CUTTER ASSEMBLY WITH AT LEAST ONE ISLAND AND A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A CUTTER ASSEMBLY
A cutter assembly includes a substrate and at least one island. The substrate includes a surface circumscribed by a peripheral edge, a flank surface extending from the peripheral edge, and at least one pocket with an opening on the surface and spaced apart from the peripheral edge. The at least one pocket extends from the opening towards an interior of the substrate. The at least one island is in the at least one pocket, and the at least one island includes a cutting surface that is exposed by the opening of the at least one pocket.
1 . A method of manufacturing a cutter assembly, comprising:
providing at least one island;
treating the at least one island;
providing a substrate;
forming a surface circumscribed by a peripheral edge on the substrate;
forming at least one pocket with an opening disposed on the surface and spaced apart from the peripheral edge, the at least one pocket extending from the opening towards an interior of the substrate and having a shape that engages with the at least one island;
disposing the at least one island in the at least one pocket; and
coupling the at least island to the at least one pocket.
2 . A method of manufacturing a cutter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the at least one island further comprises:
forming the at least one island from a polycrystalline diamond made from at least one of a high pressure high temperature process, a chemical vapor deposition process, and a physical vapor deposition process.
3 . A method of manufacturing a cutter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the at least one island further comprises:
forming the at least one island from a portion of a polycrystalline diamond.
4 . A method of manufacturing a cutter assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of coating the at least one island.
5 . A method of manufacturing a cutter assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of encasing the at least one island.
6 . A method of manufacturing a cutter assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of coupling the at least island to the at least one pocket.
7 . A method of manufacturing a cutter assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising coupling the at least island to the at least one pocket by press fit, gluing, brazing, bonding, clamping, mechanical interlocking, or welding.
8 . A method of manufacturing a cutter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the step of treating the at least one island further comprises partially leaching the at least one island.
9 . A method of manufacturing a cutter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the step of treating the at least one island further comprises substantially fully leaching the at least one island.
10 . A method of manufacturing a cutter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the step of disposing the at least one island in the at least one pocket further comprises disposing the at least one island such that a cutting surface of the at least one island is substantially flush with the surface of the substrate.
11 . A method of manufacturing a cutter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the step of disposing the at least one island in the at least one pocket further comprises disposing the at least one island such that a cutting surface of the at least one island protrudes outward from the surface of the substrate.
12 . A method of manufacturing a cutter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the step of disposing the at least one island in the at least one pocket further comprises disposing the at least one island such that a cutting surface of the at least one island projects towards the interior of the substrate.
13 . A method of manufacturing a cutter assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a cutting surface that has a generally circular shape on the at least one island.
14 . A method of manufacturing a cutter assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing a cutting surface that has a generally ovalular shape on the at least one island.
15 . A method of manufacturing a cutter assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing a cutting surface that has a generally triangular shape.
16 . A method of manufacturing a cutter assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing a cutting surface that has a generally polygonal shape.
17 . A method of manufacturing a cutter assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
forming at least one other pocket on the surface symmetrically with respect to the at least one pocket; and
disposing at least one other island in the at least one other pocket.
18 . A method of manufacturing a cutter assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
forming at least one other pocket on the surface unsymmetrically with respect to the at least one pocket; and
disposing at least one other island in the at least one other pocket.
19 . A method of manufacturing a cutter assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
forming at least one other pocket on the surface spaced apart from the at least one pocket; and
disposing at least one other island in the at least one other pocket.
20 . A method of manufacturing a cutter assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
forming at least one other pocket on the surface with a second opening conjoined with the opening of the at least one pocket; and
disposing at least one other island in the at least one other pocket.
21 . A method of manufacturing a cutter assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of forming a planar surface, a concave surface, a dome-shaped surface, a chiseled surface, or a wavy surface with the surface of the substrate and a cutting surface of the at least one island.
22 . A method of manufacturing a cutter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the step of providing a substrate further comprises forming the substrate from carbide, tungsten carbide composite, tungsten carbide composite held up by an eta-phase, polycrystalline cubic boron nitride, polycrystalline diamond, or a combination of two or more of the aforementioned.
23 . A method of manufacturing a cutter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the at least one island further comprises forming the at least one island from polycrystalline diamond, polycrystalline diamond compact, diamond, cubic boron nitride, polycrystalline cubic boron nitride, diamond-silicon carbide composite material, polycrystalline diamond composite, chemical vapor deposition diamond, or a combination of two or more of the aforementioned.