Predicting cutting performance of chisel tools by using physical and mechanical properties of natural stones

Chisel type cutting tools or their different versions are used with many types of mechanical miners such as roadheaders, tunnel boring machines, continuous miners, and chain saw machines. Linear cutting test is the most widely used and reliable method to predict cutting performance of any cutting tools for a given rock type, which is important for decision makers in especially feasibility stage. Results of linear cutting tests can be used for selection and designing of miners and optimizing and/or predicting their performance. Block samples of different natural stones obtained from quarries are first tested for defining some of the physical and mechanical properties such as uniaxial compressive strength, indirect tensile strength, and cone indentation hardness in addition to some other index properties. Then, the samples are cut with a linear cutting test rig using chisel type cutting tools at different cutting conditions to find out cutting performance and statistical relationships between cutting performance parameters and mechanical properties of the stones. Experimental studies indicate that cutting performance and optimum cutting conditions for chisel tools can be reliably, to some extend, predicted by using uniaxial compressive strength, indirect tensile strength, Schmidt hammer hardness and P wave velocity of the stones.