Comparative analysis of PCD drill designs during drilling of CFRP laminates

As a result of increased use of CFRPs in the aerospace industry, the machining of CFRPs has been studied extensively. The majority of these studies consider drilling of CFRPs, since it is the most common process in the machining of structural parts used in aircraft. It has been shown that drilling process parameters and drill geometry significantly influence the quality of holes. In this study, a systematic approach has been used to compare the influence of drill geometry on process outputs such as drilling forces, torques and tool wear. Custom-made double point angle polycrystalline diamond (PCD) drills from the same manufacturer were used in the experiments. The advantage of this approach is that it eliminates the drill material and edge preparation effects on the experimental measurements, thus helps reveal the influence of drill geometry on the process outputs. The pros and cons of different drill designs are discussed and an appropriate design is identified for the drilling of thick CFRP laminate considered in this study. © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V