Rotary ultrasonic machining of carbon fiber reinforced plastic composites: An experimental study on cutting temperature

Carbon fiber reinforced plastic composites are used in many applications due to their superior properties. Drilling is the most frequently used machining process due to the need for assembly of carbon fiber reinforced plastic parts in mechanical structures. Rotary ultrasonic machining has been successfully used in drilling carbon fiber reinforced plastic composites. Reported investigations on rotary ultrasonic machining of carbon fiber reinforced plastic cover several output variables (including cutting force, torque, surface roughness, material removal rate, fiber delamination, tool wear, and power consumption). However, there are no reported studies on cutting temperature in rotary ultrasonic machining of carbon fiber reinforced plastic. This paper presents an experimental study on cutting temperature in rotary ultrasonic machining of carbon fiber reinforced plastic using two measurement methods (thermocouple and fiber optic sensor). Comparisons between these two methods are made and relations between input variables (ultrasonic power, tool rotation speed, and feedrate) and cutting temperature are experimentally determined.