PCD Cutter Will Gradually Replace Natural Diamond Cutter

At present, monocrystal diamond, PCD (or PCD/CC), and CVD diamond are successfully used for the cutting part of the production materials of turning tool, boring cutter, drill, reamer, milling cutter, forming cutter and gear cutting tool, etc. Varieties of diamond materials must be chosen according to the properties of processing materials and processing requirements. In addition to meet the technical requirements, it should also meet the requirements of economic and environmental performance.

PCD and PCD/CC are commonly used in the production of diamond materials, which are not only applicable to mechanical processing field, but also widely used in automobiles, motorcycles, high-speed train, petroleum, chemical, construction, wood processing, and aerospace industries. In the field of automobile and motorcycle, PCD and PCD/CC are suitable to processe engine aluminium alloy piston skirt, pin hole, cylinder, gearbox, carburetor, and other wear-resistant parts. And most of these components are aluminum matrix composites with higher silicon content (Si > 12%), whose high hardness of hard particles (such as SiC hardness up to 30003500HV) distribute in aluminum alloy substrate, like the grains in the grinding wheel that can make the cutting edge wear quickly.The higher the hardness of hard particles, the greater the size of particles, the more the number of particles, the tool wear more quicker.

Therefore, it is very difficult to carry on the processing by using traditional carbide cutting tools. The the knives' service life is very short or it cannot be used. Diamond is the hardest substance known in the world, and it is proved that it is the best tool for machining aluminum matrix composite materials. If we use PCD diamond processing aluminum matrix composites, the cutting speed can reach 8001000 m/min, and the knives' service life will be higher several times than hard alloy, and the roughness value of processing surface can reach Ra0.0250.012μm. When PCD (or PCD/CC) tool are used to process carbon fiber and glass fiber reinforced plastic (FRP), it should be cut into powder, and the cutting temperature is low, and the cutting length is 10 times K-carbide cutting tools, but the wear is less than 1/3 of the carbide cutting tools.

PCD tool (or PCD/CC) is also applicable to process presintering cemented carbide and wear-resisting non-metallic materials, such as ceramics, rubber, graphite, glass and all kinds of wear-resistant wood, etc. PCD cutting tool performance mainly depends on its applications and the involved process, but choosing the appropriate type and particle size will impact on it. For different varieties of PCD blades, there is a big difference in cutting performance due to the different composition. We must be careful when using.

PCD blades do not have unified classification like cemented carbide in the world, and each manufacturer has its own varieties and grades, and can can consult factory to choose when using samples. Usually PCD cutter is suitable for rough machining and the production of knives with high fracture toughness, and CVD thick film and monocrystal diamond cutter are mainly used for finishing at a high speed and semi-finishing.