Advanced Cutting Tools for Machining Composites

Patrick Kwon Mechanical Engineering Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan pkwon@egr.msu.edu (517) 355-0173

Objectives
Approaches:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Cutting mechanics Cutting Tool design: Geometry and Materials Surface damages Tool Wear Applied to drilling and edge milling (trimming)

Expected Deliverables: A better cutting tool for composites

 Metal machining

Composite machining
To ol

Tool Workpiece (Metal) (S. Kalpakjian, 1997) Workpiece (Thermoset composite) (D. Arola, 1996)

Continuous plastic deformation Series of brittle fracture on shear plane Shearing and cracking of matrix materials Continuous/serrated/ Brittle fracture across the fiber Discontinuous chip formations Powder, Ribbon or Brush type chip

Fiber Pull-out

(Wang et al., 1995)

Composites
Types
Continuous & Chopped Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Metal Matrix Composites

FRP Failure modes: Brittle as well as ductile

Fiber fracture Fiber pull out Plastic flow in matrix Spalling, Chipping and Delamination Burning

Smooth finish when cut in the fiber direction Subsurface damage

Machining Issues
Optimization of Cutting Tool Geometry & Materials for abrasive fibers and insulating matrix Machining process development and optimization Quality of machined workpiece Tool wear Machining of new material systems (hybrid composites, multifunctional materials, nanocomposites, etc)

Surface Quality
Defects on machined composites: dimensional variations, delamination, pitting, fiber pullouts, uncut plies, etc.
Hole Size Error Roundness Hole size
D

Top Thermoplastic Composite Bottom

Surface Texture Fiber pullouts Surface profiles

20 15 10 5 0 -5 0 - 10 - 15 500 1000 1500 2000 2500

Exit Hole Damage Uncut ply Delamination

Pitting and delaminations

- 20

Hole quality parameters in drilling of FRP

New material systems

Hybrid composite
Metal-composite stacks (Al-FRP stacks, Ti-FRP stacks, etc.) TiGr (Ti-Gr/PIXA-M hybrid laminates) MMC

Multifunctional composites Nano-composites

Machined MWCNT/PMMA composites

TiGr composite hole

Process development
Investigation of the machinability of composites Selection of proper speeds, feeds, and undeformed Larger Ti Burr chip thickness.
Larger cylindricity

Feed (mm/rev)

Large cutting force Oversize hole Rougher surface

Speed (rpm)
Optimum conditions at .18 mm/rev and 870 RPM

Specific cutting energy study in drilling of FRPs

Gr/Bi-Ti stack drilling process Kim (WSU) parameter selection

Tool wear
Severe tool wear due to abrasive reinforcements on the material system MQL Vegetable oil
300 250 200 150 100 50 0 0 20 40 60 80

Flank wear (micro meter)

Conventional carbide Cryogenic carbide

Time (sec)

Drill wear after drilling FRP-Ti stacks

Tool wear study in drilling of FRP