Diamond tools in stone and civil engineering industry: cutting principles, wear and applications

Metal-bonded diamond tools have been introduced to the processing of natural stone and in civil engineering applications several decades ago. They have, without any doubt, revolutionised the whole sector by allowing dramatically increased rates of material removal. However, although significant improvements in tool performance have been made since the early days, diamond tools are still the main factor for cost effectiveness. For this reason, it is of prime importance to possess detailed knowledge about the cutting principles and wear performance. Only from these basics is it possible to find optimum process parameters and to evaluate the effects on the diamonds during a given process. Thus, the prediction of suitable processing conditions can be achieved. This paper gives an overview of process principles and their relevance for tool and process design. With respect to applications in the stone and civil engineering industries, some trends will be outlined.