An experimental study of machining characteristics and tool wear in the diamond wire sawing of granite

Abstract

A diamond wire sawing process was developed for slicing granite in order to complement the disk sawing. Machining characteristics and tool wear during wire sawing of a granite material that consists of three major minerals, that is, quartz, feldspar and mica, were systematically investigated. The material removal mechanism involved in the sawing was explored. The scanning electron microscope examination of the sawn surfaces of the granite and the analysis of the force and temperature involved in the sawing process indicated that the material removal of the granite was dominated by brittle fracture. The typical cleaving and slipping behaviors of feldspar and mica associated with sawing resulted in unique morphologies on the sawn granite surfaces. The tool wear of the process was characterized by the nonuniform wear of diamond beads impregnated on the wire, with the fore end of the diamond beads experiencing greater wear than the rear part.