Simulation and analysis of cutting force and pick head surface stress in cutting hard rock with a conical pick

To investigate the effects of cutting cone angle and cutting depth on cutting force and pick head surface stress during hard rock cutting with a pick, a three-dimensional finite element model was established using LS-DYNA nonlinear dynamic simulation and the HJC material model. The study analyzed the cutting force and pick head surface stress distribution at various cone angles and cutting depths. Simulation results for cutting forces were consistent with theoretical calculations. Specifically, when the cutting angle was 60°, the cutting force increased linearly with the cone angle within the range of 70° to 100° for both 10 mm and 25 mm cutting depths. Pick head surface stress also increased linearly with the cone angle at constant Y-axis coordinates. For a cutting depth of 10 mm, pick head surface stress decreased as the Y-axis coordinate increased, while for a cutting depth of 25 mm, stress increased with the Y-axis coordinate. When both the hard alloy head and pick head cut hard rock simultaneously, the pick head’s conical surface experienced greater stress than the hard alloy head, leading to intensified wear and significantly reduced service life. Therefore, pick structural parameters should be optimized based on actual hard rock cutting conditions.