Assessment of sharpening profile effects on the efficiency of cutting tools for tire recycling: a numerical study

The transportation of end-of-life tires (ELT’s) from waste collection points to recycling facilities represents one of the major challenges in the recycling process. As a whole piece, the ELT’s occupy a large volume, resulting in high costs and delays in transportation. Therefore, a precutting process at collection points would significantly reduce the space occupied by whole tires and improve their transport. Cutting procedures are crucial, and the devices for this operation must be optimized to minimize energy consumption. This study focuses on the numerical evaluation of nine blade profiles using explicit 3D simulations. The simulations applied the third-order Ogden hyperelastic model to evaluate the large deformations of rubber used in tire manufacturing. The numerical results were analyzed in terms of the force and work done, to identify the profile with the best performance. Among the profiles evaluated, it was found that the sharp profiles had better characteristics, while the hollow profiles were very effective. In addition, experimental rubber cutting tests were conducted using a universal testing machine. Two geometries, including the hollow profile obtained from the numerical simulation, were manufactured and applied to validate the simulations. The findings showed that the hollow profile reduced a 68% of the work done compared to the straight one, which is the profile most commonly used to manufacture these tools.