Silicon Carbide PDC Bit Displacers
Bit Displacers for PDC Drill Bit Manufacturing
Drill bits known as either tri-cone or polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) bits are used in upstream drilling and evaluation operations. PDC bits feature polycrystalline diamond compact cutters, as well as bodies made from steel or a matrix material (tungsten carbide). CoorsTek displacers, or displacements, are used in the manufacturing process of the tungsten carbide bit body to maintain the compact cutter pockets’ integrity during sintering.
Displacements are first fitted into a mold during the PDC bit manufacturing process, followed by the tungsten carbide body and binder materials. The mold is placed in a furnace to sinter the materials, and then it is cooled down and broken to remove the unfinished PDC bit.
After the body is sintered and the mold is discarded, the displacements need to be removed. Removing the displacements leaves a pocket/cavity where the PDC compact cutter is positioned and brazed into place.
Silicon carbide displacers provide a consistent pocket/cavity and are easily removed when the body is cleaned after sintering. It is not unusual for a PDC bit to have 60+ displacements, so easily cleaning the pockets/cavities represents considerable time and cost savings.
PDC drill bit displacers must be tough enough to withstand the drill bit manufacturing process, yet they must be easily and cleanly removable from the drill bit pocket. Drill bit displacers are produced from custom technical ceramic formulations to meet specific requirements of manufacturing and usage. Using CoorsTek’s PDC bit displacers will improve efficiency and lower total cost of operations.