Title: Experimental and analytical study of the influence of HexFit® glass fibre composite manufacturing process on delamination during drilling

Authors: Redouane Zitoune, Francis Collombet, Guillermo Hernaiz Lopez

Addresses: Universite de Toulouse, INSA, UPS, LGMT (Laboratoire de Genie Mecanique de Toulouse), 133, avenue de Rangueil, F-31077 Toulouse, France. ' Universite de Toulouse, INSA, UPS, LGMT (Laboratoire de Genie Mecanique de Toulouse), 133, avenue de Rangueil, F-31077 Toulouse, France. ' Universite de Toulouse, INSA, UPS, LGMT (Laboratoire de Genie Mecanique de Toulouse), 133, avenue de Rangueil, F-31077 Toulouse, France

Abstract: Experimental and analytical studies were carried out regarding delamination at the hole exit during the drilling of composite structures made of a recent semi-preg called HexFIT® developed by Hexcel composites for resin film infusion (RFI). The plates studied were manufactured in autoclave and in oven. The experimental analysis showed that delamination at the hole exit is influenced by the machining parameters on the one hand and by the composite plate manufacturing process on the other. Following this, empirical models were developed to predict this delamination for each type of manufacturing process and according to the machining parameters. These models gave satisfactory results compared to the experimental values. The maximum relative variation obtained between the values given by the models and those measured by experiments was about 9%. From these empirical models, the critical machining parameters were determined in order to avoid delamination at the hole exit. Critical machining parameters were experimentally tested and their evaluation has shown acceptable results.

Keywords: drilling; delamination; composite plate manufacturing; resin film infusion; RFI; critical machining parameters; glass fibre composites.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMMM.2008.020967

International Journal of Machining and Machinability of Materials, 2008 Vol.3 No.3/4, pp.326 - 342

Published online: 29 Oct 2008 *

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