A Novel Cutting Concept of CFRP Composites for Extending the Life of Tool

Abstract

This paper presents a novel concept for extending the life of the tools that are used in the milling process of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) composites. Three types of tools were compared in milling tests; tool I: an uncoated tungsten carbide (WC-Co) tool, tool II: a polycrystalline diamond (PCD) tool, and tool III: a combination tool comprising a PCD layer surface with a thickness of 100 μm and a WC-Co substrate flank surface. The measurement of changes in cutting forces over cutting distance revealed that tool III had a better (tool) life performance than the other tools. Additionally, observation of changes in the edge profiles of the tools revealed that the effective edge sharpness of tool III remains constant during the milling tests. The difference between the wear rates of the PCD rake and WC-Co flank surfaces in tool III maintained a constant effective sharpness during the milling process, and it extended the tool life. Based on our findings, we concluded that using the difference between the wear rates of rake and flank surfaces is an effective technique for tool life extension in the milling process of CFRP laminates.

The Role of Observation–Measurement Methods in the Surface Characterization of X39Cr13 Stainless-Steel Cutting Blades Used in the Fish Processing Industry

“…Downtime generates costs and can cause financial losses. The problem of extending the tool life, presented among others by Bermingham et al [ 20 ], Yamnikov et al [ 21 ], and Maegawa et al [ 22 ], is one of the fundamental issues related to industrial production. In relation to the planar cutting blades, one of the proposed solutions is the effective regeneration of the tool (obtaining its original shape and recreating the correct inclination angles of cutting edges).…”

Development of novel tool for cutting of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics (Positive use of abrasive wear at tool edge for reduction in cutting force)

“…Previous research results demonstrating the cutting force reduction effect (Maegawa, et al, 2015), in which time changes in cutting forces and shape of tool edge during a two dimensional milling were monitored, are shown in Fig. 1.…”

“…Consequently, the thrust cutting force Fig. 1 Change in cutting force with cutting distance for three different cutting tools (Maegawa, et al, 2015). can be reduced, because the thrust force corresponds to the force needed to press the material under the tool, i.e., the burnishing force.…”

“…The clearance angle of Tools A and B was 10°, while that of the other tools was 20°. It should be noted that the performance of Tools A and B was examined in a previous study (Maegawa, et al, 2015). For Tools C through F, the radius of the tool edge was set to be approximately 2-3 μm using a pulse laser grinding technique, which creates a sharp edge without mechanical defects or cracks (Mabuchi, et al, 2015).…”

“…In an effort for extending the life of cutting tool that is used in CFRP machining, our group has been focusing on the positive use of the wear at the tool edge (Maegawa, et al, 2015). According to this concept, a two-layer tool with a hardness distribution around the tool edge can be used to maintain a constant roundness at the tool edge over a long cutting distance.…”