KYOCERA Releases New Cutting Tools: Diamond Cut Router Bit DR01 and Under Cut Drill UD01

Kyocera Corporation (President: Makoto Kawamura) is pleased to announce the release of the following two new series of processing tools: the DR01, a long-life diamond cut router bit, which is used for slit processing, and the UD01, an under cut drill, which makes it possible to process super micro diameter. The products will be introduced to the market on June 1, 2007.

Diamond cut router bit DR01 (left) and Under cut drill UD01 (right)

Background
Recently, due to an increase in the production volume of electronic equipment, such as personal computers, mobile phones, and home entertainment equipment, the demand for the PWBs has been increasing. The demand has exhibited robust double-digit growth every year for the last few years. This level of growth is expected to continue into the future.

Because of a tendency toward compact, high-performance equipment, there has been considerable progress in the printing of fine circuit patterns and multiple layers, and the dimensions of the hole that can be drilled and processed for conduction has become increasingly small. For this reason, fine PWB processing has become essential, and tools for high-precision processing with a high level of reliability and productivity are required. Kyocera Corporation has incorporated the advantages that it provides its PWB processing tools in the processes ranging from material development to the production of finished goods.

Kyocera Corporation also has developed new raw materials and optimized the configuration of the drills, producing two new series of products.

Features of the New Products
1. Diamond cut router bit DR01 Series
1) Improved chip evacuation efficiency due to an optimal cutting edge shape
The important point for router processing, which performs PWB slit processing and external processing, is to eliminate chip clogging. This problem has a significant impact on the tool life and productivity. This series has achieved the optimum balance between the diamond (rhombic) cut on the main cutting edge and the flute, thereby greatly enhanced chip evacuation efficiency.

2) Improvement of fracture resistance due to the use of cemented carbide materials
The adoption of dedicated cemented carbide materials has reduced wear and breakage, thereby improved fracture resistance.

The result is an operating life that is twice as long as the Company's existing products. This has allowed for continuous use, with the extended tool replacement cycle helping to improve productivity.

2. Under cut drill UD01 series
1) Newly developed ultra micro-grain cemented carbide, FW08 and FW06
Ultra micro-grain cemented carbide is the uniform, optimally constituted tungsten and cobalt in ultra fine particles of an average particle diameter of 0.3 µm. Despite the small diameter of 0.15 mm to 0.6 mm, the development of this material has resulted in a product with both good wear resistance and fracture resistance.

2) A high level of processing precision due to superior hole registration accuracy and improved inner wall roughness
With the adoption of a new material, the UD01 series offers superior hole registration accuracy which makes it possible to create a hole accurately on stacked printed wiring boards with no misalignment. In addition, the inner wall roughness has also been improved, so that the drilled inner hole surface is smooth. This prevents copper foil layers and plastic layers from being destroyed and reduces the incidence of conduction failure (where electricity is not conducted), thereby enhancing the quality of processing.