Non-cylindrical polycrystalline diamond compacts, methods of making same and applications therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9770807-B1
Application number	US-55893909-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 14, 2009
Priority date	Mar 5, 2009
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to non-cylindrical polycrystalline diamond compacts (“PDCs”), and methods of fabricating such non-cylindrical PDCs without substantially undercutting a cemented carbide substrate thereof from an overlying polycrystalline diamond (“PCD”) table thereof. According to various embodiments, a PDC includes a PCD table including an upper surface and a table non-cylindrical lateral periphery. The PDC includes a cemented carbide substrate bonded to the PCD table. In an embodiment, the cemented carbide substrate includes a substrate non-cylindrical lateral periphery that is not substantially undercut from the table non-cylindrical lateral periphery of the PCD table. In an embodiment, the PDC includes at least one alignment feature positioned on the cemented carbide substrate and/or the PCD table.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a finished polycrystalline diamond compact, comprising:
forming a precursor polycrystalline diamond compact in a high-pressure/high-temperature process, wherein the precursor polycrystalline diamond compact includes a polycrystalline diamond table defining an upper surface and a table non-cylindrical lateral periphery, and a cemented carbide substrate bonded to the polycrystalline diamond table that includes a substrate non-cylindrical lateral periphery, an interfacial surface bonded to the polycrystalline diamond table, and a back surface spaced from the interfacial surface, the back surface having at least one alignment feature, the at least one alignment feature including a recess at least partially defined by the back surface or a projection extending from the back surface;
engaging the at least one alignment feature of the cemented carbide substrate of the precursor polycrystalline diamond compact; and
while the at least one alignment feature is engaged, finish machining at least the substrate non-cylindrical lateral periphery to form the finished polycrystalline diamond compact.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein finish machining at least the substrate non-cylindrical lateral periphery to form the finished polycrystalline diamond compact comprises grinding material from at least the substrate non-cylindrical lateral periphery.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein finish machining at least the substrate non-cylindrical lateral periphery to form the finished polycrystalline diamond compact comprises grinding about 0.015 inch to about 0.080 inch of material from at least the substrate non-cylindrical lateral periphery.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein finish machining at least the substrate non-cylindrical lateral periphery to form the finished polycrystalline diamond compact while the at least one alignment feature is engaged comprises grinding material from at least the substrate non-cylindrical lateral periphery while the at least one alignment feature is engaged.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
positioning a generally central axis of the precursor polycrystalline diamond compact relative to a machining element; and
wherein finish machining at least the substrate non-cylindrical lateral periphery to form the finished polycrystalline diamond compact comprises grinding material from at least the substrate non-cylindrical lateral periphery along a machining path generally centered about the generally central axis using the machining element.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein finish machining at least the substrate non-cylindrical lateral periphery comprises finish machining the table non-cylindrical lateral periphery and a substrate non-cylindrical lateral periphery of the cemented carbide substrate.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein finish machining at least the substrate non-cylindrical lateral periphery to form the finished polycrystalline diamond compact comprises grinding, electro-discharge machining, laser machining, honing, lapping, polishing, chemical-mechanical polishing, electrical discharge grinding, chemical/mechanical grinding, ultrasonic machining, or combinations of the foregoing.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein finish machining at least the substrate non-cylindrical lateral periphery comprises finish machining the table non-cylindrical lateral periphery and a substrate non-cylindrical lateral periphery of the cemented carbide substrate in a manner that, after machining, the substrate non-cylindrical lateral periphery is undercut from the polycrystalline diamond table by less than about 0.0020 inch.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein, after finish machining, the substrate non-cylindrical lateral periphery is undercut from the polycrystalline diamond table by about 0.00050 inch to about 0.0020 inch.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the substrate non-cylindrical lateral periphery is free of an electro-discharge-machined re-cast layer.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one alignment feature includes the projection having at least one key extending from the back surface of the cemented carbide substrate.

12. A method of manufacturing a finished polycrystalline diamond compact, comprising:
forming a precursor polycrystalline diamond compact in a high-pressure/high-temperature process, wherein the precursor polycrystalline diamond compact includes a polycrystalline diamond table defining an upper surface and a table non-cylindrical lateral periphery, and a cemented carbide substrate including an interfacial surface bonded to the polycrystalline diamond table, a back surface spaced from the interfacial surface, and substrate non-cylindrical lateral periphery, the back surface having at least one alignment feature;
substantially aligning a general central axis of the precursor polycrystalline diamond compact with a rotation axis of a machining apparatus by at least partially contacting the at least one alignment feature with a corresponding feature of the machining apparatus; and
while the central axis and the rotation axis are substantially aligned, grinding the table non-cylindrical lateral periphery and the substrate non-cylindrical lateral periphery of the precursor polycrystalline diamond compact using the machining apparatus, while undercutting the substrate non-cylindrical lateral periphery from the table non-cylindrical lateral periphery by less than 0.0020 inch, to form the finished polycrystalline diamond compact.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the substrate non-cylindrical lateral periphery is undercut from the polycrystalline diamond table by about 0.00050 inch to about 0.0020 inch.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the substrate non-cylindrical lateral periphery is free of an electro-discharge-machined re-cast layer.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the at least one alignment feature includes a recess at least partially defined by the back surface or a projection extending from the back surface.

Assignees

• Miess David P
• Chapman Mark P
• Choate Steven L
• Crockett D Bart
• Gerber Jeffery A
• Gonzalez Jair J
• Us Synthetic Corp

Inventors

• Miess David P
• Chapman Mark P
• Choate Steven L
• Crockett D Bart
• Gerber Jeffery A
• Gonzalez Jair J

Classifications

• B24D18/00 Primary

  Manufacture of grinding tools {or other grinding devices}, e.g. wheels, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B24D3/00

  Physical features of abrasive bodies, or sheets, e.g. abrasive surfaces of special nature; Abrasive bodies or sheets characterised by their constituents · CPC title

• B24D99/005

  Segments of abrasive wheels · CPC title

• C04B2237/363

  Carbon · CPC title

• C04B2237/401

  Cermets · CPC title