Effects of special drill bits on drilling-induced delamination of composite materials

Drilling is the most frequently employed operation of secondary machining for fiber-reinforced materials owing to the need for joining structures. Delamination is among the serious concerns during drilling. Practical experience proves the advantage of using such special drills as saw drill, candle stick drill, core drill and step drill. The experimental investigation described in this paper examines the theoretical predictions of critical thrust force at the onset of delamination, and compares the effects of these different drill bits. The results confirm the analytical findings and are consistent with the industrial experience. Ultrasonic scanning is used to evaluate the extent of drilling-induced delamination. The advantage of these special drills is illustrated mathematically as well as experimentally, that their thrust force is distributed toward the drill periphery instead of being concentrated at the center. The allowable feed rate without causing delamination is also increased. The analysis can be extended to examine the effects of other future innovative drill bits. (C) 2005 Published by Elsevier Ltd.