About DiaTiger® Diamond
Properties of Diamond
How DTC Produces DiaTiger® Diamond
Tools That Can Be Coated
FAQ's

Why should I use a DiaTiger® Diamond Coated cutting tool?
DiaTiger® Diamond Coating has increased tool life 10 to 20 times and more over uncoated tools with faster material removal, more reliable unattended high precision machining and reduced use of coolants when machining difficult to cut non-ferrous composites and metals.

Why does DiaTiger® Diamond Coating improve cutting tool performance?
DiaTiger® Diamond Coating has all of the properties of natural diamond including extremely high mechanical hardness, strength, resistance to chemical corrosion and thermal conductivity in addition to a very low coefficient of friction. All of these properties contribute to the capability of diamond to improve tool performance.

What are typical application examples where DiaTiger® Diamond Coated tools are used today?

Can DiaTiger® Coated tools be used to cut steel and iron containing materials?
No, the friction and heat from cutting ferrous materials starts a chemical reaction causing the carbon in the diamond coating to diffuse into the iron material. This chemical wear of the diamond causes premature failure of the coating when cutting ferrous materials.

Can cutting surface speed be increased when using DiaTiger® Coated tools?
Yes, in many applications surface speeds can be increased two to three times with significantly longer tool life compared to uncoated tools because the diamond coating protects the tool against abrasive wear, heat and chemical corrosion.

How does the increased cost of a DiaTiger® Diamond Coated tool compare to increased tool performance?
The increased cost of a DiaTiger® Coated tool will be paid back many times over in a single use from improved productivity. Total machining costs with DiaTiger Coated tools are dramatically reduced because of faster material removal, longer tool life, reduced machine downtime, reduced coolant use and the ability to perform more reliable unattended high precision machining.

What tools can be coated with DiaTiger® Diamond?
Most all solid carbide inserts, blades, drills, end mills, taps, reamers, countersinks and other shank type round tools can be coated. The carbide grade used to make the tool should have cobalt content of 6% or less with a 1 to 3 micron grain size.   A list of carbide grades suitable for DiaTiger® Diamond Coating is provided. Cutting tools made of high speed steel and brazed tip tools cannot be diamond coated because of the 1,500° F (815.5° C) temperature of the coating process.

Can DiaTiger® Diamond Coated tools be resharpened and recoated?
No, this is not recommended. Resharpening the super hard DiaTiger® Diamond is very difficult and the coating process does not work well on a surface that is partially coated and uncoated.

What is the difference between DiaTiger® Diamond and diamond like coating?
DiaTiger® Diamond has all of the properties of natural diamond including extremely high hardness, strength, thermal conductivity and resistance to chemical corrosion in addition to a low coefficient of friction. Diamond like coatings (DLC’s) consist of amorphous carbon with about one-half the hardness of crystalline diamond and provide much less tool life in cutting hard abrasive materials.