Abstract
Given the increasing demand for dimension stones, mining operations in quarries have always been an important branch of mining engineering. Among different techniques, diamond wire cutting is one of the most common methods of dimension stone mining. A reliable assessment and accurate prediction of diamond wire cutting performance are essential for feasibility analysis and operational planning in this area. This performance depends on factors such as physical, mechanical, and textural properties of the rock and the characteristics of cutting operations which can be evaluated by criteria such as specific energy, production rate, efficiency, and diamond bead wear rate. This study aims to develop a method for predicting the specific energy of diamond wire cutting in dimension stones based on rock properties. For this purpose, the specific energy of diamond wire cutting in 11 different igneous rock samples was measured. Given the high strength and abrasivity of igneous rocks, cutting operations in these rocks generally requires a great amount of energy. In a series of tests performed on the samples, rock properties such as uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), Brazilian tensile strength (BTS), Young’s modulus, density, textural properties, abrasivity and operating factors such as pullback amperage were measured. The measured parameters were divided into four groups of physical, mechanical, textural, and operating parameters. After determining the specific cutting energy of each sample, the relationship of the energy with each individual property was investigated. This investigation showed that density, abrasivity, and p-wave velocity respectively had the highest correlation with specific energy. Using the correlation results, four input parameters (one from each of the four considered parameter groups) were selected for inclusion in the prediction model. These parameters were density, abrasivity, wave velocity, and amperage. Multivariate linear regression was then used to analyse the effect of rock properties and operating parameters on specific energy. The developed regression model showed that once the rock properties are known, the specific energy can be predicted with an accuracy of 85.8%. The proposed model can be used to estimate the specific energy of diamond wire cutting operations in dimension stone quarries in advance, and predict the amount of energy consumption, the required energy source, and the optimal cutting machine accordingly.
Highlights
One of the most common methods of dimension stone mining is diamond wire cutting
Given the importance of wire cutting for dimension stone production, it is very important to identify and study factors such as energy consumption, production rate, and cutting tool replacement rate, which affect the optimality of this operation (Almasi et al, 2017; Mi kaeil et al, 2018)
Cutting operations have been the subject of many studies with objectives such as predicting wear rate, optimizing the operation, evaluating the performance of a diamond wire, and analysing the risks associated with this operation
Summary
One of the most common methods of dimension stone mining is diamond wire cutting. In short, diamond wire cutting operations in quarries involve drilling intersecting horizontal and vertical access holes in the form of a block, passing a diamond wire through these holes and around the wheel of the wire cutting machine, fastening the two ends of the wire together, positioning the machine at the right spot, turning on the electric motor, and pulling back the machine on its rail as the cutting progresses. In a study by Ersoy et al (2005), they investigated the performance of a circular diamond saw by conducting experiments on 3 groups of stones that were cut with feed rates and depths of cut at a constant speed, and used the results to formulate an equation for the relationship between specific energy, sawing parameters, and rock properties. Yurdakul (2015) conducted a series of cutting tests with circular saws on granite samples in 12 different cutting modes to examine the effect of cutting mode, cutting depth and feed rate on the energy consumption during operations The results of these tests showed that cutting mode is of immense importance for energy consumption. It was reported that feed rate and cutting depth were both positively correlated with energy consumption (Yurdakul, 2015; Yurdakul et al, 2014)
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