotropy and macroscopic heterogeneity of composite materials, the mechanics of machining used is different when compared to metals. Delamination is one of the most concerns of applying the fiber-reinforced composite materials in various industries. A hole is pre-drilled to eliminate the thrust caused by the chisel edge of twist drill; thus, the threat for delamination is significantly reduced. Saw drills eliminate the chisel and utilize the peripheral distribution of the thrust in drilling. An analytical approach to identifying the role of the pilot hole was proposed to reduce the thrust force-induced delamination during saw drilling. The predicted critical thrust force is in good agreement with the experimental values.     

Experimental analysis of drilling fiber reinforced composites

In comparison with metals, long-fiber reinforced composites have a layered structure, with different properties throughout their thickness. When drilling such structures, internal defects like delamination occur, caused by the drilling loads and their uneven distribution among the plies. The current experimental analysis is focused towards determining the cutting loads distribution (axial and tangential) along the work-piece thickness and tool radius by analyzing the thrust and torque curves when drilling with 3 different drills carbon-fiber (CFRP) and glass-fiber (GFRP) reinforced composite plates. A wide range of cutting parameters is tested. The highest loads are found at the tool tip in the vicinity of the chisel edge for all cases. It is also found that the maximum load per ply varies mainly with the axial feed rate and tool geometry, while the spindle speed has little or no influence. The analysis is useful for selecting the cutting parameters for delamination free drilling and also for conducting drill geometry optimizations.     

Effects of exit back-up on delamination in drilling composite materials using a saw drill and a core drill

Machining of composites has caught greater attention in manufacturing of structural parts in aerospace, automobile and sporting goods. Composite materials have advantageous features in strength and stiffness coupled with lightweight compared to the conventional metallic materials. Amongst all machining operations, drilling is the most commonly applied method for generating holes for riveting and fastening the structural assembly. Delamination is one of the serious concerns in drilling holes in composite materials at the bottom surface of the workpiece (drill exit). Quite a few references of the drilling of fiber-reinforced plastics report that the quality of cut is strongly dependent on drilling parameter as well as the drill geometry. Saw drills and core drills produce less delamination than twist drills by distributing the drilling thrust toward the hole periphery. Delamination can be effectively reduced or eliminated by slowing down the feed rate when approaching the exit and by using back-up plates to support and counteract the deflection of the composite laminate leading to exit side delaminations. The use of the back-up does reduce the delamination in practice, which its effects have not been well explained in analytical fashion. This paper predicts the effects of backup plate on delamination in drilling composite materials using saw drill and core drill. The critical drilling thrust force at the onset of delamination is calculated and compared with that without backup. The well known advantage of industrial use of backup can be understood fundamentally by the fact that the threshold thrust force at the onset of delamination is increased making the delamination less induced.     

A study of an improved cutting mechanism of composite materials using novel design of diamond micro-core drills

Core drilling at small diameters in carbon composite materials is largely carried out using diamond electroplated tools consisting of hollow shafts and simplistic geometries that are likely to work in an abrasional/rubbing mode for material removal. The paper reports a step change in the performance of small diameter core drilling by facilitating a shearing mechanism of the composite workpiece through the utilisation of a novel tool design. This has been achieved by laser producing core drills from solid polycrystalline diamond, incorporating controlled cutting edges where the geometries are defined. To evaluate the efficiency of the shearing vs. abrasion/rubbing cutting mechanisms, a critical comparison between the novel (defined cutting edges) and the conventional electroplated tools (randomly distributed micro-grains) has been made with reference to thrust forces, tool wear mechanisms and their influences on the hole quality (e.g. delamination, fibre pullout). This work has been augmented by studies using high-speed thermal imaging of the two tool types in operation. The examinations have shown that, based on the concept of defined cutting edges in solid diamond, there is the possibility to make significant improvements in core drilling performance, (ca. 26% lower thrust force, minimal tool surface clogging, lower drilling temperatures) resulting in improved cleanliness of fibre fracture and a reduced tendency of material delamination.     

Drilling of graphite/bismaleimide composite material

Drilling study of graphite/bismaleimide composite material was conducted by using different cutter materials (high-speed steel, carbide, and polycrystalline diamond) and drill geometries. It was found that polycrystalline diamond tools outperformed all other tools in terms of minimal surface damage, delamination, and fiber pullout. The drilling forces exerted in machining graphite/bismaleimide were recorded by using a dynamometer, and the morphology of drilled surfaces was evaluated with surface profilometry and optical and scanning electron microscopy. The drilling characteristics were evaluated in terms of cutting forces, tool wear, and surface morphology.     

大厚径碳纤维复合材料三维钻削有限元仿真及试验研究

针对CR929远程宽体客机承力构件制孔出口分层缺陷预测难、制孔载荷预测试验成本高等问题,开展大孔径碳纤维增强树脂基复合材料(CFRP)三维钻削仿真及试验研究。首先基于ABAQUS用户自定义子程序接口,利用Fortran语言编写CFRP宏观力学本构模型;随后建立大孔径CFRP三维钻削仿真过程有限元模型,并验证其正确性;最后利用有限元模型预测不同加工参数下的制孔轴向力、扭矩及出口分层损伤。研究结果表明:基于三维实体单元建模的复合材料,三维钻削有限元仿真模型可以可靠地预测制孔过程中的轴向力、扭矩。在CFRP出口处嵌入黏结单元可以预测制孔出口分层的形状。在相同工艺参数条件下, 制孔的轴向力、扭矩、出口分层的仿真预测与试验结果最大相对误差分别为15.0%、19.0%、12.4%。      

A neural network thrust force controller to minimize delamination during drilling of graphite-epoxy laminates

Delamination is a well-recognized problem associated with drilling fiber-reinforced composite materials (FRCMs). The most noted problems occur as the drill enters and exits the FRCM. Since drilling is often a final operation during assembly, any defects introduced in parts through the drilling process that result in the part being rejected represent an expensive loss. Studies based on linear-elastic fracture mechanics theory have proposed critical cutting and thrust forces in the various drilling regions that can be used as a guide in preventing crack growth or delamination. Using these critical force curves as a guide, a thrust force controller was developed to minimize the delamination while drilling a graphite-epoxy laminate. A neural network control scheme was implemented which required a neural network identifier to model the drilling dynamics and a neural network controller to learn the relationship between feed rate and the desired thrust force. Experimental results verifying the validity of this control approach as well as the robustness of the design are presented. Visual measurements of the delamination zones were used to quantify the benefits of the thrust force controlled drilling process versus the conventional constant feed rate drilling process.     

电镀金刚石钻头钻削碳纤维复合材料研究

碳纤维复合材料钻孔加工时极易产生分层、毛刺、撕裂等缺陷,是典型的难加工材料。针对碳纤维复合材料特点,以电镀金刚石钻头为研究对象,从钻削轴向力、钻孔出口质量等方面分析电镀金刚石钻头钻孔特点,并与硬质合金麻花钻进行对比,得出结论：电镀金刚石钻头钻削碳纤维复合材料时钻削轴向力较小,钻削质量较好,更适合于碳纤维复合材料的加工;钻头转速提高有利于减小钻孔缺陷的产生,钻削轴向力随钻头转速的升高而降低,随钻头直径的增大而增大;最后,通过多元线形回归方法得出电镀金刚石钻头钻削力经验公式。     

Effect of eccentricity of twist drill and candle stick drill on delamination in drilling composite materials

Drilling is the most frequently employed operation of secondary machining for fiber-reinforced materials owing to the need for structure joining. Delamination is one of the serious concerns during drilling. Practical experience shows that an eccentric twist drill or an eccentric candle stick drill can degrade the quality of the fiber reinforced material. Comprehensive delamination models for the delamination induced by an eccentric twist drill and an eccentric candle stick drill in the drilling of composite materials have been constructed in the present study. For an eccentric twist drill and an eccentric candle stick drill, the critical thrust force that will produce delamination decreases with increasing point eccentricity ξ. The results agree with industrial experience. The need for control of drill eccentricity during drill regrinding has been proved analytically by the proposed models.     

Reducing drilling-induced delamination in composite tube by magnetic colloid back-up

Drilling is an indispensible machining process for building a load-carrying structure of composite materials. Delamination defect is often produced at the exit of drilling, which threatens the service safety of the structure. There are back-up methods to reduce delamination when drilling the open flat-plate composite structure, but none for drilling into the curved-surface or hollow-shape structures. This study describes an innovative method using electromagnet and the deformable inexpensive colloid mixed with iron powder to produce magnetic back-up force at drilling exit to suppress delamination in industrial tube parts. The delamination extent can be reduced by 60–80%. The optimal volume ratio of powder-to-colloid is found 1:3.     

Drilling of carbon composites using a one shot drill bit. Part II: empirical modeling of maximum thrust force

In order to extend tool life and improve quality of hole drilling in carbon composite materials, a better understanding of ‘one shot’ hole drilling is required. This paper describes the development of an empirical model of the maximum thrust force and torque produced during drilling of carbon fiber with a ‘one shot’ drill bit. Shaw's simplified equations are adapted in order to accommodate for tool wear and used to predict maximum thrust force and torque in the drilling of carbon composite with a ‘one shot’ drill bit. The mathematical model is dependent on the number of holes drilled previously, the geometry of the drill bit, the feed used and the thickness of the workpiece. The model presented here is verified by extensive experimental data.     

Machining parameters for an intelligent machining system for composite laminates

Composite laminates exhibit very high in-plane strengths but are plagued by delamination damage when subjected to machining. This is due to their poor transverse strengths and low delamination fracture toughness. In drilling, delamination is initiated when the thrust force exceeds a threshold value, particularly at the critical entry and exit locations of the drill bit. To minimize damage, therefore, it is important to monitor process variables such as the machining forces and the position of the tool relative to the workpiece. The availability of a suitable model coupled with an intelligent control scheme would be a large advancement in the machining of composite laminates. This paper explores the development of such models for machining of composites and for coupling the models to intelligent control strategies. Using a machining center, a series of drilling experiments were conducted on carbon fiber-reinforced composite laminates to determine key process parameters for various cutting conditions. An intelligent machining scheme is proposed as the basis for the design of a new machine tool.