Machinability study of carbon/PEEK composites

Abstract

The full factorial design of experiment was used to investigate the relative effects of the various machining parameters on the amount of tool wear and the surface quality of the carbon/polyether ether ketones (PEEK) workpiece. The cutting speed, depth of cut and feedrate are the main factors that contribute to the tool wear of the inserts. The surface finish is independent of the machining parameters and much better than those obtained in the conventional machining of metals provided a critical cutting speed is exceeded. This critical cutting speed is in the range of 70 m/min to 75 m/min. The cutting point temperature at this speed have exceeded the glass transition temperature of the material, indicating that cutting is done in the rubbery regime.