Polycrystalline diamond compact bit manufacturing

Abstract

A method (500) of manufacturing PDC drill bits includes inspecting a plurality of cutters (118). The method further includes inspecting a plurality of pockets (120) of a bit body. A cutter of the plurality of cutters is assigned to a pocket of the plurality of pockets based on the inspection of the plurality of cutters and the inspection of the plurality of cutter pockets. A robot (106) positions the cutter inside the pocket and applies heat to a brazing material to produce a molten brazing material within the pocket.

Description

technical field [0001] The present disclosure relates generally to downhole tools for subterranean drilling, and more particularly to the manufacture of drill bits having polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutters. Background technique [0002] Boring bits are commonly used to drill holes or wells in land formations. PDC bits may include a tungsten carbide or steel body and a plurality of cutters with polycrystalline diamond (PCD) portions (PDC cutters). The PCD portion of a PDC cutter is typically exposed to land formations. The PDC includes a polycrystalline diamond face which enables the PDC cutting teeth to have high levels of hardness and wear resistance. [0003] Typically, the PDC cutters of the drill bit and the drill bit body are manufactured separately, and the PDC cutters are subsequently attached to the bit body. After the PDC cutters are placed in the corresponding pockets in the bit body, a brazing operation is performed to attach the PDC cutters to the b...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Both excessive duration of exposure to heat and excessive temperature caused by the applied heat can degrade the quality of the PDC cutter due to thermal damage to the PCD portion of the PDC cutter

[0005] For example, because brazing operators often rely on the operator's own judgment to determine whether the brazing alloy has melted sufficiently to properly bond the PDC cutters in the cutter pockets of the bit body, the brazing operator may mistakenly apply Excessive duration of exposure of the PDC cutter to heat and / or exposure of the PDC cutter to heat to an excessively high temperature resulting in damage to the PDC cutter

In addition, the bond between the PDC cutter and the pocket may not form properly due to operator error in judging whether the braze alloy has melted sufficiently within the cutter pocket

Because different brazing operators may make different decisions on the sufficient duration and amount of heat (e.g., from a blowtorch) required to melt the braze alloy, PDC bits manufactured by the same entity may have inconsistencies quality level

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