Study of milling of low thickness thermoplastic carbon fiber composites in function of tool geometry and cutting conditions

Alejandro Sambruno,Bartolome Simonet,Moises Batista,Jorge Salguero,Fermin Bañon

doi:10.1007/s00170-021-07050-1

Alejandro Sambruno, Bartolome Simonet + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-021-07050-1

Copy DOI

Abstract

The application of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic matrix composites (CFRTP) is constantly increasing in various industrial sectors due to their mechanical properties and advantages compared to thermoset matrix composite. Nevertheless, CFRTP machining generates a current problem due to the anisotropy of these materials, the difficulty of impregnation of the reinforcement in the matrix, and its low melting temperature. For this reason, the study of conventional operations such as milling to achieve geometries with a good surface quality and reduced cosmetic defects is a line of research of great interest. In this article, a comparison of five cutting tools with different geometries has been made in CFRTP milling. The surface quality and the formation of visual defects such as fiber pull-out have been evaluated for each tool and combination of cutting parameters. In this sense, 16.42 μm in terms of Rz is the minimum average value for the complete experiment obtained for a conventional tool (tool A). However, surface qualities in terms of Rz close to 20 μm and minimum cosmetic defects have been obtained with a hybrid tool (tool C) with −10° helix angle and 8 teeth with a combination of cutting parameters of 0.07 mm/tooth and 3000 rpm, being the most complete tool of the experiment.

Highlights

The advantages and applications of thermoset matrix composite materials in various sectors are well known, especially in the aeronautical sector [1,2,3].Alongside these materials, the use of composite materials reinforced with carbon fiber and thermoplastic matrix (CFRTP) is beginning to generate interest [4]
This phenomenon in metal alloys can be favorable, but for composites a lower cutting force can cause the fibers to deform but not break. This may result in a lower final surface quality obtained during machining, which is reflected in values of the table (Fig. 4.a.). These results are consistent with other studies, such as Nguyen et al [27] and Ozkan et al [28] in which they note a better machining in CFRP following the up milling strategy
After the previous discussion it has been decided to analyze in detail only the Rz values that are in accordance of machining, since, they are the smallest

Summary

Introduction

The advantages and applications of thermoset matrix composite materials in various sectors are well known, especially in the aeronautical sector [1,2,3] Alongside these materials, the use of composite materials reinforced with carbon fiber and thermoplastic matrix (CFRTP) is beginning to generate interest [4]. The use of composite materials reinforced with carbon fiber and thermoplastic matrix (CFRTP) is beginning to generate interest [4] These maintain the excellent weight to mechanical properties ratio of thermosets. They can achieve higher impact resistance and faster processing times [5, 6] These characteristics make them strategic materials in various sectors, especially in the automotive industry, due to the fact that they are materials that can be manufactured in mass [7]. This composite is stacked with metal alloys such as steel, in order to improve their functional performance [9]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion