Researches On The CNC Machining Of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics Cylindrical Shell

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics (CFRP) are characterized by low weight, superior strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weigh ratios, low expansion coefficient, high fatigue strength, good thermal shock, high heat resistance and well vibration absorption. They have been used widely in airplanes, spaceships and automobile etc. It is ineluctable that the workpiece after first shaping need to be machined through mechanical cutting. But the CFRP consists of the soft glutinous wedding agent and the high strength and high hardness carbon fibers, which is double or multiphase structure. Its mechanical property is anisotropy, and the mechanical machining of which is peculiarly hard.This paper does a exploratory study on CNC machining of the CFRP cylindrical shell, with a special CFRP cylindrical shell as the research object.(1) The process of "Milling replaced by grinding" is invented, and then the process of "small-depth, high-speed, multi-cutting lay" is developed based on experimental cutting. And then the tool design and study on cutting process are done.(2) The workpiece which is the study object of this paper is analyzed, and the GM1000 high speed CNC grinding machine is choose as the machining machine because of its feature. And then the process planning, the clamps design, tool design is done.(3) The 3D model of the cylindrical shell is built by UG, and the cutting path is generated through UG/CAM. The post processor of GM1000 machine is built by UG/POST, and the cutting path files are converted to the NC program files through the post processor. The speed revises of the NC program is done according to the speed analysis of three dimensions.(4) The virtual machine model is built through VERICUT, and the virtual cutting verification of the NC program is carried out.(5) The practical cutting verification of the NC program is executed on the GM1000 machine, and the CNC machining of CFRP cylindrical shell prototype workpiece is carried out.This paper proves that the process of 'Little-depth High-feed Multilayer machining' and the machining process are competent for the CNC machining of the CFRP cylindrical shell; The NC program of the cylindrical shell could be generated by UG perfectly; The virtual machine and virtual machining based on VERICUT could efficaciously decrease the defective index due to the mistakes of the NC program. And the research in this paper will provide many practicable experiences about the CNC machining of CFRP part.