Diamond in segments and beads

Chemically, a diamond is nothing else than crystallized carbon. The ideal shape of the crystal is an octahedron (eight faces). It is also the hardest of known materials. Its abrasion resistance is 140 times higher than that of corundum, whilst corundum and the diamond respectively occupy 9th and 10th places on the Mohs scale.
It was millions of years ago that nature changed this carbon into crystals. It took place at great depth, sometimes more than 80 km, under the influence of very high temperatures and pressures (from 1100 to 1300°C and up to 70 tons per cm²).

Some noteworthy contributions to the stone industry

One of Diamant Boart's first and most important contributions to the marble industry was the introduction, in 1955 of the diamond gang saw blade, a tool which nowadays equips thousands of frame saws throughout the world. This achievement was repeated some fifteen years later with the introduction of the first frame saw blade using synthetic diamond.

The development of the first diamond wire was another important contribution by Diamant Boart to the stone quarrying industry.
There followed in succession the wire with an electrolytic deposit (1968), the diamond impregnated wires for marble (1980) and granite (1985).
The diamond sectors (shoes) for surfacing / polishing continuous lines will likewise constitute a major contribution by the Company to the stone industry.

Still to be mentioned are the low noise saw blades for granite, the diamond belts for quarrying machines, the saw blades welded by laser micro fusion.

Diamond tools

The pieces that constitute a diamond tool are:

• a support: a core; a gang saw blade; a flexible cable
• the segment or the bead: it 's heterogeneous aggregates, the diamonds and a bond

The diamond tool can be used in several applications such as:

• cutting natural material as stone
• cutting artificial material as concrete or asphalt

On the surface of the segments or the beads, individual diamond crystals are exposed which are supported by trailing "bond tails".

The segments and beads

To be able to use the diamond as a cutting tool, it needs a support. Once the desired grades and quantities have been weighted, the diamond grains are mixed with the bonding agent by a proven mechanical method. This mixture is spread evenly over the matrix which is then subject to heating and compressions. The temperatures and pressures are carefully controlled and recorded. The duration and temperature of the sintering process vary from one tool to another.

After sintering, the diamond segments are removed from the matrix for brazing or gluing to the base; the tool is ready to undergo final machining. The process is similar for the beads. At each stage of manufacture there is a detailed inspection of the quality and dimensions.

The segments obtained are then fixed (brazed or laser welded) onto a metal sheet or blade which becomes a diamond tool. This is then subject to a levelling and tensioning operation which guarantees a correct sawing action. The diamonds beads are mounted on a flexible wire with spring or injected plastics or vulcanized with rubber.

top