Which tool is most suitable to machine fibre-reinforced composites? This question was posed to the Vienna University of Technology by the Fibrecut Benchmark. More than eighty different tools were compared in the tests. Leitz Tooling was the winner of this Benchmark Study.

Oberkochen / Hannover, May 11, 2015 – The Fibrecut Benchmark from the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien) is a large-scale comparison of tooling perfor-mance. In 2014 the engineers from the Institute of Production Technology and High Performance Laser Technology, tested 86 boring and cutting tools from 16 different producers in total. In 124 individual machining tests, they utilised three different workpiece materials: Carbon fibreboard, glass fibreboard and aramid fibreboard. The tooling from Leitz out-performed the others machining these materials. When processing aramid fibreboard, Leitz achieved the most significant lead from the other tested tooling.

In individual tests with carbon fibreboard and glass fibreboard, Leitz submitted a diamond tipped shank tool with alternate twist. Andreas Kisselbach, Head of Re-search and Development at Leitz, explained: „Especially fibre glass being a very abrasive working material, tungsten carbide tools dull and quickly reach the end of their useful life.“ In practise, diamond cutting materials are much more suitable when machining glass fibreboard. For the aramid fibreboard test, Leitz provided a solid tungsten carbide spiral cutting tool. „The ultra-sharp cutting edges that can be achieved on our carbide tool are necessary to be able to effectively split the fibres of the working material “, said Kisselbach.

The objective of the Fibrecut Benchmark was to find the tool that achieves qualita-tively the best cutting quality regardless of performance times and wear. The engi-neers from Vienna University of Technology evaluated the tools on the basis of fraying, delamination and cracks and splits on the workpiece. The damage in the direction of the fibres was measured. In the course of the Benchmark Study, each tool had to perform twelve processing tasks per test. Although Leitz was involved in the experiments with shank tool cutters, they also convinced regarding the pro-cessing results of drilling applications.

This Fibrecut Benchmark took place in 2014, for the second time after tests in 2013. The project was conducted by the Institute of Production Technology and High Performance Laser Technology from the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien).

Source: Leitz Group