Abstract: Described herein are several methods and apparatuses for treating a cutter tool adapted to be used in tunnel boring operations. In one form, an initial cutter member blank is formed and heat treated prior to a laser cladding process. An alloy is often applied to the surface of the cutter blank adjacent to the cutting elements by the cladding process whereby the cladding process has insufficient heat transfer from the cladding process to reduce hardness properties of the inserts and/or the cutter blank. In one example a fabric-like material defines the region of the exterior hard surface.

Abstract: Described herein are several methods and apparatuses for treating a cutter tool adapted to be used in tunnel boring operations. In one form, an initial cutter member blank is formed and heat treated prior to a laser cladding process. An alloy is often applied to the surface of the cutter blank adjacent to the cutting elements by the cladding process whereby the cladding process has insufficient heat transfer from the cladding process to reduce hardness properties of the inserts and/or the cutter blank. In one example a fabric-like material defines the region of the exterior hard surface.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a ring cutter for a tunneling apparatus, the ring cutter formed by a process in one form comprising several steps. In one form, this mold is sacrificial, and may be a pair of parallel cylinders such as an outer and an inner cylinder with a gap there between. In one manufacturing process, a single mold is used to produce multiple cutters which are cast simultaneously within the single mold. In one form, the mold is formed in the final shape of the cutter, such that the cutter requires no further machining to be used in a tunneling apparatus. Another step being: disposing a volume of powdered metal, such as a nickel based alloy, into the mold. The powdered metal may then be subjected to isostatic gas pressures, and elevated sintering temperatures simultaneously (HIP) with the isostatic gas pressure to consolidate the powdered metal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for treating a cutter ring adapted to be used in tunnel boring operations. An initial cutter member blank is formed and heat treats the cutter ring prior to a cladding process. An alloy is applied to the surface of the cutter blank adjacent to the cutting elements by the cladding process whereby the cutting elements have insufficient heat transfer from the cladding process to reduce their hardness properties, and in one form a fabric material defines the region for the exterior hard surface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for treating a cutter ring adapted to be used in tunnel boring operations; forming an initial cutter ring and heat treating the cutter ring prior to a laser client process; applying an alloy to the surface of the cutter ring adjacent to cutting elements by a laser cladding process whereby the cutting elements have insufficient heat transfer from the laser cutting process to reduce their hardness properties.