A Comparative Study of Carbide Tools in Drilling of CFRP and CFRP-Ti Stacks

Abstract

A comparative study was conducted to investigate drilling of a titanium (Ti) plate stacked on a carbon fiber reinforced plastic panel. The effects on tool wear and hole quality in drilling using micrograin tungsten carbide (WC) tools were analyzed. The experiments were designed to first drill CFRP alone to create 20 holes. Then CFRP-Ti stacks were drilled for the next 20 holes with the same drill bit. This process was repeated until drill failure. The drilling was done with tungsten carbide (WC) twist drills at two different speeds (high and low). The feed rate was kept the same for each test, but differs for each material drilled. A Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and a Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope (CLSM), were used for tool wear analysis. Hole size and profile, surface roughness, and Ti burrs were analyzed using a coordinate measuring system, profilometer, and an optical microscope with a digital measuring device. The experimental results indicate that the Ti drilling accelerated WC flank wear while CFRP drilling deteriorated the cutting edge. Entry delamination, hole diameter errors, and surface roughness of the CFRP plate became more pronounced during drilling of CFRP-Ti stacks, when compared with the results from CFRP only drilling. Damage to CFRP holes during CFRP-Ti stack drilling may be caused by Ti chips, Ti adhesion on the tool outer edge, and increased instability as the drill bits wear.