DMG MORI recently made a great innovation leap with the LASERTEC 20 PrecisionTool. The integrated technology is used here for the finishing of the PCD tools and outshines by far conventional methods such as wire eroding and grinding - especially where quality is concerned. Time and again these methods cause break-outs on the cutting edges during machining. Wire eroding only cuts through the binding material, not the diamond grains, while the mechanical grinding process causes chipping, because the grains are broken out of the material here. The fibre laser, however, produces an absolutely clean surface, because it cuts evenly through the whole PCD material. Friedemann Lell tells us: “This results in perfect cutting edges which mean that PCD tools produced in such a way have a service life that is two-and-a-half times longer than that of tools produced with conventional methods.” The edge radius is just 2 to 3 µm.