Endmill cutting for C/C-SiC composite

Abstract

C/C-SiC composite which has recently been developed is C/C composite impregnated silicon. It has the characteristic of oxide-resistance and wear-resistance in addition to the characteristic of C/C composite. This material will be also used for the brake systems, precision parts and etc. in many fields. These parts are finished with the cutting and the grinding process. But this material is difficult to cut because the tool wear is very severe. So grinding has been used for machining of C/C-SiC composite. In this study several cutting experiments with a DLC coated endmill and a PCD endmill were carried out and the relation between the tool wear and the cutting conditions was investigated.