Research on Tool Wear and Surface Integrity of CFRPs with Mild Milling Parameters

Abstract

Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites are widely used in aviation and aerospace applications due to their excellent mechanical properties. Numerous studies have focused on tool wear at extreme machining parameters (f ≥ 540 mm/min) to accelerate tool wear experiments. However, using mild machining parameters is also instructive for current process production. To investigate the effect of wear on the surface integrity of CFRPs under mild parameters, a tool wear experiment on CFRPs was carried out at a conventional feed rate (f = 60 mm/min). The results show a cutting temperature increase of 47%, a cutting force increase of 53% and a flank wear width increase of 282% for PCD tools (with mild milling parameters) from 0 to 100 m of cutting length. As the cutting temperature reaches the glass transition temperature, Tg, during the stable wear stage, severe burrs and a large number of cavities appeared on the groove, and the subsurface with granular wear on flank wear land due to the transform of the matrix. Furthermore, Ra and Rz exhibit good indicators of cutting length and subsurface damage.