Title: Evaluation on advantages of low frequency assisted drilling (LFAD) aluminium alloy Al7075

Authors: Fernando Veiga; Alfredo Suárez; Alain Gil Del Val; Mariluz Penalva; Luis Norberto Lopez De Lacalle

Addresses: TECNALIA, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Gipuzkoa, E20009 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain ' TECNALIA, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Gipuzkoa, E20009 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain ' TECNALIA, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Gipuzkoa, E20009 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain ' TECNALIA, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Gipuzkoa, E20009 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain ' Aeronautics Advanced Manufacturing Center CFAA, E48170 Zamudio, Spain; Faculty of Engineering of Bilbao, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Plaza Torres Quevedo 1, E48013 Bilbao, Spain

Abstract: Drilling operation of dissimilar stack materials is a crucial assembly operation in airframe manufacturing; this is due to both the number of holes drilled in an aircraft structure and the fact that this is an operation performed in the finishing phase of the manufacturing chain. This paper aims to evaluate an alternative strategy for conventional drilling and peck drilling, which are now the most widespread solutions used for drilling aluminium alloys. The alternative approach proposed by this paper consists of low frequency assisted drilling (LFAD) performed into frequencies vibrations (between 50 to 100 Hz). In this paper, the chip formation process of drilling assisted by low-frequency vibrations of FC/Al stack material has been analytically modelled and compared with the conventional drilling of aluminium. Results show chip segmentation during the drilling operation resulting in less temperature increasing, avoiding problems in the final geometrical quality of the hole, and burr formation.

Keywords: vibration assisted drilling; hole quality; chip thickness modelling; burrs; drilling torque; chip formation; hole diameter.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMMS.2020.111283

International Journal of Mechatronics and Manufacturing Systems, 2020 Vol.13 No.3, pp.230 - 246

Received: 20 Jun 2020
Accepted: 14 Jul 2020
Published online: 17 Nov 2020 *

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