Experimental study of specific matching characteristics of tunnel boring machine cutter ring properties and rock

To investigate the specific matching characteristics of Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) cutter ring properties and rock, matching friction tests for six kinds of TBM cutter ring specimens with different properties and two kinds of typical TBM rock samples were performed on a bespoke TBM cutter performance test bench. The results indicate that the matching characteristics of the TBM cutter ring properties and rock type have significant effects on the wear of a TBM cutter ring and that the specific properties of the cutter rings that demonstrate the best matching characteristics with the two types of rock are different. For the cutter ring that exhibits the best matching behaviours with China granite, the hardness is 58.0 HRC, and the toughness is 3.1 J/cm2, while the hardness and toughness for the cutter ring that exhibits the best matching characteristics with Bianco Argento granite are 57.0 HRC and 3.7 J/cm2, respectively. These results provide basic experimental data for the geological matching design of TBM cutter ring properties.