The role of material properties in modeling maximal surface temperatures and heat distribution in milling of UD CFRP

In order to meet the precision requirements for components made of carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP), the edges are often trimmed by milling. However, this can lead to detrimental thermal damage to the machined surface. The aim of the study was to investigate in detail the maximum temperatures and characteristic thermal parameters for various unidirectional CFRP materials under different cutting conditions. During upcut milling using a PCD cutter an infrared camera, thermocouples and a dynamometer were employed to monitor temperatures and the cutting power. An analytical heat flow model suitable for arbitrary fibre orientation angles was used to determine, based on thermal material properties, the temperature change at the machined surface and the heat flow parameters from experiments. Material influence on the cutting power was considered by its specific elastic energy at fracture depending on the volume content and mechanical properties of the fibres. At the machined surface, the resin glass transition temperatures were frequently exceeded, and the highest temperature changes were observed at a fibre orientation angle of Φ = 135°. In most cases, higher cutting speeds were accompanied by greater temperature changes. Phenomenological models of the thermal parameters of the machining process were developed, which take into account both the thermal and mechanical CFRP properties and show a good correlation with the experimental results. They provide benefits in order to predict the temperature fields for materials with differing properties and under varying cutting conditions.