Machining inclination selection method for surface milling of CFRP workpieces with low cutting-induced damage

Carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) are being extensively employed in the manufacturing of complex curved components in the aerospace industry owing to their high specific stiffness and designable properties. Curved CFRP components need to be surface-milled using ball-end mill cutters to ensure the performance of the connection assembly between curved composite materials. Machining inclination is a key parameter in the formation of burr damage in CFRP parts milled using ball-end mill cutter, due to the particularity of the tool structure. In this study, the influence mechanism of machining inclination on the burr damage of CFRP components was analyzed theoretically. To machine a surface with low burr damage, an innovative method for machining inclination selection considering the anisotropy and cascade characteristics of CFRP was proposed. The influence of machining inclination on material damage was revealed, and the reliability of the method was verified by conducting experiments on flat and curved laminates. This paper puts forward reasonable suggestions for selecting the machining inclination in ball-end mill cutters employed for CFRP laminates.