Defect suppression mechanism of ultrasonic vibration-assisted drilling carbon fiber/bismaleimide composite

Ultrasonic vibration-assisted drilling (UVAD) has recently been successfully applied in the drilling of carbon fiber reinforced polymer/plastic (CFRP) due to its high reliability. Multiple defects have been observed in the CFRP drilling process which negatively affects the quality of the hole. The carbon fiber/bismaleimide (BMI) composites is an advanced kind of CFRPs with greater strength and heat resistance, having been rapidly applied in lightweight and high temperature resistant structures in the aerospace field. To suppress the defect during the drilling of carbon fiber/BMI composites, it is necessary to comprehensively understand the defect formation and suppression mechanism at different positions. In this study, the defects formation in both conventional drilling (CD) and UVAD were observed and analyzed. The variation trend in the defect factor and thrust force with the spindle speed and feed rate were acquired. The results revealed that the UVAD could significantly enhance the hole’s quality with no delamination and burr. Meanwhile, the defect suppression mechanism and thrust force in UVAD were analyzed and verified, where the method of rod chip removal affected the exit defect formation. In summary, UVAD can be considered a promising and competitive technique for drilling carbon fiber/BMI composites.