Technological and industrial safety aspects in milling FRPS

Milling and drilling are the two machining operations most frequently involved in manufacturing parts made of fiber reinforced plastics. Since these are largely finish-shaped during the forming process, the subsequent milling process is limited mainly to deburring and trimming as well as to achieving contour shape accuracy. Due to their multicomponent structure and to the special character of the individual components, the demands imposed by this group of materials are different from those imposed by metal working operations. It is essential to ensure that the tool selected is suitable for the material if the machining result is to be satisfactory. Process design, which includes the selection of machining parameters and the use of appropriate machines, must likewise be adapted to suit the requirements of the part concerned. Industrial safety regulations require that particular attention be paid to the dust generated during the machining process, some of which is very fine and therefore dangerous to health. Composite-specific quality criteria must be known in order to assess the machining result.