Kinetic simulation and experimental study of steel material removal by the diamond bead

Diamond rope saws are one of the important tools for cutting large structures in deep water, and exploring their ability to remove steel materials is a prerequisite for improving cutting efficiency. In this paper, based on the observation results of an optical profilometer on the surface morphology of diamond beads, using statistical theory to analyse the data on the spatial parameters of abrasive grains, a method of three-dimensional digital characterisation of diamond beads based on the spatial description of the coordinate system of the column is proposed. Based on the above research, the theoretical models for material removal prediction and the finite element simulation model of diamond bead cutting steel material are established to analyse the removal ability of steel material under different cutting conditions with the synergistic effect of multiple abrasive grains in the process of diamond beads cutting steel material. Experiments were used to perform error analysis on the theoretical model, optimise the cutting parameters and correct the theoretical model for material removal. The results show that the cutting speed of 21 m/s and the feed speed of 1 mm/min resulted in a low theoretical and real removal error and less bead wear, which is favourable for continuous cutting. This current work provides a theoretical basis for the intelligent monitoring of the cutting process state of underwater diamond rope saws.