This study aims to investigate the effect of an aluminum chromium nitride (AlCrN) coating on tool wear and hole quality in the conventional drilling process of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) composites, titanium alloy (Ti), and CFRP–Ti stack workpieces popular in the aerospace industry. The advanced arc plasma acceleration (APA) method of physical vapor deposition (PVD) was used for all AlCrN coatings. The drilling experiments were conducted with uncoated drills as well as AlCrN-coated drills. When drilling CFRP only, the AlCrN coating was removed at the drill cutting edges and the margin area, which suggests the carbon fibers abraded the coatings. When drilling Ti only, the AlCrN-coated drill mitigated the Ti adhesion formation, which resulted in less tool wear. In addition, hole quality for both CFRP and Ti was improved when the coating was used versus the uncoated tool. The machinability of CFRP–Ti stacks in the drilling process was improved by utilizing the advanced AlCrN coating on the WC tool in terms of drilling forces and hole quality parameters such as average hole size, average hole roundness, hole surface roughness, and Ti exit burr height.

Polycrystalline diamond (PCD) tools possessing high hardness and abrasive wear resistance are particularly suited for drilling of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) composites, where tool life and consistent hole quality are important. While PCD presents superior performance when drilling CFRP, it is unclear how it performs when drilling multi-stack materials such as CFRP-titanium (Ti) stacks. This comparative study aims to investigate drilling of a Ti plate stacked on a CFRP panel when using PCD tools. The first sequence of the drilling experiments was to drill 20 holes in CFRP only. CFRP-Ti stacks were then drilled for the next 20 holes with the same drill bit. CFRP holes and CFRP-Ti stack holes were evaluated in terms of machined hole quality. The main tool wear mechanism of PCD drills is micro-fractures that occur when machining the Ti plate of the stack. Tool wear increases the instability and the operation temperature when machining the Ti plate. This results in high drilling forces, large hole diameter errors, high surface roughness, wider CFRP exit thermal damage, and taller exit Ti burrs.