Artificial diamond materials are replacing tungsten carbide and ceramic composites in cutting tools where high surface finish quality is required. The choice of materials ranges from lower end polyctystalline diamond (PCD) to high-end single crystalline diamond (SCD). SCD tools have proven their capability in the super-finishing of ultra-precision optical grade surfaces. In many cases, the use of SCD tool inserts can eliminate grinding operations and cut process times. They also benefit from a longer tool life.
Only laser technologies are capable of machining such materials, which are just as hard as natural diamonds. Synova's patented Laser MicroJet® (LMJ) technology delivers better results than dry lasers and is especially suited for the machining of diamond materials. This paper shows the results achieved in using Synova's Laser MicroJet process for cutting PCD and SCD tool inserts.