Cutting Strategy of Polymer Composite Material for Aerospace Engineering Application

Abstract

Despite the popular use of hybrid fibers in polymer composite in aerospace applications, it comes with a price where it is expensive and has a complex process to produce. A new alternative method of using nanocomposite using natural fiber such as Epoxy/Graphene is getting placed in the industry. However, the natural fiber has a hygroscopic characteristic. The minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) method was approached for this research to investigate the machinability behavior of the Graphene/Epoxy nanocomposite. The cutting force was also investigated to see the effect of different coatings material of the flat-end mill cutters when machining the Epoxy/Graphene nanocomposites. Despite having various acetone doses in the Epoxy/Graphene specimens, the results show that the MQL technique has a favorable impact on the surface finish and that the TiAlN-coated tungsten carbide tool has a constant cutting force during slot milling. Furthermore, the addition of acetone into the nanocomposite may assist in decreasing the build-up edge on the tool cutting edge, lowering the risk of the tool failure.