The cutting performance of coated and uncoated segmented flute routers with tool wear progression in milling multidirectional CFRP composites

Abstract

Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) components typically undergo mechanical milling for the dimensional and form accuracy. Tool wear is one of the concerns in milling CFRPs, as the cutting performance and the machinability are significantly affected by the tool wear progression. However, the influence of cutting parameters on tool wear varies across different studies in the literature, with a lack of research on the wear behavior of segmented flute tools considering both tool material and cutting parameters. In this study, both the coated and uncoated segmented flute routers were employed in the milling of CFRPs with various parameters. The cutting performance, including the cutting force, temperature, and machining quality, along with the tool wear progression were analyzed. The results indicate that the effects of cutting speed on tool wear differ among different tools. Although the tool wear both influences and is influenced by the process load, it appears that the impact of tool wear on the process load is more pronounced than the reverse. Tool wear progression shows a strong correlation with the increasing rates of the cutting force, temperature or surface roughness progression, whereas wear behavior cannot be explained simply by the macro magnitudes of the process loads, suggesting the importance of wear mechanisms investigation from a micro-mechanical perspective. By revealing the variation in machinability with tool wear progression, this study may support the optimal selection of cutting tools and parameters for the whole milling process concerning machining efficiency, quality, and tool life.