Composites

Dry Drilling Composites Using Carbon Dioxide Cooling

The use of composite materials and composite stackups continues to grow at high rates due to the high strength and low weight of the materials. However, efficiently drilling holes through the layers to install fasteners and other components has traditionally offered numerous problems.

The ground vehicle and aerospace industries use carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) because it is more durable and lighter than other materials. CFRP is used in components such as aircraft fuselages, wing skins, door panels, automotive body panels, and many other areas that are trickling down to main-stream production vehicles from racing applications. Multiple layers of CFRP and another material, such as titanium (Ti), are called a stackup.