Abstract: In order to study the cutting load characteristics of cutters on the pre-cutting machine in the grooving process， a load calculation model of a single cutter’s horizontal cutting was established and its rock-cutting process was simulated using LS-DYNA to analyze the influence of different cutting depths as well as varied blade angles on the horizontal load. The results showed that the horizontal cutting load is much greater than the vertical cutting load， and the horizontal load increases as the cutting depth increases. In condition of the same cutting depth， the horizontal load increases with the increment of blade angles， and it was found that when the blade angle increases from 80°to 125°， the average magnitude of horizontal load at different depths increases by 30.7%. Generally， with the increment of the cutter’s blade angle， the specific energy increases firstly and then remains stable. The rock-cutting efficiency reaches its maximum status when the blade angle is 110°，and the specific energy decreases with the increment of cutting depths.

Key words: pre-cutting machine, chain cutter, horizontal cutting load, cutter’s blade angle, cutting depth