Machining Technology for Composite Materials: Principles and Practice

Machining processes play an important role in the manufacture of a variety of composite materials for use in a number of industries, including the aerospace, marine, civil and leisure sectors. This book reviews and analyses both traditional and non-traditional methods of machining for different composite materials. The first part of the book examines traditionally-used machining processes such as turning, drilling and grinding. In the second part, several non-traditional machining methods are discussed, such as electrical discharge and laser machining. The final group of chapters deal with special topics such as cryogenic machining and processes for metal martix and wood-based composites.

Key Features: provides an extensive overview of machining methods for composite materials; chapters analyse cutting forces, tool wear and surface quality; cryogenic machining and processes for wood based composites are discussed; an essential reference for process designers and production engineers in composite manufacturing, and those involved in composite structures in various industries.

Contents: Part 1 Traditional methods for machining composite materials: Turning processes for metal matrix composites; Drilling processes for composites; Grinding processes for polymer matrix composites; Analysing cutting forces in machining processes for polymer-based composites; Tool wear in machining processes for composites; Analysing surface quality in machined composites. Part 2 Non-traditional methods for machining composite materials: Ultrasonic vibration-assisted (UV-A) machining of composites; Electrical discharge machining of composites; Electrochemical discharge machining of particulate-reinforced metal matrix composites; Fundamentals of laser machining of composites; Laser machining of fiber-reinforced polymeric composite materials; Laser-based repair for carbon fiber reinforced composites. Part 3 Special topics in machining composite materials: High speed machining processes for fibre-reinforced composites; Cryrogenic machining of composites; Analysing the machinability of metal matrix composites; Machining processes for wood-based composite materials; Machining metal matrix composites using diamond tools.