INCREASING THE SERVICE LIFE OF ROTARY MINING KNIVES BY MEANS OF SURFACING AND WEAR-RESISTANT COATINGS

Abstract

Enhancing the service life of cutting tools in the mining industry presents a pivotal engineering challenge, driven by the aggressive effects of abrasive and impact wear encountered during operation. This study focuses on improving the operational reliability of rotary mining-machine cutting tools by applying hardening coatings using mechanized hardfacing technology. The optimal alloyed cored wires (EnDOtec series) were selected based on an analysis of the wear kinetics of the base material (Steel 45). A high-precision hardfacing methodology was developed and implemented on a three-axis Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine at the AGH University of Science and Technology (Poland). Comprehensive metallographic examinations and microhardness measurements (METOALAB 502) confirmed the formation of ultra-high hardness phases (up to 1705 ), critical for high abrasion resistance. The established hardfacing parameters allowed for a significant reduction in the dilution coefficient and the size of the heat-affected zone. The results support the feasibility of implementing this developed technology within the industrial practice of the Republic of Kazakhstan.