Optimization of diamond wire cutting performance in travertine quarrying

Diamond wire cutting is the most common method used for rock block production in quarry mining. This paper aimed to investigate the effect of operational conditions on the cutting performance of diamond wire. These operational conditions included pullback amperage, diamond bead density, the distance between cutting machine and working face, and also the number of required cutting surfaces. The effect of these factors was studied in different rock block sizes at a travertine mine in Iran; then the optimum cutting rates of the wire machine were examined in each condition. The results of this study showed that there was a significant direct relationship between the pullback amperage and the cutting rate of large surfaces. However, the relationship between the pullback amperage and the cutting rate of small surfaces was strongly indirect. Fair-large blocks with the cutting surface of 50 to 70 m2 had the highest cutting rate and the lowest specific bead consumption, as compared to the other block sizes. The optimum number of diamond beads in the unit length of the wire, for all cutting surfaces, was recommended to be 31. Also, the optimum distance between the cutting machine and the working faces for small, medium and large sizes of cutting surfaces was proposed to be 3, 3.5, and 4 m, respectively.