Experimental Study on Small-hole Drilling Characteristics of SiC_p/Al Composites

In this paper, the small-hole drilling characteristics of high volume fraction SiC_p/Al composites using polycrystalline diamond (PCD) drills are studied experimentally. Wet pecking drilling operation is employed in the tests on account of the frequent fracture of small-diameter drills and serious tool wear. The thrust force and torque, drilled-hole surface quality, entry and exit hole edge defects and tool wear are measured, compared and analysed. The effect of drilling parameters on the thrust force, torque and surface roughness, the defect formation mechanism, tool wear pattern and mechanisms are discovered.