Application of continuum damage mechanics for prediction of wear in tillage tools

Wear of tillage tools by hard soil particles is a serious concern in the industry since wear is the primary factor that defines an engaging tool's lifespan, stability, and reliability. Many studies have primarily focused on experimental methods to better understand the impact of various parameters on tool wear during tilling operations. Hence, this project focuses on both continuum damage mechanics (CDM) modesl based on thermodynamics for predicting the wear coefficient in tillage tools and experimental validation. The wear process is modeled as sand particle scratching at a prescribed speed and load on the surface of a tillage tool with different hardness, such as heat treated, chromium coated, heat-treated chromium coated, and samples without any treatment. Tillage tool wear is taken as the response (output) variable measured during contact, while operation parameters speed, load, and hardness are taken as input parameters. For C45E4 samples, tests are carried out with a dry sand/rubber wheel abrasion tester, and material loss from the tool surface during scratching is evaluated using the weight loss concept. The design of experiments technique is developed for three factors at four levels. The comparison shows an acceptable agreement in the experimental data and predicted results, which states an error of <20 %. The results also show that heat-treated samples with chromium coating have more abrasive resistance with respect to other samples.