Hole making in natural fiber-reinforced polylactic acid laminates: An experimental investigation

Natural fiber-reinforced composite materials are finding wide acceptability in various engineering applications. A substantial increase in the volume of production of these composites necessitates high-quality cost-effective manufacturing. Drilling of holes is an important machining operation required to ascertain the assembly operations of intricate composite products. In the present experimental investigation, natural fiber (sisal and Grewia optiva fiber)-reinforced polylactic acid-based green composite laminates were developed using hot compression through film stacking method. The drilling behavior of green composite laminates was evaluated in terms of drilling forces (thrust force and torque) and drilling-induced damage. The cutting speed, feed rate, and the drill geometry were taken as the input process parameters. It was concluded that all the three input process parameters affect the drilling behavior of green composite laminates. The drill geometry was established as an important input parameter that affects the drilling forces and subsequently the drilling-induced damage.