"PCD" tool blanks consist of a layer of Man Made* diamond crystals bonded to each other and to a cemented carbide substance. This combination of tool materials is possible through a sophisticated high temperature / high pressure process developed over the years by the technical staff at General Electric Company.
*Random orientation of the diamond crystals means hardness and abrasion resistance are uniformly high in all directions.
*Crystal to crystal bonding of the diamond layer significantly reduces the chance of gross fracture under impact.
*The tungsten carbide substrate provides strong support for the diamond layer to further increase impact resistance.
*The diamond layer is flush with the substrate (no overhang) to expidite tool fabrication.
*The diamond controlled manufacturing process means physical properties are very consistant from blank to blank.
Tools made with COMPAX blanks have achieved impressive results machining a wide range of non-ferrous metals and nonmetallic materials:
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Nonferrous Metals
Aluminum alloys
Sillicon-aluminum alloys
Brass and brinze alloys
Copper alloys
Zinc alloys
Magnesium alloys
Presintered tungsten carbide
Sintered tungsten carbide
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Nonmetallic Materials
Epoxy resins
Fiberglass composits
Carbon-phenolic
Hard rubber
Plastics
Ceramics (unfired)
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"PCD" blank tools have significant performance advantages over cemented tungsten carbide tools. Typical improvements include tool life, better control over part sizes and surface finishes, greatly reduced cost per machine part, and dramatically higher machine productivity.
"PCD" blank tools are also replacing tools made with single crystal natural diamond...particularly where impact is high due to interrupted cuts. Significant performance increases are seen over the life of several tools because the properties of "PCD" blank tools are much more consistent then natural diamond tools. Also, of course, natural diamond tools are much more susceptible to accidental impact damage.
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