Machining of composite

Materials

J.Ramkumar
Micromanufacturing lab
Dept of Mechanical Engineering
IIT Kanpur
jrkumar@iitk.ac.in

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites

Introduction
• Composite materials have higher specific properties
• Good corrosive resistance
• Good fatigue resistance
• Selective properties
• Economic for small batch sizes
However because of
• Non homogeneous
• Anisotropic
• Reinforced properties
Difficult to machine – Abrasive chip leading to tool wear, workpiece
damage
Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites
Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites
 Classification: Particle-Reinforced (i)
Particle-reinforced Fiber-reinforced Structural
• Examples:
- Spheroidite matrix: particles: Adapted from Fig. 10.19,
cementite Callister & Rethwisch 8e.
steel ferrite (a) (Fig. 10.19 is copyright
(ductile) ( Fe C ) United States Steel
3 Corporation, 1971.)
(brittle)
60 mm
Adapted from Fig. 16.4,
- WC/Co matrix: particles: Callister & Rethwisch 8e.
cemented cobalt WC (Fig. 16.4 is courtesy
Carboloy Systems,
(ductile, (brittle,
carbide tough)
: hard)
Department, General
Electric Company.)

600 mm
Adapted from Fig. 16.5,
Callister & Rethwisch 8e.
- Automobile matrix: particles: (Fig. 16.5 is courtesy
tire rubber rubber carbon Goodyear Tire and Rubber
(compliant) Company.)
black
(stiff)
0.75 mm
 Classification: Fiber-Reinforced (iii)
Particle-reinforced Fiber-reinforced Structural
• Aligned Continuous fibers
• Examples:
-- Metal: g'(Ni3Al)-a(Mo) -- Ceramic: Glass w/SiC fibers
by eutectic solidification. formed by glass slurry
matrix: a (Mo) (ductile) Eglass = 76 GPa; ESiC = 400 GPa.

(a) fracture
surface

From F.L. Matthews and R.L. Rawlings,

2 mm
fibers: g ’ (Ni3Al) (brittle)
From W. Funk and E. Blank, “Creep deformation of
Ni3Al-Mo in-situ composites", Metall. Trans. A Vol.
19(4), pp. 987-998, 1988. Used with permission.
Composite Materials; Engineering and
Science, Reprint ed., CRC Press, Boca
(b)
Raton, FL, 2000. (a) Fig. 4.22, p. 145 (photo
by J. Davies); (b) Fig. 11.20, p. 349
(micrograph by H.S. Kim, P.S. Rodgers, and
R.D. Rawlings). Used with permission of
CRC
Press, Boca Raton, FL.
 Classification: Structural
Particle-reinforced Fiber-reinforced Structural
• Laminates -
-- stacked and bonded fiber-reinforced sheets
- stacking sequence: e.g., 0º/90º
Adapted from Fig.
- benefit: balanced in-plane stiffness 16.16, Callister &
Rethwisch 8e.

• Sandwich panels
-- honeycomb core between two facing sheets
- benefits: low density, large bending stiffness
face sheet
adhesive layer
honeycomb

Adapted from Fig. 16.18,

Callister & Rethwisch 8e.
(Fig. 16.18 is from Engineered Materials
Handbook, Vol. 1, Composites, ASM International, Materials Park, OH, 1987.)
Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites
Choosing a process
• Reinforcement in composites – glass, graphite, boron, alumina and
SiC – abrasive in nature and hard
• Majority of the machining happens to brittle fracture rather than
plastic deformation ahead of tool.
• Depends on matrix property too
• Volume fraction plays an important role
• Part size and shape
• Number

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites

Role of matrix and reinforcement
• To protect the reinforcement materials
• To distribute the stress to the reinforcement materials
• To provide for the final shape of the composite part

Reinforcement
• To provide the composite high Mechanical properties
• To reinforce the matrix in preferential direction

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites
 Comparison between CFRP and GFRP.
a b

Evolution of matrix damage:(a) crushing and (b) cracking during chip formation.
Cutting tool spectrum

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites

Vibratory assisted turning

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites

Tool wear profile

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites

Effect of vibration
1.
• For fibre orientation
0o, in conventional
cutting lots of fibres
are pulled out (1.a). In
ultrasonic vibration
cutting, those fibres
are absent (1.b).

• for fibre orientation

90o, in conventional
cutting fibres are not 2.
cut at the edge of the
surface (2.a). In
ultrasonic vibration
cutting, however,
those fibres are not
visible (2.b
Schematic diagram of experimental setup

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites

Typical forces during drilling

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites
Thrust and torque over drilling cycle

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites

Delamination mechanism

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites
Hole quality assessment

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites

Delamination measurement techniques

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites

Varying drill geometry

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites

Varying drill geometry

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites

Vibration assisted drilling

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites

Advantage of vibration assisted drilling

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites

(III) Milling of FRP

Contact and rubbing actions between

the fibres and each cutting flutes as the
tool rotates and cuts across the fibres
(at centre position of the cutting flutes)
Experimental setup for FRP milling
Milling is used, as a corrective end machining operation or to produce defined,
high quality surfaces. The fibre type, reinforcement architecture and matrix
volume fraction are the most important factors governing tool selection and
machining parameter setting.
In the case of glass and carbon fibre
reinforcement, it is the cutting tool
material, that dominates the tool
selection
Some experiential
results on surface
quality, when milling
of FRP were
performed as shown. Surface roughness in milling of GFRP composites

Quality achieved when milling thermoplastic matrix GFRP composite laminates

Laser drilling composites

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites
Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites
Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites
Processing materials by mixing fire and water

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites
Water jet cutting of composites

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites

Schematic diagram

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites

Water jet machining evaluation

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites

Machining of PMC
by AWJM
AWJ set up

a b

Typical AWJ cut kerf geometry: (a) end view of kerf, and (b) kerf wall roughness
Traverse speed are the superior
operating parameters for affecting
the surface roughness and kerf
taper angle. With an increase in
traverse speed bad surface finish
and high kerf taper angle obtained

Traverse speed vs. kerf width and taper

Traverse speed vs. kerf wall surface roughness

Water Jet Milling

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites

Conclusions
• An overview of various issues in machining of composites materials
are discussed
• Latest research areas in machining of composites are covered
• Composites machining is always a challenging problem from
engineers.

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites

Mechanics of Reinforced Polymer Composites