The quality and type of PDC cutters has changed dramatically in recent years. If you compare the teeth of the 1980s with today's teeth, the difference is considerable. Today's cutters have much better quality performance due to changes in mixing and manufacturing processes, making the drill bit more resistant to erosion and impact.
Engineers also optimized the interface between the tungsten carbide substrate and synthetic diamond to improve the toughness of the cutting teeth. Innovations in the layered diamond process have also been used to improve the abrasion resistance and thermal stability of the product.
In addition to the development of materials and manufacturing processes, PDC products have also achieved major breakthroughs in tooth design technology and tooth placement. Now, PDC products can be used in areas where they could not be used before, such as harder, more abrasive and more variable formations. This expansion into new areas has had a major impact on the balance between diamond (fixed cutter) bits and roller cone bits.
Initially, PDC bits could only be used in soft shale formations because hard interlayers would damage the bits. However, due to the emergence of new technologies and structural changes, PDC bits can now be used to drill hard interlayers and long sections of hard rock formations. PDC bits are increasingly being used, especially as the quality of PDC teeth continues to improve.
Due to improvements in bit design and teeth, the orientability of PDC bits has also increased, further diminishing the advantages of roller cone bits in motor drilling in the past. Currently, PDC bits are crowding out the market for roller cone bits in drilling applications in many formations every day.
