Effect of ultrasonically-assisted drilling on carbon-fibre-reinforced plastics

This research focuses on the effect of ultrasonically-assisted drilling (UAD) on carbon fibre-reinforced plastics. High-frequency vibration was used to excite a drill bit during its standard operation. An extensive experimental study of drilling forces, temperature, chip formation, surface finish, circularity, delamination and tool wear was conducted using empty set3 mm drill and presented here. UAD showed a significant improvement in drill quality when compared to conventional drilling processes. A finite-element study was also conducted to understand the nature of drilling-force reduction in UAD. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.