A review on tool wear issues in drilling CFRP laminates

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates are featured by superior mechanical properties and excellent structural functions, which have been a promising alternative to conventional alloys and steels in diverse industrial fields. Mechanical drilling is a compulsory operation to shape fibrous composites to desired workpiece quality and target dimensional accuracy. Progressive tool wear is an extremely crucial issue when drilling CFRPs as it may result in undesired machining consequences such as increased force generation, elevated temperatures, and deteriorated surface quality. Despite great endeavors already made to address the wear issues, a complete review of the wear phenomena for CFRP drilling is still significantly lacking. The present paper aims to report the key research advances in tool wear aspects when drilling CFRPs. The wear phenomena, wear modes, and tool failure mechanisms are carefully reviewed. The effects of wear progression on various drilling outputs of CFRP laminates, such as drilling forces, cutting temperatures, and surface quality attributes, are discussed. A particular focus is placed on the quantification and assessment of tool wear during drilling CFRPs. Some research prospects for both academia and industry are outlined. The paper intends to offer a comprehensive understanding of wear mechanisms controlling the drilling of CFRP laminates.