Thick thermal barrier coating for superabrasive tool

1. A cutting insert, comprising:

a superabrasive layer on a rake face of the cutting insert, wherein the cutting element comprises a plurality of flank faces interconnect the rake face; and

a cap layer high pressure / high temperature (HPHT) sintered or high pressure / high temperature (HPHT) bonded to the superabrasive layer on the rake face;

wherein the cap layer includes one or more layers each having a composition including a cermet, a ceramic or a metal, wherein the cap layer is not disposed on the plurality of flank faces of the cutting insert; and

wherein a thickness of the cap layer is about 20 μm or thicker.

2. The cutting insert according to claim 1 , comprising a support body, wherein the superabrasive layer is sintered to a first surface of the support body.

3. The cutting insert according to claim 1 , comprising a coating system deposited onto the cap layer on the rake face and onto a flank face of the cutting insert.

4. The cutting insert according to claim 1 , wherein the superabrasive layer has a composition including polycrystalline boron nitride (PCBN) or polycrystalline diamond (PCD).

5. The cutting insert according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the cap layer is about 30 μm to about 200 μm.

6. The cutting insert according to claim 5 , wherein the thickness of the cap layer is less than about 150 μm.

7. The cutting insert according to claim 1 , wherein the cermet includes WC/Co or TiCN/Co and has a metal content of 0.5 w/w to 25 w/w.

8. The cutting insert according to claim 1 , wherein the ceramic includes a nitride, boride, carbide or an oxide.

9. The cutting insert according to claim 8 , wherein the ceramic is alumina, AIN, or ZrO 2 .

10. The cutting insert according to claim 1 , wherein the metal includes Ta, Nb, Mo, or refractory metals.

11. The cutting insert according to claim 3 , wherein the coating system includes at least one ceramic layer.

12. The cutting insert according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one ceramic layer has a composition including TiN, TiC, TiCN, TiSiN, SiN, alumina, AIN, ZrO 2 , ZrN, chromia and combinations and/or alloys thereof.

13. The cutting insert according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting insert includes a chamfer and wherein the thickness of the cap layer is equal to or less than a height of the chamfer.

14. A cutting insert, comprising:

a rake face and an opposing base surface; and

a plurality of flank faces interconnect the rake face and the base surface,

wherein an intersection of the plurality of flank faces and the rake face form a cutting edge,

wherein the rake face of the cutting insert includes the following, in order from an outermost surface inward to a substrate: a coating system, a cap layer, a superabrasive layer, and the substrate, wherein the plurality of flank faces comprise no cap layer,

wherein the cap layer has a composition including a cermet, and

wherein a thickness of the cap layer is about 20 μm to about 200 μm.

15. The cutting insert according to claim 14 , wherein the cap layer is HPHT sintered or HPHT bonded to the superabrasive layer and the superabrasive layer is sintered to the substrate.

16. The cutting insert according to claim 14 , wherein at least one of the flank faces of the cutting insert includes the following, in order from an outermost surface inward: the coating system.

17. The cutting insert according to claim 14 , wherein the coating system includes at least one ceramic layer having a composition including a nitride, boride, carbide or an oxide.

18. A cutting insert, comprising:

a superabrasive layer on a rake face of the cutting insert, wherein the cutting element comprises a plurality of flank faces interconnect the rake face; and

a cap layer high pressure / high temperature (HPHT) sintered or high pressure / high temperature (HPHT) bonded to the superabrasive layer on the rake face;

wherein the cap layer includes one or more layers each having a composition including a cermet a ceramic or a metal, wherein the cap layer is not disposed on the plurality of flank faces of the cutting insert, further comprising a coating system deposited onto the cap layer on the rake face and onto a flank face of the cutting insert and

wherein a thickness of the cap layer is about 20 μm or thicker.

19. The cutting insert according to claim 18 , comprising a support body, wherein the superabrasive layer is sintered to a first surface of the support body.

20. The cutting insert according to claim 18 , wherein the superabrasive layer has a composition including polycrystalline boron nitride (PCBN) or polycrystalline diamond (PCD).

21. The cutting insert according to claim 18 , wherein the thickness of the cap layer is about 30 μm to about 200 μm.

22. The cutting insert according to claim 21 , wherein the thickness of the cap layer is less than about 150 μm.

23. A superabrasive tool, comprising:

a superabrasive layer on a first face of the cutting insert, wherein the cutting element comprises a second face interconnecting the rake face; and

a cap layer high pressure / high temperature (HPHT) sintered or high pressure / high temperature (HPHT) bonded to the superabrasive layer on the face;

wherein the cap layer includes one or more layers each having a composition including a cermet, a ceramic or a metal, wherein the cap layer is not disposed on the face of the cutting insert; and

wherein a thickness of the cap layer is about 20 μm or thicker.

24. The tool according to claim 23 , comprising a support body, wherein the superabrasive layer is sintered to a first surface of the support body.

25. The tool according to claim 23 , comprising a coating system deposited onto the cap layer.

26. The method according to claim 25 , wherein the coating system includes at least one ceramic layer having a composition including a nitride, boride, carbide or an oxide.

27. The method according to claim 26 , wherein the at least one ceramic layer has a composition including TiN, TiC, TiCN, TiSiN, SiN, alumina, AIN, ZrO 2 , ZrN, chromia and combinations and/or alloys thereof.