Adem Esiyok, Berkay Ergene
ABSTRACT It is known that the use of carbon fiber reinforced polymers is increasing in various sectors due to their low weight, high specific strength and resistance to corrosion. Although carbon fiber reinforced polymers can be produced with fused filament fabrication (FFF) technology even in desired complex geometries, drilling operations are often required for post‐production processes such as assembly. In this study, the effects of feed rate (0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 mm/rev), cutting speed (10, 30, and 50 m/min), and drill diameter (3 and 5 mm) on the hole drillability of polylactic acid (PLA) and carbon fiber reinforced PLA (PLA/CF) parts produced by FFF were experimentally investigated. As a result of the conducted experiments, it was observed that thrust forces decreased with increasing cutting speed, increased with higher feed rates, and further went up with larger drill diameters. The lowest surface roughness of the drilled holes, measured as 0.77 μm, was obtained at a cutting speed of 10 m/min, a feed rate of 0.1 mm/rev, and a drill diameter of 5 mm. Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) analyses revealed that the drilled holes achieved an accuracy ranging between 97.1% and 99.9%. In addition, both macroscopic and microscopic examinations of the drilled holes were performed, and the formations around the hole periphery were identified. Finally, the specific cutting coefficient values were found to increase with the incorporation of carbon fiber reinforcement, while decreasing with higher cutting speeds and feed rates.