Directions for the Development of Research on Selected Parameters of Conical Picks

Abstrakt

The paper presents an analysis of directions for developing research on selected parameters of conical picks used in mechanical rock cutting. These tools constitute the basic equipment for the cutting drums of mining and road machines, and their durability and efficiency depend on geometric and material properties, as well as on wear resistance. Based on a review of the literature and current research methods, limitations in determining cemented carbide grain size and assessing material wear resistance were identified. Low repeatability of WC grain-size measurements was observed despite the use of standardised methods. The study also indicates a lack of laboratory methods that enable the reliable reproduction of wear conditions encountered during actual rock cutting. Standard tribological tests do not fully reflect the complex nature of material degradation, while testing complete tools is costly and time‑consuming. Therefore, a new research method based on a modified pin‑on‑drum approach is proposed to evaluate the wear rates of materials and coatings under conditions similar to those in real operating conditions. A concept for a test rig is presented, and the ranges of key process parameters, such as cutting speed, normal load, and counter‑sample properties, are defined. The proposed approach enables rapid, comparative testing of numerous material variants, serving as an intermediate stage between tribological testing and testing of finished tools. The results indicate the need for further work on more repeatable methods for WC grain size determination and on test rigs that enable better reproduction of the real operating conditions of cutting tools.