Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic(CFRP) have been widely adopted in aerospace, automotive, wind energy, marine, and sports industries due to their high specific strength, stiffness, low density, and excellent fatigue properties. However, their anisotrop...
Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic(CFRP) have been widely adopted in aerospace, automotive, wind energy, marine, and sports industries due to their high specific strength, stiffness, low density, and excellent fatigue properties. However, their anisotropic structure, layered configuration, and weak machinability compared to metals lead to severe challenges in cutting processes, including rapid tool wear, delamination, burr formation, fiber pull-out, and matrix smearing. Among various machining methods, end milling is extensively used for CFRP components owing to its capability of machining both planar and curved surfaces. Nevertheless, variations in cutting speed, feed rate, depth of cut, and tool characteristics significantly influence cutting forces, tool wear, and surface quality. Previous studies indicate that higher cutting speeds tend to accelerate tool wear and surface roughness deterioration, while feed rate strongly affects wear progression and defect occurrence. In this study, systematic experiments are conducted by varying cutting speed, feed rate, and depth of cut to comprehensively analyze their effects on cutting force, tool wear, and surface roughness during CFRP end milling. Cutting forces are measured in real-time using a three-axis dynamometer, tool wear is quantitatively evaluated via optical and VMS microscopy, and surface roughness indices (Ra, Rz) are assessed using a contact profilometer with supplemental defect observations. The collected data are used to establish the interrelationships among cutting forces, wear, and surface roughness, enabling the identification of optimal cutting conditions. The outcomes of this research are expected to provide fundamental insights for achieving high-quality CFRP machining, extending tool life, and improving productivity while reducing machining costs in industrial applications.