Study of the Machining Process of GFRP Materials by Milling Technology with Coated Tools

Glass fibers are often used as reinforcing fibers in reinforced polymers. Composites reinforced with glass fibers (GFRP) stand out with excellent mechanical and physical properties applicable to industrial practice. Machining these composites requires the correct choice of tools and cutting conditions so that the machined surface shows good properties, there is no fiber delamination, thermal stress on the workpiece and the tool, or excessive tool wear. The study was devoted to circumferential milling of fabric-bonded GFRP plates, in which attention was paid to the influence of the abrasive effect of glass fibers on wear and tool life. Attention was also paid to surface roughness after machining, material delamination, and forces during machining were measured. Three end mills of the same diameter with different coatings, number of teeth, and geometry were selected for the study. This choice of tools was intended to achieve various accompanying and subsequent phenomena that were investigated. Milling was performed on a CNC milling center under preselected cutting conditions. The paper summarizes information on fiber delamination and machined laminate damage after milling, tool wear, and surface roughness parameters as a function of tool wear. This paper provides an opportunity for researchers to increase their knowledge of specific aspects of milling GFRP composites, whether with a tool specifically designed for this or not.