Becker Diamantwerkzeuge GmbH, a leading supplier for precision cutting tools made of ultra-hard cutting materials, presents new developments in the area of tools with tipped with CVD at EMO 2013 fair (hall 4 stand B54).

"State-of-the-art laser technologies and their further development enablefor fully automatic batch production of perfect cutting edges, which are absolutely free of any imperfections. The challenges that grinding present are now answered, and we are free to offer any standard or special tools made of CVD diamond cutting-tool material to our customers" - says Alexander Becker, Director of Becker Diamantwerkzeuge. "Right now, in addition to circumferential work, as in using laser cutting for the clearance angle, radius of the cutting edge, profiles, and so on, we have an opportunity to deal with any kind of cutting geometry in full 3D. Therefore, it would be no exaggeration to say that we are observing a new quantum leap in the area of technologies of manufacturing and use of diamond cutting tools, and the new laser technology plays the key role in this jump".

Becker Diamantwerkzeuge has undertaken extensive tests that allow them touse the new laser technology for PCD compound cutting-tool materials, in addition to solid PCD diamond processing. The use of laser technology in the production of cutting edges increases their lifetime twofold compared to the commonly used grinding technologies. There are two reasons explaining such increase of PCD com-pound cutting-tool materials performance:

• The use of solid PCD types with thickness of 0.8-1.2 mm allows morediamond volume to be utilised. The wear mechanism is reduced due to the increase of diamond volume and, subsequently, thermal conductivity of the material. 85% of the wear results from the action of heat in the cutting edge area, as micro-scale of diamond start to evaporate at 700?C. In other words, an automatic cooling mechanism is used.
• The cutting edges produced with the new laser technology have a much sharper cutting edge when compared to the common grinding, as the application of high pressure during the grinding pressure causes structural damages to the cutting edge.

CVD diamond coating, as diamond cutting-tool material, should be compared with monocrystalline diamond, and the evaluation of its performance should be made accordingly. The production costs - converted to carat - of CVD coating diamond only amount to about 35% of production costs ofmonocrystalline diamond. The available data also suggests that CVD diamond have a higher lifetime with an identical production load.

Considering the fact that polycrystalline structure has many advantages in over monocrystalline structure, it hardly comes as a surprise. The superiority of CVD diamond cutting tool material over solid PCD compound cutting-tool material is evident by their comparison. The lifetime may be increased from 3 to 10 times with an identical production load - depending on the choice of the material.

The user acquires all advantages of using CVD tipped diamond cutting-tools as well as solid PCD compound cutting-tools - very considerable advantages in performance of operations of routine turning, grooving, groove turning, milling with any kind of end mill, milling with cutter heads, fine drilling, etc.

"With the development of new laser technology that largely replaces the common grinding, a new era of manufacturing of diamond cutting-tools and their use for cutting has begun, an era that will see replacement of monocrystalline diamond in many applications" - says Werner Becker, Senior Director of Becker Diamantwerkzeuge: "We will continue to develop wear optimized diamond cutting tool material, as well as improve the whole laser technology. Our company specializes in the area of this cutting-tool material, and offers our clients an extensive range of CVD tools ex-stock".

Becker Diamantwerkzeuge GmbH, a family-owned enterprise, was founded 1987, and specialises in development, production, and worldwide marketing of precision machining tools made of ultra-hard cutting materials, such as natural diamond, synthetic diamond and cubic boron nitride (CBN). These tools are mainly used in the metal processing industry and the production of moulds.

<(Contact in India: Rajan Vaid, Brisloy Tools India Private Ltd, Gurgaon, Haryana. Tel: 0121-2240020. Email: info@brisloy.com)