RESUMEN
The use of composite materials with a polymeric matrix, concretely carbon fiber reinforced polymer, is undergoing further development owing to the maturity reached by the forming processes and their excellent relationship in terms of specific properties. This means that they can be implemented more easily in different industrial sectors at a lower cost. However, when the components manufactured demand high dimensional and geometric requirements, they must be subjected to machining processes that cause damage to the material. As a result, alternative methods to conventional machining are increasingly being proposed. In this article, the abrasive waterjet machining process is proposed because of its advantages in terms of high production rates, absence of thermal damage and respect for the environment. In this way, it was possible to select parameters (stand-off distance, traverse feed rate, and abrasive mass flow rate) that minimize the characteristic defects of the process such as taper angle or the identification of different surface quality regions in order to eliminate striations caused by jet deviation. For this purpose, taper angle and roughness evaluations were carried out in three different zones: initial or jet inlet, intermediate, and final or jet outlet. In this way, it was possible to characterize different cutting regions with scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and to distinguish the statistical significance of the parameters and their effects on the cut through an analysis of variance (ANOVA). This analysis has made it possible to distinguish the optimal parameters for the process.
RESUMEN
Plastic matrix composite materials are an excellent choice for structural applications where high strength-weight and stiffness-weight ratios are required. These materials are being increasingly used in diverse industrial sectors, particularly in aerospace. Due to the strict tolerances required, they are usually machined with drilling cycles due to the type of mounting through rivets. In this sense, laser beam drilling is presented as an alternative to conventional drilling due to the absence of tool wear, cutting forces, or vibrations during the cutting process. However, the process carries with it other problems that compromise the integrity of the material. One of these is caused by the high temperatures generated during the interaction between the laser and the material. In this work, variance analysis is used to study the influence of scanning speed and frequency on macro geometric parameters, surface quality, and defects (taper and heat affected zone). Also, in order to identify problems in the wall of the drill, stereoscopic optical microscopy (SOM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques are used. This experimental procedure reveals the conditions that minimize deviations, defects, and damage in machining holes.
RESUMEN
The incorporation of plastic matrix composite materials into structural elements of the aeronautical industry requires contour machining and drilling processes along with metallic materials prior to final assembly operations. These operations are usually performed using conventional techniques, but they present problems derived from the nature of each material that avoid implementing One Shot Drilling strategies that work separately. In this work, the study focuses on the evaluation of the feasibility of Abrasive Waterjet Machining (AWJM) as a substitute for conventional drilling for stacks formed of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) and aluminum alloy UNS A97050 through the study of the influence of abrasive mass flow rate, traverse feed rate and water pressure in straight cuts and drills. For the evaluation of the straight cuts, Stereoscopic Optical Microscopy (SOM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) techniques were used. In addition, the kerf taper through the proposal of a new method and the surface quality in different cutting regions were evaluated. For the study of holes, the macrogeometric deviations of roundness, cylindricity and straightness were evaluated. Thus, this experimental procedure reveals the conditions that minimize deviations, defects, and damage in straight cuts and holes obtained by AWJM.