What Is a Diamond Tool?
Diamond Tools refer to tools and cutting instruments manufactured using extremely hard natural diamonds or synthetic diamonds as materials.
Diamond (single crystal) is utilized in cutting tools for metal processing, grinding wheels, wire saws, and polishing due to its high hardness. While Diamond Tools (single crystal) can achieve a very sharp cutting edge with a long lifespan and high performance, their complex shaping is challenging, and their manufacturing cost is high, making them relatively expensive. Consequently, they are employed in applications that demand very high precision and durability.
However, diamonds possess cleavage properties along crystal planes, and their hardness may not be consistent. For processing complex shapes, synthetic polycrystalline diamond (PCD) is commonly used. Being polycrystalline, PCD is an assembly of single crystals facing various directions, providing strength from all angles and exhibiting resistance to cleavage.
Uses of Diamond Tools
The primary applications of Diamond Tools include:
1. Machining
PCD tools are preferred over carbide and ceramic tools in the production of high-quality parts and the machining of difficult-to-cut materials. Due to their durability and performance, they are widely adopted in various industries, including automotive and aerospace, for processing materials such as aluminum, superalloys, CFRP, and other highly resistant materials.
2. Construction Industry
Diamond core bits and diamond wire saws are used to cut construction materials such as concrete, asphalt, and stone. They play a crucial role in drilling and cutting operations on construction sites.
3. Stone Industry
Diamond tools are employed in cutting, polishing, and carving natural and synthetic stones. Artists and stonemasons use them to realize artistic projects.
4. Electronics Industry
In the electronics industry, diamond tools are used for precision work such as cutting and polishing silicon wafers and semiconductor manufacturing processes. The hardness of diamonds proves valuable in this field where high precision is required.
5. Gemstone Processing
In addition to being valued as gemstones, diamonds are used as tools to cut, polish, and carve other gemstones. They find extensive use in the jewelry industry.
6. Medical Field
Diamond-bladed scalpels and drills are used in surgeries, such as neurosurgery and dental procedures. Diamond blades are precise and extremely sharp.
7. Research and Science
Diamonds are used in specialized scientific equipment like high-pressure high-temperature experiments and diamond anvil cells.
Principle of Diamond Tools
The principle of Diamond Tools is based on utilizing the extreme hardness and wear resistance of diamonds when cutting, shaping, or removing other materials.
Diamond is one of the hardest substances on Earth, having a hardness of 10 on the Mohs hardness scale, indicating its significantly greater hardness compared to most other materials. Consequently, diamond provides wear resistance when cutting or shaping various materials.
Diamonds used in tools are typically attached to a metal or ceramic substrate. They are fixed to these substrates, functioning as the cutting edge of the tool. Additionally, techniques such as sputtering, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and physical vapor deposition (PVD) are employed to coat surfaces with a layer of diamond by depositing carbon atoms, enhancing the tool’s hardness.
Importantly, diamonds experience minimal wear during cutting operations. This attribute allows Diamond Tools to maintain high performance over extended periods. While other materials would quickly wear out, Diamond Tools effectively continues cutting materials. Furthermore, diamonds exhibit excellent thermal conductivity. This property ensures that heat generated during cutting is quickly dissipated, preventing the accumulation of heat and extending the tool’s lifespan.
However, due to the nature of diamonds as clusters of carbon atoms, they are not suitable for cutting iron-based steel. When processing iron-based steel, the absorption of carbon atoms into the iron at elevated blade temperatures can lead to edge wear or damage. Additionally, Diamond Tools excels in providing precise cutting and polishing, delivering high-quality finishes. This is particularly crucial in applications requiring precise workmanship or high-dimensional accuracy.
Types of Diamond Tools
The main types of Diamond Tools include:
1. Diamond Cutting Tools
Manufactured by shaping single crystal diamonds or polycrystalline diamonds onto cutting tools, such as drills, reamers, end mills, and bits made of materials like cemented carbide and tool steel. These tools are versatile, allowing various machining operations like drilling, grooving, milling, and cutting.
2. Diamond Cutting Wheels
Produced with different bonding materials such as metal bonds or resin bonds, these wheels are used to cut hard materials like metal, ceramics, glass, and stone. They find widespread use in the construction, manufacturing, and processing industries.
3. Diamond Grinding Wheels
These grinding wheels have diamond particles fixed to the surface and are used to polish metal and hard materials. They are utilized in metalworking, gemstone processing, and precision engineering.
4. Diamond Wire Saws
Suitable for cutting stone and concrete, these wire saws are employed in construction, stone processing, and environmental surveys.
5. Diamond Core Bits
Used for drilling holes in materials like concrete, asphalt, and stone. They are common in construction and geotechnical investigations.
6. Diamond Carving Tools
Used by artists and craftsmen to carve materials such as stone, wood, glass, and metal, contributing to the creation of artistic projects.
7. Diamond Drill Bits
Utilized for drilling holes in concrete and stone, these bits are commonly used in construction projects.
8. Diamond Cutters
Diamond cutters are employed in various cutting tools, ranging from surgical scalpels to glass cutters. Diamond abrasive stones and papers with diamond abrasives are used for tool sharpening and polishing tasks.
These represent some of the main types of Diamond Tools, each suited for specific applications, including cutting, machining, polishing, carving, and more, across various industries.