Abstract
Natural-fibre-reinforced polymer (NFRP) composites are becoming a viable alternative to synthetic fibre based composites in many industrial applications. Machining is often necessary to facilitate assembly of parts in a final product. This study focuses on a comparative experimental analysis of the effects of conventional drilling (CD) and a hybrid ultrasonically-assisted drilling (UAD) of a hemp fibre-reinforced vinyl ester composite laminate. The results obtained indicate that UAD is more efficient when compared to CD for a range of drilling conditions. It yields lower cutting forces and energy resulting in reduced machining-induced damage in the composite, including diminished burr formation and fibre pull-outs. The holes drilled with UAD exhibit improved surface finish and hole quality when compared to those produced with CD. The study demonstrates the applicability of UAD as a viable machining process for improved machinability of heterogeneous NFRP composite materials.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 188–195 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing |
Volume | 119 |
Early online date | 31 Jan 2019 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 31 Jan 2019 |
Keywords
- A. Natural fibres
- D. Optical microscopy
- E. Machining