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Diamond compaction tooling used in the manufacture of polycrystalline diamond compacts represents one of the harshest applications to which tungsten carbide can be subjected. The extremely high compressive loading accompanied by fatigue from the cyclical action of the press requires a homogeneous, pore free microstructure. Any minor flaw, even microporosity that is less than 10 micron in size, represents a potential crack initiation site which will propagate and lead to total failure under the 1 million pounds per square inch pressure that this tooling experiences.

General Carbide is a major supplier of carbide tooling to this industry. The tooling in this instance is a set of six high-pressure anvils used in a cubic press that compacts the pyrophylite cube under the combination of high pressure and high temperature. We supply a grade of carbide that delivers high cycle life due to the double hot iso-static (HIP) pressing process that it undergoes. We sinter all of our products in a sinter-HIP furnace under the simultaneous application of heat and pressure to fully consolidate the microstructure of the material but diamond compaction anvils undergo a separate and additional post sintering operation. They are then HIP'd under higher pressure and at temperatures that almost reach the original sintering temperature. This ensures that the material will contain no residual voids or flaws. This extra HIP operation adds a higher degree of performance reliability than would otherwise be experienced.