Operating Manual
STI-2420 | STI-2418LP
31
matrix attached to the trailing edge of the diamond stays intact and provides support to the
diamond as it is pushed through the work-piece.
As the diamond chip wears down from abrasion so does the matrix that is supporting it until
the matrix support is reduced so much that the remaining diamond chip falls out of the matrix.
After a diamond chip falls out, the wearing of matrix repeats to expose a new diamond chip
and the process continues until no matrix or diamond remains.
9.3
Why a Diamond Doesn’t Cut
The easiest way to explain why a diamond doesn’t cut is to say that a given material is
harder than what the diamond was created to grind. The reason why the design is flawed for
a specific material hardness is not so easy to explain.
Possible Causes:
1. Diamond make-up, that is the individual diamond chip’s mechanical makeup, may be
the culprit in a material being too hard to cut. The diamond chip design may not allow
the diamond to fracture fast enough to maintain an aggressive edge when working on a
hard material.
2. The concentration of diamond chips in a given tool may be too great or too little; the
more diamond chips touching the floor the less the pressure on each chip and vice-
versa.
3. The matrix strength may be too strong to release the diamonds at a consistent rate to
always allow a fresh diamond chip to become exposed to the work-piece.
4. The speed at which the diamond tool is being moved across the surface may be too
fast or too slow for its design thereby causing excess heat.
5. The weight may be more or less than what the diamond tool was designed to handle
and without the proper amount of pressure the diamond tool is being run outside of its
designed operating limits.
6. The diamond chip size may be too small or large for the given work-piece and its
inherent hardness characteristics.
Whatever the reason the diamond tool is failing, correcting the problem is usually as easy as
adding water to the equation; because heat, in most cases, inhibits the cutting ability of the
diamond tool.
9.4
Heat and Diamonds
Heat plays a crucial role in the life and cutting characteristics of any diamond tool because
just like a metal cutting tool there is an optimal temperature at which it is designed to operate.
When a diamond is moved across a surface, heat is being produced by the friction caused by
the tool movement and therefore it is impossible to prevent some heat being created.
