Characterization and optimization of orbital drilling of woven carbon fiber reinforced epoxy laminates

The emerging process of orbital drilling (OD) can greatly reduce or eliminate the defects associated with the drilling of composites; e.g., delamination, and thermal damage. The effects of the OD process parameters on the hole quality attributes were established in the form of machinability maps; an aspect that has not been reported before. The results showed significant enhancement in the hole quality compared to conventional drilling, due to the reduced axial force and cutting temperature, resulting from the redistribution of the load exerted by cutting edges and the cooling effect of the unstable rotational air flow in the tool-workpiece annular gap. (C) 2012 CIRP.