Research on the influence of cutting thickness on CFRP material removal behavior considering tool wear

Small cutting thicknesses are commonly employed to minimize surface damage during the CFRP finishing process. However, reducing cutting thickness is not always beneficial to surface quality and the cutting process, particularly in cases involving tool wear. In this paper, the influence of cutting thicknesses on CFRP material removal behavior is studied, considering different stages of tool wear, through finite element simulations and orthogonal cutting experiments. The results show that tool wear exerts a more pronounced impact on the chip formation mechanism at smaller cutting thicknesses. When the fiber cutting angle θ = 0°, machining quality is minimally influenced by the cutting thickness but is primarily affected by tool wear. When θ = 45°/90°, it becomes challenging to form cutting chips when using worn tools at small cutting thicknesses (≤10 μm), but appropriately increasing the cutting thickness is conducive to fiber removal and enhancing machining quality. When θ = 135°, the chip formation mechanism remains relatively unchanged with tool wear, but the increase in cutting thickness results in a substantial rise in subsurface damage. This research illuminates the complex relationship between cutting thickness, tool wear and machining quality of CFRP, offering valuable insights for the CFRP cutting process.