Superior Tool Service Adds PCD Tooling to Its Lineup of Custom Tool Services

Superior Tool Service (STS), manufacturer and supplier of precision cutting tools, has added PCD tooling to its lineup of services. This addition gives industries and machine shops both local and worldwide a way to maximize tool life and reduce production costs.

Composed of diamond particles sintered with a metallic binder under high heat and pressure, PCD (Polycrystalline Diamond) is one of the hardest and most abrasion resistant materials used in cutting tools today. It also offers excellent thermal conductivity. Ideal material applications for PCD cutting tools include MDF, HDF, chipboard and particleboard, as well as composite materials including phenolic, fiberglass, and solid surface.

"PCD tools are more expensive upfront but last a LOT longer, so you save money over the life of the tool," says Clint Whitney, president of Superior Tool Service. "You also reduce downtime spent waiting on replacement tools. In the right application, PCD tooling can reduce your costs significantly. We're excited to offer that opportunity to our customers."

To provide this new service, STS obtained a world class Walter Helitronic Vision Diamond 400 L grinding machine. The STS team will receive specialized training on the new equipment, and Whitney expects the company to be ready for custom PCD tool orders by mid-year.

This expansion of services continues STS' trend of rapid growth. In 2017, the Inc. 5000 company expanded into a 33,000 sq. ft. facility in order to accommodate its cutting tool manufacturing, industrial supply and PVD coating divisions. The company invested $2.2 million in equipment and hired additional employees. In 2018, STS launched two new divisions: an in-house Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) Coating division, called STS Coatings, and an industrial supply division, called STS Supply.

"With our investment in new services including PCD tooling, we've expanded our offerings to new and existing customers alike," says Whitney. "That trend—coupled with our unique position in the market for custom cutting tools with much faster turnarounds—continues to fuel our growth."