Drilling Performance Evaluation of Additively Manufactured Continuous Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites

TL;DR

This paper evaluates how to best drill into carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites to avoid damage and improve manufacturing quality.

Contribution

The study identifies optimal drilling parameters for CFRTP materials to minimize damage and mechanical loads during machining.

Findings

Higher feed rates increase thrust force and torque, causing fiber pull-out and delamination.

Higher cutting speeds reduce mechanical loads due to thermal softening of the PLA matrix.

Low feed rates with high cutting speeds produce smoother hole morphology and preserve material integrity.

Abstract

This study investigates the machinability of Continuous Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastic Composite (CFRTP) produced via Material Extrusion (MEX) additive manufacturing, focusing on drilling as a critical post-processing step in hybrid manufacturing. CFRTP components, fabricated from 3K carbon fibers and a PLA matrix, were subjected to systematic drilling tests under varying cutting speeds (50–110 m/min) and feed rates (0.06–0.24 mm/rev). Thrust force (Fz) and torque (Mz) were recorded using a high-precision dynamometer to evaluate the influence of cutting parameters on mechanical loads and damage mechanisms. Results indicate that increasing the feed rate significantly increases Fz and Mz, promoting fiber pull-out, delamination, and edge deformation, particularly at hole entry and exit regions. Conversely, higher cutting speeds reduce Fz and Mz due to thermal softening of the PLA matrix, enabling more controlled fiber–matrix interaction. Microscopic analyses revealed that damage severity correlates strongly with mechanical load levels. While high feed rates caused pronounced surface irregularities and matrix smearing, low feed rates combined with high cutting speeds yielded smoother hole morphology and preserved fiber–matrix integrity. The study concludes that optimal drilling conditions for CFRTP materials involve low feed rates and high cutting speeds, minimizing mechanical loads and suppressing damage formation. These findings provide a scientific basis for precision finishing strategies in hybrid manufacturing, enhancing dimensional accuracy and structural reliability of CFRTP components for advanced engineering applications.

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