Simulation and experimental analysis on influences of axial cutting-induced vibration on edge trimming quality of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics

In the edge trimming of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics (CFRP), the workpiece is usually placed with a sufficient length projecting from the clamps for leaving enough cutting room. Owing to the weak constraint of the cutting region in the direction of the tool-axis, the cutting-induced vibration along that direction (i.e. the axial vibration) is unavoidable. In that situation, the removal process of the fiber which originally has different fracture modes is more complicated, making it becomes a challenge to realize the high-quality material removal. Focusing on this issue, this study conducts 3D mesoscopic cutting simulation for analyzing the fiber removal processes of the middle and surface layers of the CFRP workpiece under the axial vibration for the first time. The simulation is performed with high accuracy by adopting our newly proposed fiber fracture criteria correlated with the specific stress state corresponding to each fracture mode. With the obtained results, the influence mechanisms of the axial vibration on the edge trimming quality of CFRP are comprehensively revealed. The results suggest that the axial vibration can distribute the fiber bending deformation into different directions, thereby suppressing the machined surface cavities of the middle layer. However, for the surface fiber, the axial vibration can cause large out-of-plane deformation of the fiber in the unconstrained side, which aggravates the surface damages. On the basis of the results, the optimal control principle of the axial cutting-induced vibration is proposed. Moreover, a technological reference for reasonably controlling the axial vibration in the practical edge trimming process is also provided.