Cutter assembly with at least one island and a method of manufacturing a cutter assembly

Abstract

A cutter assembly and a method of making the cutter assembly are disclosed. A method of fabricating a cutting element having at least one island structure in at least one pocket of a substrate may comprise steps of building a substrate green body with at least one pocket; building at least one island green body; assembling the at least one island green body and the substrate green body with at least one pocket in the substrate green body to form a green body assembly; and subjecting the green body assembly to a final fabrication process to form the said cutting element.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of fabricating a cutting element having at least one island structure in at least one pocket of a substrate, comprising:
 building a substrate green body with at least one pocket;   building at least one island green body;   assembling the at least one island green body and the substrate green body with at least one pocket in the substrate green body to form a green body assembly; and   subjecting the green body assembly to a final fabrication process to form the cutting element.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising a binding agent in forming the substrate green body with at least one pocket in it and the at least one island green body. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the island is at least one of WC, polycrystalline diamond, single crystalline diamond, polycrystalline cubic boron nitride, single crystalline boron nitride, cermet, ceramics, thermally stable diamond, and diamond composite. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate green body comprises at least one of WC, polycrystalline diamond, single crystalline diamond, polycrystalline cubic boron nitride, single crystalline boron nitride, cermet, ceramics, thermally stable diamond, and diamond composite. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate green body with at least one pocket is pre-formed with methods of pre-compaction, die-pressing, extrusion, slurry casting. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pocket in the substrate green body is pre-formed with methods of milling, drilling, turning, grinding, coring. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one island green body is pre-formed with methods of pre-compaction, die-pressing, extrusion, slurry casting. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one island green body is pre-formed with methods of milling, drilling, turning, grinding, coring. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the final fabrication process is HPHT process. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein sintering additive or aid is added to facilitate the HPHT process. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the sintering additive or aid comprises Group VIII metals, cobalt, iron, nickel or metalloid silicon. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the HTHP process is under temperature between 900° C. to 2300° C. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the HTHP process is under pressure range between 3 GPa to 20 GPa. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the HTHP process is under pressure range between 0.01 GPA to 20 GPa. 
     
     
         15 . A method of fabricating a cutting element having at least one island structure in at least one pocket of a substrate, comprising:
 assembling at least one island green body and a substrate green body with at least one pocket in the substrate green body to form a green body assembly; and   subjecting the green body assembly to a high temperature high pressure sintering process to form the cutting element.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , further comprising a binding agent in forming the substrate green body with at least one pocket in it and the at least one island green body. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the island is at least one of WC, polycrystalline diamond, single crystalline diamond, polycrystalline cubic boron nitride, single crystalline boron nitride, cermet, ceramics, thermally stable diamond, and diamond composite. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the at least one pocket in the substrate green body is pre-formed with methods of milling, drilling, turning, grinding, coring. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the at least one island green body is pre-formed with methods of pre-compaction, die-pressing, extrusion, slurry casting. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein sintering additive or aid is added to facilitate the HPHT process. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the sintering additive or aid comprises Group VIII metals, cobalt, iron, nickel or metalloid silicon.