Highlighting cutting mechanisms encountered in carbon/epoxy composite drilling using orthogonal cutting

The current knowledge about composite material machining is inadequate for its optimum utilization in many applications owing to the complexity of the phenomena involved in the cutting area. The objective of this study is to investigate the cutting mechanisms during carbon/epoxy composite drilling. It has been found that fiber orientation relative to the cutting direction is a key factor affecting machining results. Orthogonal cutting has helped to understand phenomena involved in the cutting area. The most common mechanisms noted are shearing, bending, and fiber/matrix interface debonding. It has been also noticed that surface quality, temperature fields’ cartographies, and cutting forces change markedly with fiber orientation.