Trends and market perspectives for diamond tools in the construction industry

Abstract New materials technologies continue to emerge and, as they develop, they enable both the invention of new products and the displacement of traditional products. Although diamond as a natural material has a long technical history it is still one of the most innovative materials for tools and many other applications. Due to its hardness, abrasion resistance, thermal conductivity and many other favourable properties, diamond as an engineering material has long been pursued by scientists and engineers. New fabrication and processing technologies have caused a “diamond fever” in the tooling industries for metal cutting, as well as drilling or surfacing of construction materials or ultrahard materials. This paper gives an overview on the current status of diamond technologies, with a special focus on their application in the construction industry, and highlights corresponding market trends. The construction industry is an interesting example where the diamond tool meets exceptionally high requirements regarding performance and lifetime. Modern materials technologies such as powder metallurgy and coating technologies have proved to have the potential to fulfill these requirements.