Diamond Grades

All surface-set diamond bits manufactured by IDP are available with one of eight standard grades of natural drill diamond set on the cutting surfaces of the bit face. The diamond grades are described as follows:

AAA Grade

Premium quality natural drill diamond. These stones are round to octahedral and dodecahedral in shape and may have small amounts of internal inclusions with no cracks or fissures.

AA Grade

High quality natural drill diamond. These stones are mainly round with a small percentage of off-shaped stones and somewhat spotted as well as crystal shaped stones.

A Grade

Medium quality natural drill diamond. These stones have a generally blocky shape with somewhat broken surfaces and sharp edges. Many have fissures, inclusions and minor surface cracks.

Physical Properties of Natural Diamond Grades

Application of Natural Diamond Grades

The general rule for selecting the appropriate diamond grade is that the harder the rock, the better the diamond toughness and crystal geometry should be. For example, the selection of the “AAA” or “AA” grade would be appropriate for use in a hard, consolidated granite formation while the selection of the “P2” or “P3” grade would be appropriate for use in a limestone or sandstone formation.

Kicker Grade

This is a special grade of diamond that is applied exclusively as gauge diameter setting below the bit face on surface-set diamond bits and casing shoes. The inherently low crystal strength of Kicker grade diamond makes it unsuitable for bit face setting but is more than adequate for use in wear protection applications on the set diameters of drill bits where there is little load on the diamonds. Kicker grade diamonds range in shape from angular or elongated to completely amorphous. Their coloring is variable and they frequently possess fissures, cracks and inclusions.

Waterway Configurations for Surface-Set Core Bits

With the exception of some thin-kerf surface-set core bits, most sizes are offered in three different waterway configurations. These various waterway configurations have distinct ranges of application and have the function of controlling the bit hydraulics.

Regular Configuration

Unless otherwise specified, this is the standard waterway configuration used on all mineral exploration of surface-set core bits manufactured by IDP. This design uses canal type waterways that are approximately 0.12 inch (3 mm) wide. These waterway canals pass the circulating fluid from inside diameter of the bit crown, across the face and eject the fluid and cuttings at the outside diameter of the bit crown.

The Style ‘W’ waterway configuration is available for all sizes of surface-set diamond core bits produced by IDP.

The IDP code for this waterway configuration style is ‘W’. (Example: A IDP core bit with the descriptor ‘6W’ in its designation would indicate that the bit is supplied with 6 internal discharge canal type waterways).

Other customer specified waterway canal widths are available on request. In addition to the rectangular shaped waterway canals, thick-kerf, large diameter surface-set diamond core bits are often supplied with either trapezoidal or spiral shaped waterway canals to aid in the ejection of cuttings from the bit face. They also commonly include the use of junk slots in their waterway configurations.

Face-Discharge Configuration

This waterway configuration is recommended for use when drilling in relatively soft, unconsolidated formations and/or when using triple-tube wireline core barrel systems. Unlike core bits that are manufactured with conventional canal type waterways that eject the circulating fluid through ports on the inside diameter of the bit crown, the Face-Discharge configuration ejects the fluid through ports molded into the face of the bit. The re-direction of the circulating fluid results in minimum core wash and reduces the potential for subsequent core erosion.

Each waterway element typically has a canal width and flushing port diameter of 0.25 inch (6.3 mm).

The Style ‘FD’ waterway configuration is available on all Wireline core bits as well as on core bits with kerf widths greater than 0.39 inch (10 mm) that are used with conventional (non-Wireline) core barrel systems. The IDP code for this waterway configuration style is ‘FD’. (Example: A IDP core bit with the descriptor ‘6FD’ in its designation would indicate that the bit is supplied with 6 face-discharge type waterways).

Junk Slots

These are large output fluid passages that are molded into the outside diameter of a surface-set diamond bit crown to permit the ejection of large cuttings from the face of the bit. Typically, the addition of junk slots to a surface-set bit crown is restricted to large diameter coring and non-coring bits used in geotechnical and petroleum drilling applications where the formations are relatively soft and abrasive, the bit is set with either large particle size diamonds or PCD elements and the resulting cuttings tend to be long and sheared.

The number of junk slots that may be placed on a bit crown is a function of both its diameter and waterway configuration and must be divisible by the number of input waterways in order to establish a uniform pattern. The preferred number of junk slots is three (equally spaced) in order to preserve the dynamic balance of the bit during operation. Consideration should also be given to the effect of reducing the amount of outside gauge diameter setting resulting from the incorporation of junk slots into the bit crown design

Surface Set Diamond Type

As the name suggests, the surface-set diamond bit differs from the impregnated diamond type in that they are set with a single layer of natural drill diamond on the working surfaces of the bit crown in a pre-determined pattern. 

The diamonds are mounted in a bit crown powdered metal matrix body that is fused to a steel tool body or shank. Unlike impregnated diamond bits where the controlled erosion of the powdered metal bit crown is desirable to expose new diamond crystals, the metal bond matrix used for all IDP surface-set bits is extremely tough and wear-resistant. The function of the bit crown matrix body on a surface-set bit is to securely hold the diamonds in position throughout the operational life of the bit. 

Surface-Set diamond bits are primarily recommended for use in drilling relatively soft, abrasive, unconsolidated formations that are not effectively drilled by impregnated diamond bits. They are also recommended for use in drilling harder formations where the available rotational speeds and bit loads are insufficient to use impregnated diamond bits due to drilling equipment limitations.

In most cases, surface-set diamond bits will provide higher rates of penetration than impregnated diamond bits in softer formations due largely to the greater degree of exposure of the individual diamond crystals. However, as they are set with only a single layer of diamond crystals, surface-set diamond bits will generally yield a lower overall bit life than impregnated diamond bits.

Applications Of Synthetic Diamond Bits

Our earth core is a treasure of very valuable assets like oil, gas, precious metals including copper, gold and of course diamonds. However, it is not as simple as one thinks with the hard layers. The invention of carbide supported polycrystalline diamond cutter has added a new dimension to the drilling industries. Besides mineral exploration industry, many other applications like water, electricity and construction industry, drilling is a very important activity. Diamond drilling tools help to dig out hard cores efficiently.

Synthetic diamond cutters are useful in geographical exploration. As diamond is the hardest substance, it is effective in drilling hard cores easily. Synthetic diamond cutters can be used in many applications like –

•     Water Conservancy

•     Power engineering

•     Building construction

•     Installing gas pipes and drilling reinforced concrete structures

Besides these applications, diamond bits can be used on glass, stones, tiles, marbles, slate, granite and many more. The synthetic diamonds are laboratory or cultivated diamonds but in terms of hardness, thermal conductivity, they are superior than natural diamonds. Thus, synthetic diamonds are widely used in cutting and drilling tools. The synthetic diamond core bits are generally used to cut cylindrical samples of geographical structures. In cutting tools, synthetic diamond bits are used in drilling tools. These bits are available in different sizes and shapes.

Ideal Diamond Product is emerging as leading diamond drill bit manufacturer offering a wide range of synthetic diamond drill bits accompanying all international standards and specifications. In all fronts of knowledge, skills and resources, Ideal Diamond Product is foremost to offer quality tools for drilling industry. Our variety of diamond core bits are useful for deep drilling operations, engineering works, mineral exploration and all other drilling applications. We manufacture high quality tools to offer high penetration capabilities and long lasting bits. Our tools are hard enough to cut through all types of rocks. Just go through our wide range of drilling tools and products to find the right tools for you.

Casing Bit & Casing Shoes Bit

This group of products is used on the leading edge of a casing tube string to advance it through the overburden layer and into the bedrock by means of rotational drilling.

Depending on the range of application, the cutting media on the core bit may take the form of synthetic diamond on the impregnated type, natural drill diamond on the surface-set type, or tungsten-carbide particles or elements.

Economical impregnated diamond casing shoe Bit is available for use with all standard casing tube sizes and a limited number of Wireline drill sizes. The IDP ‘casing shoe Bit is intended for use in applications where the casing tubes are to be permanently left in the drill hole.

IDP casing shoe Bit is supplied with :

§ Flat-Face (Style ‘F’) crown profile.

§ Regular (Style ‘W’) waterway configuration.

§ 0.12-inch (3 mm) diamond impregnation depth.