Rock cutting is a challenging process. Heavy equipment, large cutting forces, high wear rates and large amounts of required energy are common challenges when cutting rock. Traditionally, rock cutting is based on a linear motion of the cutting tool. However, a significant improvement on the cutting performance is expected when using non-linear cutting techniques. Non-linear cutting can be achieved by using an actuator to create a vibrating or oscillating motion on top of the linear forward motion of the cutting tool. The focus in this paper is on the oscillating undercutting disc cutter. This disc attacks the rock like a chisel or pickpoint, aiming at a cutting process dominated by tensile failures. Although the discrete element method has been successfully used for various rock cutting processes, all these processes are based on linear rock cutting tools and most of these researches are based on 2D simulations. The use of a 3D approach is necessary to enable the simulation of oscillatory rock cutting tools. This paper utilizes discrete element method in 3D to investigate non-linear cutting processes, especially the effects of the design parameters such as frequency, velocity and eccentricity of the cutting tool. To resemble rock-like materials the particles are placed in a dense particle assembly and they are bonded together through perfect brittle elastic bonds. The bonds can fail in shear and in tension, allowing the dominant failure mechanisms, i.e. shear and tensile cracks, to occur. After failure of these bonds, particles can still interact through collisions. The simulation results show the effect of the tested design parameters and is compared with analytical models and an actual experiment of the oscillating undercutting disc.

The overall goal of this project is to contribute to reconstruct the innovation mechanisms and development of ceramic production using forensic engineering techniques. Instead of optimizing materials as a driver in modern engineering, here we wish to use these methodologies, but aim to solve questions on advancement in the past fabrication process – and thus ultimately understand the key issues of a less or (un)successful design and subsequent improvement. This paper wishes to address the advantages and constraints regarding to use of basalt in ceramic matrices. By utilizing a standardized set of different test bars comprising different amounts of basalt fired at both 800°C and 1000°C, it can be concluded basalt tempered ceramics have a higher fracture toughness when compared to quartz enriched materials. It is there plausible to identify basalt as a good temper material for (ancient) earthenwares in terms of thermal (shock) activities.