Prepreg is an abbreviation of Preimpregnated Materials. It is a sheet-type product in which a matrix is impregnated with reinforced fiber. The prepreg has very different properties depending on the orientation of the fibers and the weaving method, and the orientation of the fibers plays an important role in determining the mechanical strength of CFRP. Short and randomly oriented reinforcing fibers show isotropy, while long, unidirectional reinforcing fibers exhibit anisotropic behavior and are strongest when the applied load is parallel to the reinforcing fibers. Classification by the direction of the fiber is divided into unidirectional, orthogonal, multiaxial, and the like. Uni-directional refers to a state in which almost all fibers in the fabric are aligned in one direction. When the fibers used as reinforcing materials are aligned in one direction, the fibers are used in a straight line without twisting during the fabric production process, and there is an advantage in that the amount of fibers used as a whole can be minimized. A uni-directional prepreg exhibits different cutting forces depending on the stacking orientation angle. In this experiment, the optimal cutting conditions for a uni-directional prepreg 45 degree orientation angle specimen are presented.
One of the most important problems in the cutting process of CFRP is tool wear. During CFRP machining, high temperature caused by friction between the cutting tool and the carbon fiber structure increase tool edge wear. Since CFRP is manufactured in a form in which the fibrous tissue is combined with a bonding resin, delamination caused by the separation of the resin and carbon fiber during process is recognized as a very big problem. This delamination proceeds very rapidly as the wear of the drill edge increases. Therefore, in this experiment, tool wear was measured during drilling using a TiAlN-coating drill with excellent wear resistance. In this study, tool wear is measured to suggest optimized cutting conditions for each material.