Effect of Tool Wear on Quality of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Laminate during Edge Trimming

Abstract

Polymer matrix composites, particularly carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) are widely used in various high technology industries, including aerospace, automotive and wind energy. Normally, when CFRPs are cured to near net shape, finishing operations such as trimming, milling or drilling are used to remove excess materials. The quality of these finishing operations is highly crucial at the level of final assembly. The present research aims to study the effect of cutting tool wear on the resulting quality for the trimming process of high performance CFRP laminates, in the aerospace field. In terms of quality parameters, the study focuses on surface roughness and material integrity (uncut fibers, fiber pull-out, delamination or thermal damage of the matrix), which could jeopardize the mechanical performance of the components. In this study, a 3/8 inch diameter CVD diamond coated carbide tool with six straight flutes was used to trim 24-ply carbon fiber laminates. Cutting speeds ranging from 200 m/min to 400 m/min and feed rates ranging from 1524 mm/min to 4064 mm/min were used in the experiments. The results obtained using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed increasing defect rates with increased tool wear. The worst surface integrity, including matrix cracking, fiber pull-out and empty holes, was also observed for plies oriented at -45 degrees. For the surface finish, it was observed that for the studied cutting length ranges, an increase in tool wear resulted in a decrease in surface roughness. Regarding tool wear, a lower rate was observed at lower feed rates and higher cutting speeds, while a higher tool wear rate was observed at intermediate values of our feed rate and cutting speed ranges.