Effect of contact characteristics on the self-rotation performance of conical picks based on impact dynamics modelling

Conical picks have a harsh working environment and 70% of their failures are caused by wear. It has been found that conical picks can rotate while interacting with the working material. This self-rotation ability is an important factor affecting pick wear, but the self-rotation mechanism remains unclear. Researching the mechanism involves the impact and friction dynamics of the interaction between a pick and its holder. Thus, a dynamic finite-element numerical model for the pick–holder interaction is established. How the handle–holder gap width, pick body and handle lengths and pick handle diameter affect the settling time and the percentage of time with no contact is studied to compare the numerical results with the equivalent effects on the rotation angle in experiments. Doing so indicates that the main factor in the self-rotation ability of a conical pick is not the magnitude of the contact load but its duration. The present research provides a new method for revealing the mechanism for the self-rotation of conical picks.