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Applications Tool manufacturing

PCD tool manufacturing

Cut, shape and sharpen polycrystalline diamond tools without heat damage to the cutting edge. Cold ablation keeps the diamond intact and handles geometries that grinding and EDM cannot reach.

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[Photo: PCD insert cutting edge under the microscope]

[value] µm

Cutting-edge radius on PCD inserts.

[value] %

Shorter cycle time than grinding on [tool type].

0

Graphitised layer on the processed edge.

From problem to process

Diamond is the hardest tool material. Shaping it should not damage it.

  1. 01 · Problem

    Hard to shape, easy to damage

    Grinding PCD is slow and wears the wheel. Wire EDM depends on the binder and leaves a recast layer. Longer laser pulses heat the diamond, which graphitises the edge and shortens tool life.

  2. 02 · Requirement

    What the process needs

    • Sharp, chip-free cutting edges
    • No graphitisation or heat-affected zone
    • Chip breakers and 3D geometries in one setup
    • Repeatable results across tool batches

  3. 03 · Process

    Cold ablation, layer by layer

    Femtosecond pulses remove diamond and binder in thin layers faster than heat can spread. A five-axis machine guides the beam along the edge to cut, shape and sharpen the tool without touching it.

Why the architecture fits

Compact laser head

Fits on five-axis tool machines where space around the workpiece is tight.

Passive air cooling

No chiller beside the machine and nothing to drain or refill on the shop floor.

Robust in the workshop

All-fiber design with no free-space alignment, built for vibration and temperature changes.

Simple integration

Standard interfaces connect to the tool machine's CNC without extra hardware.

Evidence

Results from the application lab

Microscope images from LITILIT test runs. Every sample lists its material, thickness and magnification.

[Microscope image: PCD cutting edge]
PCD cutting edge, top view [Material], [thickness] mm, [value]× magnification
[Microscope image: laser-cut chip breaker]
Chip breaker geometry [Material], [thickness] mm, [value]× magnification
Case study

Sharpening at production volume

[Customer] moved PCD sharpening from grinding to [number] LITILIT-equipped machines. Here is what changed in cycle time and tool life.

Read the case study

Typical process window

Starting parameters from our lab. Your material, thickness and design will move them, so we confirm every number on your own samples.

Materials
PCD, CVD diamond, PCBN, carbide
Tool types
Inserts, drills, end mills, [others]
Edge radius
[value] µm
Surface roughness
Ra [value] µm
Recommended wavelength
1030 nm (IR)
Recommended laser
INDYLIT 20

Lasers for this application

The laser we recommend for this process.

INDYLIT 20 laser, view 1INDYLIT 20 laser, view 2INDYLIT 20 laser, view 3INDYLIT 20 laser, view 4

INDYLIT 20

Up to 20 W at 1 MHz for fast material removal on large diamond volumes.

  • 380 fs pulses
  • Up to 2 MHz
  • Passively air cooled
View INDYLIT 20

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Send us a tool. We'll send back an edge.

Ship a PCD blank or a worn tool to our Vilnius application lab. We return it processed, with microscope images and the parameters we used.

Request a sample test Talk to an engineer

Discuss your application with an engineer.

Tell us the material and the result you need. A laser engineer replies within [response time].

Buying for production?

Ask about lead times, volume pricing, supply capacity and long-term availability.

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