Diamond Bit Components

Bit Structure and Materials

2004 Baker Hughes

All rights reserved
Diamond Bit Nomenclature
Diamond Bit Nomenclature
Major parts & terms to describe diamond bits

API Connection
Shank

Breaker Slot

Steel Blank

Gauge
Matrix Bit Body

Profile

Junk Slots Nozzle Cutter(s)

PDC Face View

Blade
Junk Slot

Nozzle

Cutters
Bit Materials

The Bit Body

The Cutting Structure

Diamond Bit Materials

The Bit Body

Matrix Body
Manufactured with a cast, graphite mold
Bit body made up of tungsten carbide matrix powder
Bonded together with a copper alloy binder
Very resistant to erosion and abrasion
Steel Blank

Steel skeleton of a
matrix body bit
The tungsten carbide
matrix is cast around
the blank
Provides for attachment
of the shank
Soft, ductile steel
(1018)

Blank
Shank

The API regular

connection
Breaker slots
Identification slots
High alloy, heat treated
steel (4140)
Bit Body - Major Components

Shank

Steel Blank

Matrix Body
Diamond Bit Materials

The Bit Body

Steel body design uses a cast steel body welded
to a shank (two piece design)
Milled from bar stock steel
Nozzles

Sintered tungsten carbide

MSP (Formed under pressure with
Cobalt as a catalyst)
Same material used for
SP substrates, TCI gauge
inserts, TCIs for TriCones
Standard size is the SP
MSP (Micro SP)
Diamond Cutting Structures

Natural Diamond
PDC

TSP Impregnated
Polycrystalline Diamond Compact (PDC)

Man-Made Diamonds 1976, introduction of first PDC

for drilling in petroleum
and mining

A natural diamond is a single

crystal, the term
polycrystalline means
many crystals
Diamond Synthesis

PDC cutters are made

using either a cubic or a
belt press
Pre-made synthetic
diamond and the
tungsten carbide
substrate are loaded in a
can assembly
High Temperature High
Pressure (HTHP) process

Cubic Press pictures

courtesy of US Synthetic
Polycrystalline Diamond Compact (PDC)

Diamond Table

Tungsten
Carbide
Substrate
45 Edge Chamfer
PDC Cutter Applications

Abrasive Dominated Applications Impact Dominated Applications

A2 A3
(Manhattan) (Alba) (Barracuda) (Modesto) (Hawk) (Eagle)
Residual Stress

Stress residing in the

cutter as a result of
the cutter
manufacturing
BXD
process
Controlled by cutter
interface geometry,
material properties
or post-press
Reduced stress annealing
PDC Cutter Sizes

0.866 (22 mm) HCC, Smith

0.750 (19 mm) HCC, Smith, SecDBS, Hycalog

0.625 (16 mm) HCC, Smith, SecDBS, Hycalog

0.529 (13.3 mm) HCC, Smith, SecDBS, Hycalog

0.323 (8.2 mm) HCC, Smith, SecDBS, Hycalog

0.25 (6 mm) Smith

Black Ice Polished PDC Cutters

Coefficient of Friction on
Diamond Face is
Reduced by Reducing
Surface Roughness
Conventional PDC
20 -30 m in RMS
Polished PDC
0.3 - 0.7 m in RMS
Polished Cutters

Built-Up Edge

Polished Cutter
 Diamond Bit Nomenclature
PDC bit:
HC407S

HC Hughes
Christensen 4th digit:
1st digit: 2nd & 3rd digit:
No suffix Straight Special features
Cutter size Blade count
hole or vertical
applications 3- 8mm 04 - 4 blades S Steelbody
4 13mm 05 5 blades bit
R Rotary
steerable system 5 16mm Etc. SB Slickbit
coating
M Motor 6 19mm
steerable system
Example: 12 HCM606