Investigation on the Effects of Cutting Angles on the Burrs of Carbon Fiber Honeycomb Composites

Carbon fiber honeycomb composites have been widely used in various aerospace industry due to its superior mechanical properties. However, machining honeycomb composites remains a challenging task due to its difficult-to-machine properties, which can lead to serious machining issues like debonding of the honeycomb wall and burrs. Cutting angles is a key factor affecting the damage formation of the carbon fiber honeycomb composites. In order to reduce machining damages, in this study, an analytical method for calculating the cutting angles was proposed, in which the structural characteristics of the honeycomb cell and the interaction between the honeycomb wall and the cutting tool were considered. And deformations of the honeycomb wall with different configurations of cutting angles were analyzed. Then cutting experiments were conducted with different cutting directions and cutting width, which affect the cutting angles. Finally, the effects of cutting angle on the cutting forces and machining quality are discussed. The results show that larger in-plane cutting forces are beneficial to decrease the burrs of the honeycomb wall, and the quality of the machined honeycomb wall is poor when the cutting angles range from about 66° to 141°.