Influence of processing parameters on diamond wire wear in marble cutting

Diamond wire saw cutting is widely used in the dimension stone industry; however, excessive wire wear remains a major challenge affecting process efficiency, productivity, cost, and operational safety. This study investigates the influence of key processing parameters on wire wear performance during marble block cutting through field-scale experiments conducted in an underground marble mine. A full factorial design comprising 81 cutting trials was used to evaluate the effects of wire speed, wire thrust, water flow rate, and pulley angle under varying processing conditions. Results identified wire speed and wire thrust as the dominant factors affecting wear rate. Increasing wire speed from 25 to 30 m/s and wire thrust from 930 to 1010 N caused an approximately 250% increase in wire wear rate, indicating a strong nonlinear relationship between processing conditions and tool degradation. In contrast, water flow rate and pulley angle showed negligible effects beyond 25 L/min and 25°, respectively. Regression analysis (R2 = 36.46%) confirmed the significance of wire speed and thrust while highlighting wire wear complexity and additional influences, including rock variability and bead microstructure. The findings provide practical processing guidance for reducing wire wear, improving cutting efficiency, and lowering energy and water consumption in dimension stone operations.