Microstructural wear analysis of laser cladded new generation mining tools

Pick tip falling and breaking are the main causes of shearer picks' failure. In the current study, by removing the tungsten carbide (WC) tip of the picks, the pick structure is integrated and the pick tip is coated with hard and resistant NiBSiFe + 60% WC nanostructure materials with laser-cladding technology, Specifically, the PTA (Plasma Transferred Arc) method to increase hardness and wear resistance. The performance of these picks was studied and compared to picks with a conventional structure in real operating conditions on the shearer of the Tabas Parvadeh Coal Mine. The results of operational field data showed that by removing the tungsten carbide tip from conventional coal cutting picks, the dominant problems caused by the failure or falling off the tungsten carbide tip of the pick have been completely solved. The wear rate after 12,000 m of cutting in the pick tip area, which has the greatest impact on pick function and lifespan, is about 5% in laser-claded picks and about 10% in traditional picks, which indicates that the final wear rate in laser-cladded picks is about half of the traditional picks, and in other words, the useful life of new picks is about twice that of traditional picks.