Effect of Drilling Parameters and Tool Diameter on Delamination and Thrust Force in the Drilling of High-Performance Glass/Epoxy Composites for Aerospace Structures with a New Design Drill

Abstract

Real service requirements of the assembly performance and joining properties of design components are critical for composite usage in the aerospace industry. This experimental study offers a novel and comprehensive analysis of dry drilling optimization for glass-reinforced, high-performance epoxy matrix composites used in aerospace structures, focusing on thrust force and delamination. The study presents a first-time investigation into the combined effects of spindle speed (1000, 2250, 4000 and 5750 rpm), feed rate (0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 mm/rev) and tool diameter (3 and 5 mm) using a custom-designed drill tool specifically developed for this application, filling a gap in the current literature. By employing the Taguchi design of experiments, the study identified that medium spindle speeds (2250-4000 rpm), lower feed rates (0.2 mm/rev) and smaller tool diameters (3 mm) provided optimal conditions for minimizing thrust force and delamination. These results present actionable insights into improving the structural integrity and performance of drilled aerospace-grade composite components, offering innovative advancements in both the aerospace and defense industries.