DIAMOND GRINDING AND PCD MACHINING OF MMC ENGINEERING COMPONENTS

Many of the problems associated with the machining of metal matrix com posites (caused by the presence of the hard, brittle phase) can be ove rcome by using ultrahard tooling. Tools made from polycrystalline diam ond (PCD) are particularly suitable, however it is important that an a ppropriate PCD grade and optimised machining conditions are selected i f rapid tool wear is to be avoided. This overview concludes with a num ber of case studies demonstrating how ultrahard tooling technology has been economically applied in a diverse range of engineering sectors.