Fabrication and Optimization of Drilling Process Parameter of PAN Carbon Fibre for Light Weight Applications

This study focuses on the fabrication and optimization of drilling process parameters for carbon fibre epoxy composites with the goal of enhancing their suitability for lightweight applications. Employing the hand-lay-up method, polyacrylonitrile carbon and epoxy resin laminates are prepared in multilayers. The input parameters for the drilling process, including spindle speed, feed rate, point angle, and Resin type, are investigated through three sets of experiments. Surface roughness and circularity are chosen as responses to evaluate the drilling process performance. The optimization of process parameters is achieved through a combination of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) by VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), considering various criteria to identify the most favourable parameter set that improves both surface roughness and circularity. Validation of the optimized parameters is conducted by comparing the results with experimental data, ensuring the reliability and effectiveness of the proposed drilling process parameters. This research contributes to the advancement of lightweight materials for industrial applications by providing an efficient and optimized drilling process for carbon fibre epoxy composites, and the integrated MCDA and ANOVA approach offers a robust methodology for determining optimal process parameters in composite material machining and fabrication.