TBM Cutters are assembly of 13 to 16 different components depending upon application and the TBM Manufacturers. It could also be divided into single cutter, double cutter and multiple blade cutters. The Primary Application of the TBM cutter is to chip the rock which is coming in contact with it. Heavy abrasion properties are the essence of the cutter’s parts.
The success of a tunnel-boring machine (TBM) in a given project depends on the functionality of all components of the system, from the cutters to the backup system, and on the entire rolling stock. However, no part of the machine plays a more crucial role in the efficient operation of the machine than its cutterhead. The design of the cutter head impacts the efficiency of cutting, the balance of the head, the life of the cutters, the maintenance of the main bearing/gearbox, and the effectiveness of the mucking along with its effects on the wear of the face and gauge cutters/muck buckets. Overall, cutter head design heavily impacts the rate of penetration (ROP), rate of machine utilization (U), and daily advance rate (AR).