Design and Test of a Multitooth Tool for CFRP Milling

This article deals with the new development of a family of router milling tools for the high-performance milling of carbon fiber reinforced plastics. The new milling tools are shaped by multiple left-hand and right-hand helical edges, which form small pyramidal edges along the cutting length. Several substrates and coatings have been tested including AlTiN and the new naCO with nanocrystalline structure. After the analysis of tests and modifications on the tool prototypes, the final result is a series of routing endmills optimized for carbon fiber composites defining the influence of each of milling tool features on tool performance, which was not clearly established till date. The specific cutting forces, tool wear, and others aspects are discussed in detail.