The characteristics of carbon fibre reinforced laminates have widened their use from aerospace to domestic appliances, and new possibilities for their usage emerge almost daily. In many of the possible applications, the laminates need to be drilled for assembly purposes. It is known that a drilling process that reduces the drill thrust force can decrease the risk of delamination. In this work, damage assessment methods based on data extracted from radiographic images are compared and correlated with mechanical test results—bearing test and delamination onset test—and analytical models. The results demonstrate the importance of an adequate selection of drilling tools and machining parameters to extend the life cycle of these laminates as a consequence of enhanced reliability.

Drilling carbon/epoxy laminates is a common operation in manufacturing and assembly. However, it is necessary to adapt the drilling operations to the drilling tools correctly to avoid the high risk of delamination. Delamination can severely affect the mechanical properties of the parts produced. Production of high quality holes with minimal damage is a key challenge. In this article, delamination caused in laminate plates by drilling is evaluated from radiographic images. To accomplish this goal, a novel solution based on an artificial neural network is employed in the analysis of the radiographic images.