Assessment of Different Methods for Cutting Composites Used in Unmanned Air Vehicles.

The goal of this study was to determine the effect of cutting methods on the edges of selected materials applied in structural elements and floor sheathing of unmanned air vehicles. Three cutting methods for MGS L285 epoxy resin composites used for production of unmanned air vehicles manufactured in one of the European companies were presented. Composites reinforced by glass and aramid fibres are approved for certified production of air vehicle elements (AMC-20). Cutting was applied to each material using different technologies, such as: milling, laser cutting and abrasive water jet cutting. The authors focused on the edge quality of the tested specimens cut using various methods. Quality assessment was based on electronic microscopic scanning images and measurement of the specimen maximum damage. In summary, the choice of an appropriate composite cutting method depends on the type of material and its parameters, and it is crucial for the quality of the machined product. The authors focused on determining the selection of parameters for chosen cutting methods and materials used in the military unmanned aerial vehicle industry. Among the conducted tests, the results indicate that better cutting effects are obtained for milling methods in the case of GFRP + L285 (0.143 ± 0.073 µm) and CFRP + L285 (0.072 ± 0.027 µm), and the worst for AFRP + L285 (0.831 ± 0.269 µm). The water jet method gives the worst results in the cutting zone (results above 0.224 μm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]