An assessment of two technologies for high performance composite machining; adaptive fixturing and in process tool profile monitoring

Abstract Machining large and / or freeform composite parts, such as airplane wings or fuselages, presents challenges in terms of supporting (fixture) and cutting. If the supports are not well placed, the flexible composite parts will deform due to machining forces. They will, for example, bend during the drilling process, leading to delamination and frayed edges. The high cutting forces caused by the anisotropic properties, high stiffness, and high abrasiveness of carbon fibers in composite materials are leading to high cutting tool wear. In this paper, we propose two innovative technologies to reduce the problems described above. A patented technology that allows to maximize the stability of the composite parts to be machined and afford a high quality of machined parts. A monitoring technology that directly estimates at any time the cutting tool wear-out in three dimensions. The validation results of these two technologies prove high accuracy and robustness in industrial machining conditions. Moreover, both technologies are cost-effective and allow to collect relevant process information that can be deployed to transform a conventional machining center into an Industry 4.0 compatible (smart) machining center.