PCD insert production breakthrough
Gildemeister AG's Sauer Lasertec laser cutting technology is being used to replace grinding and EDM processes in the manufacture of polycrystalline diamond (PCD) tooling inserts.
A Sauer Lasertec 20 is being used by Austrian cutting tool maker TiroTool GmbH (www.tirotool.com) to sharpen tip cutting edges, with this said to produce sharper edges, be more reproducible (no grinding wheel to dress) and much faster, while tool tip life is also claimed improved.
A Lasertec 50 machine (pictured) is used to cut the PCD discs prior to using the new Lasertec 20 process, incidentally.
