Tunnel boring machine (TBM) is one of the important methods for tunnel construction, And the penetration has an important influence on the cutting performance of the cutter, which affects the efficiency of tunnel boring. Therefore, for the effect of penetration degree on cutting performance, a model of tool cutting was established in the form of ABAQUS finite element simulation, and the tangential force, normal force and specific energy during cutting were analyzed at different penetration. The results show that the rolling force and normal force increase with the increase of penetration degree, and the increasing trend of rolling force is more obvious than normal force, while the consumed specific energy decreases significantly with the increase of penetration.