Thrust force and delamination of core-saw drill during drilling of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP)

Due to the inherent anisotropy and inhomogeneous nature of polymer-based composite materials, their cutting mechanism differs in many respects from conventional metallic materials. Amongst all machining operations, drilling using a twist drill is the most commonly applied method for generating holes for riveting and fastening structural assemblies. Most of the previous research correlates the drill geometry and feed rate to thrust force and delamination on the performance of a twist drill. The Taguchi method has been used to solve many engineering problems. In this investigation, drilling-induced thrust force and delamination by core-saw drill during drilling CFRP laminates were selected as quality character factors to optimize the drilling parameters to obtain the smaller-the-better characteristics. For thrust force and delamination quality character factors, the optimum conditions in drilling were also A₁B₁C₃, (i.e., diameter ratio = 0.55, feed rate = 8 mm/min and spindle speed = 1,200 rpm).     

ROTARY ULTRASONIC MACHINING OF CARBON FIBER-REINFORCED POLYMER: FEASIBILITY STUDY

Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) has been widely used in aircraft components, automotive parts, and sporting goods. Hole machining is the most frequently employed operation of secondary machining for fiber-reinforced composites. However, challenges (delamination, splintering, burr, short tool life, low machining precision, and low surface quality) still remain for their widespread applications. Rotary ultrasonic machining (RUM) is a non-conventional machining process that has been used to drill holes in composite materials. However, it has not been used to drill this type of CFRP. In this article, RUM is introduced into drilling holes in this type of CFRP for the first time. The feasibility to machine carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy using RUM is investigated experimentally. Chips, edge chipping, surface roughness, tool wear, and thrust force were measured. Effects of RUM process variables (rotation speed, vibration amplitude, and feedrate) on thrust force and surface roughness were studied. Results showed that RUM could be used to drill holes in CFRP with high productivity and low tool wear. A better surface was produced by higher rotation speed and lower feed rate.     

Evaluation of a novel approach to a delamination factor after drilling composite laminates using a core–saw drill

Drilling is the most commonly applied method for hole making of fiber-reinforced materials owing to the need for structure joining. Delamination is the most common defect during drilling because of the heterogeneity of both the fibers and the matrix. The delamination, in general, is an irregular shape and size, containing long and fine breaks and cracks at the exit of the drilled hole, especially in the drilling of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP). On the other hand, a core–saw drill is designed to reduce the threat of chip removal in drilling composite materials. Since the thrust force of core–saw drill is distributed toward the periphery, the core–saw drill allows a larger critical thrust force than the twist drill at the onset of delamination when drilling composite materials. The aim of this paper is to present a novel approach of the equivalent delamination factor (F _ed) to characterize drilling-induced delamination using a core–saw drill and compare it with the adjusted delamination factor (F _da) and the conventional delamination factor (F _a). The experimental results indicated that the F _ed obtained is considered suitable for characterizing delamination at the exit of a hole after drilling CFRP.     

Examination and modification of equivalent delamination factor for assessment of high speed drilling

Composite components suffer delamination at the entrance and exit of drilled holes. Many measures have been suggested by different researchers to assess such delamination damage. These include delamination factor, two-dimensional delamination factor, damage ratio, adjusted delamination factor, refined delamination factor, equivalent delamination factor, and minimum delamination factor. Among all these various assessment factors, the equivalent delamination factor looks simple and able to take into account the different features of delamination. However, the method of calculation of the equivalent delamination factor may not provide accurate values for delamination resulting from high speed drilling. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the equivalent delamination factor in high speed drilling of a composite laminate using a twist drill and develop a new approach to determine equivalent delamination factor which can be used for both conventional and high speed drilling conditions. This new method is applied to calculate the equivalent delamination factor in trials of drilling composite specimens at different speeds and feed rates and is found suitable.

     

Prediction of thrust force of step drill in drilling composite material by Taguchi method and radial basis function network

Among material secondary machining, drilling is the most frequently applied factor to composites needing structure joining. Drill geometry is considered the most important factor that affects drill performance. A major concern in drilling of composite materials is the delamination that occurs in the exit as well as in the entrance planes. The delamination damage caused by the tool thrust is known as one of the major concerns during the drilling process. The thrust force of step drill with drilling parameters (step angle, stage ratio, feedrate and spindle speed) in drilling carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) laminates were experimentally investigated in this study. The experimental results indicate that the step angle, stage ratio, and feedrate are the most significant factors affecting the overall performance. The optimal combinations, such as A₂B₂C₁D₃ (i.e., step angle = 100 ° stage ratio = 0.4 mm/mm, feedrate = 0.01 mm/rev and spindle speed = 1,200 rpm), were used under the adopted drilling condition. An experimental approach to the prediction of thrust force produced by step drill using linear regression analysis of experiments and radial basis function network (RBFN) were proposed in this study. In the confirmation tests, RBFN (errors within 0.3%) has been shown to be a better predictive model than multi-variable linear regression analysis (errors within 28%) for quantitative prediction of drilling-induced thrust force in drilling of composite material.     

The influence of the cutting tool microgeometry on the machinability of hardened AISI 4140 steel

The aim of this work is to define the cutting conditions that allow the dry drilling of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy (CFRE) composite materials taking into consideration the quality of the drilled holes (the exit delamination factor and the cylindricity error) and the optimum combination of drilling parameters. A further aim is to use grey relational analysis to improve the quality of the drilled holes. The machining parameters were measured according to 3³ full factorial parameter designs (27 experiments with independent process variables). The experiments were carried out under various cutting parameters with different spindle speeds and feed rates. Drilling tests were done using WC carbide, high-speed steel (HSS), and TiN-coated carbide drills. The experiment design was accomplished by application of the statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results show that the thrust force is mainly influenced by the tool materials and the feed rate, which has a strong influence on the exit delamination factor. On the other hand, the spindle speed particularly affects the cylindricity error of the holes. Correlations were established between spindle speed/feed rate and the various machining parameters so as to optimize cutting conditions. These correlations were found by quadratic regression using response surface methodology (RSM). Finally, tests were carried out to check the concordance of experimental results.     

Experimental investigation and optimisation in drilling of GFRP composites

Glass fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite materials are one of the important materials and are economic alternative to engineering materials because of their superior properties. This paper presents an effective approach for the optimisation of drilling parameters with multiple performance characteristics based on the Tagugch’s method with grey relational analysis. Taguchi’s L₁₆, 4-level orthogonal array has been used for the experimentation. The drilling parameters such as spindle speed and feed rate are optimised with consideration of multiple performance characteristics, such as thrust force, workpiece surface roughness and delamination factor. Response table and response graph are used for the analysis. The analysis of grey relational grade indicates that feed rate is the more influential parameter than spindle speed. The results indicate that the performance of drilling process can be improved effectively through this approach.     

Experimental characterization and finite element modeling of critical thrust force in cfrp drilling

Composite laminates are used in many applications in ae-rospace/defense industries due to their high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance properties. In general, composite materials are hard-to-machine materials which exhibit low drilling efficiency and drilling-induced delamination damage at exit. Hence, it is important to understand the drilling processes for composite materials. This article presents a comprehensive study involving experimental characterization of drilling process to understand the cutting mechanism and relative effect of cutting parameters on delamination during drilling of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). Thrust force and torque data are acquired for analyzing the cutting mechanism, initiation and propagation of delamination, and identification of critical thrust force below which no damage occurs. An FE model for prediction of critical thrust force has been developed and validated with experimental results. A [0/90] composite laminate is modeled simulating the last two plies in exit condition and a thin interface layer is inserted in between the plies to capture delamination extent. The tool geometry is modeled as “rigid body” with geometric features of twist drill used in experiments. The tool is indented on the workpiece to simulated tool feeding action into the workpiece. The FE model predicts the critical thrust force within 5% of the experimentally determined mean value.     

Comparison of drilled hole quality evaluation in CFRP/CFRP stacks using optical and ultrasonic non-destructive inspection

In aeronautical industry, stringent requirements relate to the quality of drilled holes in carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) composite laminates as low hole quality determines poor assembly tolerance, structural properties reduction, and risk for long-term part performance. Non-destructive quality control techniques were applied to drilled CFRP laminate stacks for aeronautical applications to characterize the material damage induced by drilling in order to assess the hole quality for product acceptability. Experimental metrology procedures, including optical measurements and ultrasonic non-destructive evaluation, were employed to appraise both external and internal induced material damage in holes machined under diverse drilling conditions. The optical inspection procedure, comparable to the visual inspection method regularly utilized in industry, provided delaminated area evaluations that are underestimated in the case of severe drilling conditions by up to 7% for hole exit and up to 5% for hole entry. In the case of less severe drilling conditions, the underestimation was limited to <2.5% for both hole exit and hole entry, which can be considered a practically negligible disparity.     

Delamination-free drilling of carbon fiber reinforced plastic with variable feed rate

A large number of drilling have been performed to assemble aircraft parts of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). Although high quality is required in machining the holes with high productivity in terms of reliability of parts, delamination often occurs around the holes in drilling. This paper presents a novel drilling method with variable feed rate to machine the delamination-free holes at a high machining rate. In the drilling, the holes are machined at the standard feed rates when the chisel moves in material; and are finished with the negative thrust at higher feed rates after the chisel exits from the workpiece. Orthogonal cutting tests were conducted to measure the cutting forces and the friction angles for the uncut chip thicknesses and the rake angles. The negative thrusts were measured in large uncut chip thicknesses at large rake angles of the lips. Then, the drilling tests were conducted to verify the change in the cutting force in the variable feed rate drilling up to 100 holes. Negative thrust component appears consistently to raise the workpiece up in the exit process even though the tool wear progresses with repeating drillings. As a result, the variable feed rate drilling remarkably controls delamination compared to the constant feed rate drilling in the 100th drilling. The cutting process in the variable feed rate drilling is compared with the constant feed rate drilling in a cutting force model based on the minimum cutting energy. The negative thrust is verified when the friction angle becomes smaller than the effective rake angle with increasing the feed rate.     

平纹编织CFRP制孔分层形成机制的热-力学理论建模及试验分析

碳纤维增强复合材料(Carbon fiber reinforced plastics, CFRP)在航空航天领域获得了广泛应用,但由于各向异性和层间连接较差等特点,钻削过程中极易出现分层缺陷,严重影响构件的使用性能。为分析钻削温度对平纹编织CFRP制孔缺陷的影响机制,基于弹性地基梁理论、黏聚力学模型和热力学理论,建立了新钻型钻削平纹编织CFRP制孔分层形成的理论模型。结果表明：当新钻型多刃尖(Ⅲ)钻削孔边缘的最表层材料时,钻削温度达到最大值,对最终分层的形成最为关键;钻削温度和制孔分层随着主轴转速的增大而逐渐降低,随着进给速度的增大而逐渐升高。当纤维角度(θ)在0°/90°/180°/270°附近时,层间分层的临界轴向力达到最大值,分层相对较大,当纤维角度(θ)在45°/135°/225°/315°附近时,临界轴向力最小,分层并非极大。因此,临界力的大小只能反映产生分层缺陷的难易程度,不能决定分层的最终形状和大小。考虑温度影响时的制孔分层形态预测与试验观测基本吻合,而不考虑温度影响下所获得的预测值总体上偏小。此外,平纹编织CFRP分层形状基本呈近似圆形。     

An investigative study of delamination in drilling of medium density fibreboard (MDF) using response surface models

The delamination in drilling of medium density fibreboard (MDF) materials significantly reduces the performance and aesthetical aspects of the final product. Therefore, understanding the delamination tendency and the parameters affecting the same is essential for controlling the delamination factor. The present study investigates the relationships and parametric interaction between two controllable variables, namely, feed rate and cutting speed on the delamination factor at entry and exit of the holes in drilling of MDF. The experiments have been planned as per Taguchi’s L ₁₈ mixed orthogonal array and the responses, namely, delamination factor at entry and exit of the holes have been modeled using response surface methodology (RSM). Two types of MDF panels, SUPERPAN DéCOR (melamine coating layer) and LAMIPAN PB (wood coating layer) were tested using cemented carbide (K20) drills. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to verify the adequacy of the mathematical models. The response surface analysis has been carried out to study the main and the interaction effects of the machining parameters.     

Methodology analysis for evaluation of drilling-induced damage in composites

Drilling operations in composite materials introduce damage along the periphery of the hole that depends on the process parameters. Damage assessment requires image processing using either different algorithms or threshold levels for segmentation in order to be able to measure and calculate the delamination factors. The aim of this work is to carry out a systematic analysis on the image processing methodologies and algorithms to clarify and quantify their influence on the levels of delamination factors in carbon fibre-reinforced polymers (CFRP). Several tests were carried out using different types and shapes of carbide drills. The results show that both the algorithms and threshold levels for segmentation have a strong influence on the final results. Contrary to the usual procedure in the literature, the threshold level cannot be a predefined standard constant because its optimum value depends on the image histogram. The delamination factor and the adjusted delamination factor were found to be influenced by the threshold level in such a way that its increase causes an exponential decay in both factors. This clearly evidences the need to standardize the image processing methodologies so that different drilling results can be comparable.     

MODELING AND OPTIMIZATION OF PROCESS PARAMETERS FOR DELAMINATION IN DRILLING GLASS FIBER REINFORCED PLASTIC (GFRP) COMPOSITES

Glass fiber-reinforced composite materials are used in varieties of applications due to their excellent properties. Drilling is an indispensable process for this kind of materials. Delamination due to drilling is an important concern and is to be reduced. In the present work, drilling tests were carried out on computer numeric control (CNC) drilling machine. The parameters considered for the drilling investigations were spindle speed, feed rate and diameter of the drill bits. Multiple regression analysis is used for the modeling of process parameters in drilling of GFRP composites. Taguchi's S/N ratio analysis and desirability-based approach are used for the optimization of process parameters for studying the delamination in drilling of GFRP composites. The results revealed that the factor feed rate and drill diameter are the most influential parameters which affects the delamination in drilling of GFRP composites. The interaction between the parameters also affects the delamination in drilling of GFRP composites.     

复合材料层压板钻孔分层激光超声检测方法

飞机复合材料结构钻孔分层的定位、定量检测是无损检测领域的难点之一,也是航空制造领域亟待解决的安全问题之一,激光超声检测技术是解决该问题的可能途径。试验验证利用激光超声检测复合材料钻孔分层的技术可行性。制备复合材料层压板钻孔试样,研究热弹性条件下脉冲激光在复合材料中产生超声波的宽频带特性,提取出满足检测灵敏度、分辨力要求并具有良好信噪比的超声信号;分析近孔边缘分层界面对声传播规律的影响,得出钻孔边缘分层缺陷的激光超声表征方法;采用脉冲反射法、透射法对复合材料钻孔试样进行激光超声C扫描检测,获得钻孔分层缺陷的形貌、尺寸和位置特征。研究结果表明,激光超声检测技术是解决飞机复合材料结构钻孔分层检测问题的有效手段。     

Machinability of Kevlar® 49 Composite Laminates While Using Standard TiN Coated HSS Drills

This article addresses the machinability of plain weave Kevlar® 49 prepeg composite laminates of different thickness while using 135° split-point TiN coated 6 mm diameter HSS drills. The effect of composite preparation parameters and the drilling conditions on the machinability of the laminates is assessed using the drilling thrust force, cutting torque, and specific cutting energy. The thickness and processing time of the laminates as well as the drilling process parameters were found to influence the maximum value of thrust force and torque as well as the quality of drilled holes. The wear features of the drills used in machining Kevlar composites have been found to be different from the conventional wear patterns that occur during drilling metals and alloys.     

CFRP及叠层结构螺旋铣孔专用刀具切削性能评价

碳纤维增强复合材料(CFRP)及由钛合金Ti-6Al-4V和CFRP组成的金属复合材料叠层结构广泛应用于现代航空工业。大型客机结构件之间主要通过铆接和高锁螺栓连接,根据波音与空客公司发布的数据显示,最新一代B787与A380上装配孔的数量已超百万,装配过程中的制孔效率与质量直接决定了客机整体装配效率及关键结构件的疲劳寿命,从而间接影响了客机的生产成本以及飞行可靠性。随着飞机数字化装配的快速发展,传统的钻孔工艺会产生很多加工缺陷,工序复杂,加工孔质量不能满足要求,因此,有必要优化制孔工艺,设计新型专用刀具。本文通过研究螺旋铣孔运动学特性,分析螺旋铣孔的工艺特点,设计了一种新型螺旋铣孔专用刀具,并以加工过程的轴向切削力、出入口加工质量以及刀具磨损为评价指标,验证该新型专用刀具的切削性能。结果表明,专用刀具在干切削条件下能够实现复材孔无分层、钛合金孔无毛刺加工,大幅提高刀具寿命,解决了传统立铣刀对CFRP及CFRP/钛合金叠层结构进行螺旋铣孔时刀具寿命低、加工质量差等问题。     

Tool life evaluation of CFRP drilling with three kinds of drill

Serious tool wear in CFRP drilling is one of the key problems to be solved urgently. Firstly, a suitable indirect evaluation index of tool life is selected according to the literature. The critical delamination force was obtained by blind hole pushing experiment. Then, tool wear experiments were carried out with double point angle drill, stepped drill and reverse edge compound drill to analyze the variation rules of the thrust force, exit burr, exit delamination and tear with tool wear. Threshold values of exit delamination, tearing and critical thrust force were compared with each evaluation index one by one to study the causes of drills failure. The results indicated that the maximum tool wear position was the outer corner. Among the three types drills, the thrust force, delamination factor and burr angle of the reverse edge compound drill are smaller. The double point angle drill fails due to the excessive thrust force, while the stepped drill and the reverse edge compound drill fail due to the hole exit delamination exceeding the threshold. The number of drilled holes of the reverse edge compound drill is 100 % and 25 % higher than that of the double point angle drill and the stepped drill, respectively. Therefore, the reverse edge compound drill is suitable for drilling CFRP.

     

Measurement and analysis of thrust force in drilling of particle board (PB) composite panels

Particleboard is a wood based composite extensively used in wood working. Drilling is the most commonly used machining process in furniture industries. The surface characteristics and the damage free drilling are significantly influenced by the machining parameters. The thrust force developed during drilling play a major role in gaining the surface quality and minimizing the delamination tendency. The objective of this study is to measure and analyze the cutting conditions which influences the thrust force in drilling of particle board panels. The parameters considered are spindle speed, feed rate and point angle. The drilling experiments are performed based on Taguchi’s design of experiments and a response surface methodology (RSM) based mathematical model is developed to predict the influence of cutting parameters on thrust force. The results showed that high spindle speed with low feed rate combination minimizes the thrust force in drilling of pre-laminated particle board (PB) panels.     

Analytical models of composite material drilling

Drilling of composite material structures is widely used for aeronautical assemblies. When drilling, damage to the composite laminate is directly related to the cutter geometry and the cutting conditions. Delamination of the composite materials at the hole exit as directly related to the axial force (F _Z) of the cutter is considered to be the major such defect. To address this issue, an orthotropic analytical model is developed in order to calculate the critical force of delamination during drilling and a number of hypotheses for loading are proposed. This critical axial load is related to the delamination conditions (propagation of cracks in the last layers) and the mechanical characteristics of the composite material machined. A numerical model is also drawn up to allow for numerical validation of the analytical approach. A comparison between these analytical and numerical modellings and experimental results from quasi-static punch tests led to the choice of the loading hypothesis closest to the experimental conditions. The selection of corresponding load permits to model the drilling critical thrust force on delamination and then to optimise the cutting conditions. The dimensions and geometrical shape of the cutter are of considerable importance when it comes to choosing this load. The present article focuses on the case of the twist drill, which is commonly used to drill thick plates. However, this work can be adapted to different cutter geometries.