Crack initiation and growth in circular saw made of tool steel

Fatigue of a circular saw made of tool steel and used in metal industry to cut, in particular, metal bars and pipes is investigated in this study. Due to having a small tooth root radius, the circular saw is much more likely to get crack damage at the tooth root region. Radial and tangential forces are also effective at this region for fatigue crack initiation. In high cutting speeds and feed rates of the circular saw, higher stress concentration occurs particularly at that region. To examine the fatigue and failure in the circular saw, specimens used in an experiment are prepared from a damaged circular saw are subjected to different mechanical tests. In the theoretical study, stress and fracture behaviour of the saw is determined by the finite element method. Results and causes of the failure are assessed and compared.