Optimization of Cutting Parameters in Helical Milling of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer

To investigate cutting performance in the helical milling of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP), experiments were conducted with unidirectional laminates. The results show that the influence of cutting parameters is very significant in the helical milling process. The axial force increases with the increase of cutting speed, which is below 95 m/min; otherwise, the axial force decreases with the increase of cutting speed. The resultant force always increases when cutting speed increases; with the increase of tangential and axial feed rates, cutting forces increase gradually. In addition, damage rings can appear in certain regions of the entry edges; therefore, the relationship between machining performance (cutting forces and hole-making quality) and cutting parameters is established using the nonlinear fitting methodology. Thus, three cutting parameters in the helical milling of CFRP, under the steady state, are optimized based on the multi-objective genetic algorithm, including material removal rate and machining performance. Finally, experiments were carried out to prove the validity of optimized cutting parameters. © 2017, Tianjin University and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.