Recent advances in drilling of carbon fiber-reinforced polymers for aerospace applications: a review

Drilling is considered as one of the most challenging problems in aerospace structures where stringent tolerances are required for fasteners such as rivets and bolts to join the mating parts for final assembly. Fiber-reinforced polymers are widely used in aeronautical applications due to their superior properties. One of the major challenges in machining such polymers is the poor drilled-hole quality which reduces the strength of the composite and leads to part rejection at the assembly stage. In addition, rapid tool wear due to the abrasive nature of composites requires frequent tool change which results in high tooling and machining costs. This review intended to give in-depth details on the progress of drilling of fiber-reinforced polymers with special attention given to carbon fiber-reinforced polymers. The objective is to give a comprehensive understanding of the role of drilling parameters and composite properties on the drilling-induced damage in machined holes. Additionally, the review examines the drilling process parameters and its optimization techniques, and the effects of dust particles on human health during the machining process. This review will provide scientific and industrial communities with advantages and disadvantages through better drilled-hole quality inspection.