Some observations in grinding unidirectional carbon fibre-reinforced plastics

This paper investigates the grinding performance of epoxy matrix composites reinforced by unidirectional carbon fibres, using an alumina grinding wheel. Emphasis was placed on understanding the effect of fibre orientations and grinding depths on the grinding force and surface integrity, and on understanding the grinding mechanisms, with a comparison to orthogonal cutting. It was found that greater grinding forces occurred at a fibre orientation between 60degrees and 90degrees, but poorer grinding surface finish took place between 120degrees and 180degrees. The surface integrity was highly dependent on the fibre orientation and the depth of grinding, which is very similar to the results of orthogonal cutting. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.