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Single Crystal Diamond (SCD) Cutting Tool

Single Crystal Diamond (SCD) Cutting Tool has a cutting edge made of single crystal diamond, which can be categorized into 3 types: Monocrystalline Diamond or “MCD”, Chemical Vapor Deposition Diamond or “CVD”, and natural diamond or “ND”. These are considered the hardest materials known to man, giving a tool the strength to perform better and longer compared to PCD in some applications. Unlike PCD, SCD is able to achieve mirror-like surface finish on the workpiece. They are superior in heat and wear resistance, which is suitable for cutting and machining hard and/or abrasive materials (grinding wheel materials, ceramic, glass, etc.) as well as high-precision parts.


The most notable benefits to SCD cutting tool is the achievable surface finish. It can eliminate grinding or polishing process in machining of non-ferrous materials. Especially in miniature parts (e.g. jewelry and watch components), where grinding is not possible and polishing is highly labor-intensive.


The superior characteristic is because SCD is one solid crystal of diamond, as the name suggests. PCD is a composite material with diamond particles held together with cobalt-based binder. And during the cut, the much harder diamond particles remove the material, while the area between diamond particles that is the binder creates microscopic surface imperfections. Hence, SCD can produce a surface finish that is impossible with PCD.

Monocrystalline Diamond / MCD / Mono Diamond

Monocrystalline Diamond or MCD (sometimes called “Mono”) is the most common type of Single Crystal Diamond (SCD), and it is generally the most economical. High pressure high temperature (HPHT) process is used to synthesize MCD where diamond crystals slowly form from a carbon-based mixture under extremely high pressure and temperature. The process mimics the natural process in a controlled environment. The diamond created from this process has a yellow tint.


MCD cutting tool is most suitable for finishing operations that require “polished” or mirror-like surface finish. Same as every diamond cutting tool, it is suitable for non-ferreous materials such as, aluminum, copper, brass, precious metals, plastics, etc… Industries that commonly use MCD cutting tools in their manufacturing process include, automotive, optical lens, jewely, watch, etc...

Chemical Vapor Deposition / CVD Diamond

CVD Diamond is a type of Single Crystal Diamond (SCD) that is a synthetic diamond grown from the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. The process starts with a diamond seed that is put inside a special furnace. A high-carbon gas is injected into the chamber and gets heated up with microwave. Under the intense heat, the gas turns into a plasma state where the chemical bonds in the gas molecule is broken apart. The free-floating atoms resulted from the thermal dissociation grow around the diamond seed to create larger diamond crystals. The result is synthetic diamond that is chemically identical to natural diamond. CVD diamond is clear in color or has a light brown tint.


CVD diamond cutting tool is considered to be a step above mono crystal diamond (MCD) tool. Synthetic single crystal diamond produced CVD process tends to be slightly harder than those produced by HPHT process (i.e. MCD). However, CVD diamond is also more brittle. Therefore, the feasibility of CVD diamond cutting tool is limited. It is generally used in applications where even better surface finish is required where MCD cutting tool cannot achieve.

Natural Diamond

Natural Diamond (ND) can be used for industrial purposes, such as a cutting tool. Natural diamond used for cutting tools usually come from those that do not qualify as a jewelry-grade that are oddly-shaped or have too much imperfections. ND cutting tool is used to produce the best possible surface finish on a machined surface of non-ferrous materials. Expertise in design, sourcing, and manufacturing is especially required for natural diamond cutting tool.


Key Features of Single Crystal Diamond (SCD) Cutting Tool

  • Made with hardest (most wear resistant) material on earth
  • Highly precise radius and waviness control
  • Mirror surface finish from machining
  • Eliminate labor-intensive polishing process in production


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