Experimental Investigation in Drilling of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composite using HSS and Solid Carbide Drills

Abstract

Drilling using twist drills is a frequently employed machining operation in carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite for generating holes for structural assemblies. In the present work, the effect of drill diameter, spindle speed, feed rate and point angle on thrust force and torque during drilling of bi-directional carbon fiber reinforced polymer (BD CFRP) composite using high speed steel (HSS) and solid carbide drills is investigated. The BD CFRP composite is fabricated by hand lay-up process followed by compression moulding technique. Taguchi L27 orthogonal array is used for designing the experimental layout. The response surface methodology (RSM) is employed for predicting cutting forces. The study reveals that the experimental and the predicted results of cutting forces are in good agreement. The investigation shows that drill diameter and spindle speed are the most significant parameters affecting the cutting forces.