(HDF) Technology. It is, perhaps, the most important step forward in diamond segment manufacturing since they were created.

In this new DURO HDF process, instead of the diamond segments being sintered slowly in a tunnel furnace after being cold pressed, the segments are simultaneously heated to very high temperatures and pressed (stamped) to form a complete diamond segment within seconds.

The advantages of this manufacturing process come from the fact that each segment has incredibly high density and almost no porosity (gaps in the bond system filled with oxygen). This high density quality delivers advantages in terms of the end products’ durability, speed of cut and reduced Hand Arm Vibration in use. As a result of the new metal powders which can be employed; it also allows new bond systems to be developed, which weren’t previously conceivable. For example, whilst the use of titanium coated diamond grits are nothing new to the diamond tool industry, the use of titanium powders in the bond system alongside is, and the benefits gained from this can increase diamond grit retention by up to 30%, giving huge life performance advantages.

One of the largest benefits however is the significant reduction in porosity being transferred to the weld area during the laser welding process, where the segment and steel body are joined.

In recent independent X-Ray analysis, it was found to completely remove porosity from the weld area, which has been an age old industry wide issue. Resulting weld strengths were almost 60% higher than before, with the steel core actually bending in side load tests before any weld failure.

This kind of weld strength could eliminate the potential of a segment breaking away from the steel core in use altogether and therefore improve operator safety significantly, as diamond segments parting from the steel core at speeds of over 220mph (the rotational speed of a typical high speed hand held saw) have a huge velocity and have caused serious injury or even fatalities in extreme cases.

The DURO HDF manufacturing process also allows the indentation of text into the side of one or more of the segments, which can be used for product identification and, as one large contractor recently identified, as a wear indicator to prevent the use of the blade beyond its intended life expectancy.

All the new DURO HDF blades now carry the DURO logo in one of the blades segments.

The true potential of this new technology, which DURO has helped develop over a 6 year period in Germany is still being discovered but the first products are now on the market and are available in several different specifications to cover a broad range of applications, including new dual purpose concrete / asphalt blades for the utility sector. New specifications are Duro Ultra DUA/C, DUSCM, DUU/C & DUA and, in Duro Plus DPA/C, DPU/C & DPA.