Studies on the Lapping of Polycrystalline Diamond Compact (PDC)

Abstract

Researching the effect that certain parameters have on the lapping process is crucial to understanding the fundamental material removal mechanisms and implementing a procedure that most efficiently produces desired results. This study examines the lapping procedure for polycrystalline diamond compacts (PDCs). Tests were conducted using different sample carriers, PDC arrangements, and abrasive size distributions. Previous studies have focused on the material removal rate (MRR), which is of interest, but this study also examines the MRR uniformity within a group of PDCs lapped together. The goal of this research was to determine the optimal lapping conditions and PDC arrangement required to achieve the highest productivity. Results indicate that a hard specimen carrier is necessary to produce PDCs with uniform MRRs, and the number of PDC samples in a carrier can be increased with certain design constraints kept in mind.