CUTTING FORCE OPTIMIZATION OF MACHINING OF KEVLAR (K-129) FIBER REINFORCED PLASTIC COMPOSITES MATERIALS

Abstract

Machining of composite materials presents challenges due to the material's abrasive reinforcement as well as its anisotropic and nonhomogeneous properties. Near-net-shape composite goods are typically made, however machining techniques such as milling or drilling are routinely utilized for dimensional precision and assembly purposes. Laminate of Kevlar epoxy is made by hand lay-up. On a Beaver Milling Machine, laminates are cut orthogonally using a single-point carbide cutting tool with different rake angles. Cutting forces were measured at different cutting speed and depth of cut. It is critical to accurately forecast cutting forces during the machining process of fiber-reinforced polymer composites in order to design and improve such processes. The aim is to reduce the cutting force required to a minimum. Response surface methodology was employed for modeling and optimization. Additional experiments corroborate the findings.