Effect of ultrasonically-assisted drilling on carbon-fibre-reinforced plastics

This research focuses on the effect of ultrasonically-assisted drilling (UAD) on carbon fibre-reinforced plastics. High-frequency vibration was used to excite a drill bit during its standard operation. An extensive experimental study of drilling forces, temperature, chip formation, surface finish, circularity, delamination and tool wear was conducted using ∅3 mm drill and presented here. UAD showed a significant improvement in drill quality when compared to conventional drilling processes. A finite-element study was also conducted to understand the nature of drilling-force reduction in UAD.

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