Classification of waste cutters of mining cutter–loaders

The present-day scientific research address duration and possible elongation of life cycle of cutting tools. Applicability of worn cutters however lacks investigation. In the meanwhile, an average mine waste total 12–15 t of high quality and expensive metal of worn cutters annually. The design of the modular tangential–rotary picks provided potentiality for recycling of worn picks of conventional configuration. The remaining part of conventional one-piece picks gained a new property—availability for recycling or recyclability. The study of this property, subject to versatile causes, types and natures of pick wear, conditions the need of a recyclability criterion and classification of rock-breaking tools with respect to this criterion. The recyclability criterion of a worn modular design pick is the length of its undamaged head portion, which should ensure fastness of the main bearing module. Six wear stages of pick heads are revealed, and the use prospects of tools in different condition are assessed. The waste cutters at the third, fourth and fifth stages of wear possess the property of recyclability. A classification is developed with three classes of tool recyclability for the further utilization. A case-study of classifying waste of conventional cutters of a mining cutter–loader shows that waste cutters at the fourth and fifth wear stages have a recycling potential. Such waste cutters total to 66 % in the whole batch tested. Furthermore, together with the serviceable pre-worn picks of the third wear stage, percentage of recyclable tools reaches 86 %.