The effect of rock mineralogic and petrographie properties on stone cutting feed rate

Abstract

The feed rate of the natural building stone cutting processes is determined by the properties of the natural stone and the machine being used. The most significant factors that affect the feed rate during natural building stone cutting processes are the mineralogic and petrographie properties of the natural stone. The feed rate is determined by the operator, and is generally selected based on the operator's own experience. Regardless of the type of stone being cut, the main goal of natural building stone cutting processes is to achieve an optimum feed rate, while also ensuring minimal power expenditure and tool wear. In this study, the cutting data for nine different natural building stone cutting processes classified under three different groups were investigated. The mineralogic and petrographie properties were determined for the natural stones being cut, and the effects of rock mineralogy on the optimum feed rate was evaluated based on the comparison of feed rates with these properties. In this context, the cutting processes of building stones consisting of marble, limestone, and travertine were evaluated. According to the study data, factors that played an important role in the selection of feed rate under industrial cutting conditions include the mineral structure of the rock, the mineral grain size, the porous structure of the rock, rock hardness, and the layer structure. Natural building stone cutting processes can generally be classified into three groups as low-speed, medium-speed, and high-speed cutting conditions. In each one of these groups, the cutting speeds are directly affected by the mineralogic and petrographie properties of the rock. Copyright 2015 ARMA, American Rock Mechanics Association.