Geometric-kinematic model for wear simulation of diamond-impregnated segments in concrete core drilling

Abstract

The main concerns during the development of new diamond-impregnated segments in concrete core drilling are the tool lifetime and its capacity to self-sharpen, since tool sharpening is, most of the time, not acceptable under the conditions on the construction site. However, development only based on experiments can be very costly, considering that the amount of material and workforce are quite demanding. One of the solutions to overcome these issues is the development of a geometric-kinematic model to simulate the wear of diamonds in the segments due to the core drilling process. The main purpose of the model is to simulate the reinforced concrete core drilling, providing an estimation of the diamond wear states proportion for the segment diamond layer. This can allow an evaluation of the geometric characteristics impact of diamond-impregnated segments (diamond size, geometry, pattern, etc.) and of drilling parameters on the tool self-sharpening capacity. A specialized kinematic model, process force model and diamond wear model are the main ingredients. For the model validation, diamond wear states characterization after core drilling tests are carried out. The wear simulation delivers a tendency of a diamond layer design in specific process conditions, providing orthogonal worn/fractured profile, number of active diamonds and number of diamond pull-outs.