Using PCD and its APPLICATIONS

Machining Non Ferrous Metals and Alloys including Metal Matrix Composites.

Machining Plastics, Rubber, Fibre, Reinforced Plastics and CompositeS

Machining Chipboard, MDF and Natural Woods

Wear Pads, Gauging Points and Probes

PCD can offer dramatic improvements in both efficiency and product quality, but the following points should be considered:-

If conventional tools fail prematurely due to breakage, DR-PCD tools are unlikely to fair any better. If excessive vibration, inclusions in component material, or similar problems cannot be avoided, then it may be preferable to continue breaking relatively cheap conventional tools.

However, the benefits offered by DR-PCD tools can often provide the incentive to overcome these problems. DR-PCD tools may give a tool life improvement of 100 times, paying back any extra costs in improving the machinability of the material, improving the work holding or optimizing the cutting tool geometries.

Although DR-PCD is both tough and extremely hard, the cutting edges can be extremely fragile. Care must be taken to avoid chipping the cutting edges.

It should be remembered that diamond and graphite are two forms of the same element, Carbon. When diamond is produced synthetically from graphite, a catalyst is used to reduce the reaction time to a commercially acceptable level. Suitable catalysts are iron, nickel or cobalt.

Unfortunately, these elements also catalyze the transformation of diamond into graphite. Diamond is not therefore generally effective for machining ferrous, cobalt or nickel based materials.