Investigation on thrust force in rotary ultrasonic drilling of CFRP/aluminum stacks

The stacks of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) and aluminum are widely used in aviation industry due to its excellent mechanical and physical properties. Recently, rotary ultrasonic drilling technology which is recognized as a useful machining method has been introduced to machining these stacks. Thrust force influences the machinability directly such as tool wear, cutting temperature, and hole qualities. In this study, a theoretical model of thrust force for rotary ultrasonic drilling of CFRP/aluminum stacks is proposed. Based on the analysis of kinematic characteristics, the axial uncut chip thickness of rotary ultrasonic drilling is presented. Then the whole machining process of stacks is divided into five different states. Forces on cutting edge and chisel edge in different materials are modeled, respectively. After that, the thrust forces of five-state rotary ultrasonic drilling process are achieved by integrating with integral limits analysis in each state. Finally, verification experiments are conducted, and experimental results show that the trends of thrust forces agree well with the thrust force model. Therefore, this theoretical model can be used to evaluate the thrust force in rotary ultrasonic drilling of CFRP/aluminum stacks.