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Our products are

Engineered for the most demanding conditions

US Synthetic has spent more than forty years perfecting polycrystalline diamond (PDC) as an engineering solution. In the oil and gas industry, we have produced PDC cutters and bearings that drill faster and last longer—especially in tough conditions, deep in the earth, that test the limits of the most durable drilling equipment.

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Solutions

 Polycrystalline Diamond Cutters

Polycrystalline Diamond Cutters

Creating the longest-lasting PDC cutters for the world’s most demanding oil exploration and development projects.

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Diamond Bearings

Diamond Bearings

Keeping rotary steerable systems, down hole motors, pumps, and turbines running in the most challenging environments.

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Mining & Construction Tools

Mining & Construction Tools

Improving production and safety for underground mining operations. Drilling 50-200 times longer than traditional carbide products.

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Focused on

Problem solving with our customers

40+

years of diamond experience

Our story started in 1978. Over the past 40 years, we’ve developed innovative, proprietary cubic press technology for high-pressure, high-temperature diamond synthesis.

100% of our products

are highly-engineered and custom-designed

Today, we lead the industry in developing and producing innovative, top-quality PDC inserts, bearings, valves, and mining tools that meet the highest standards–matching the requirements of the most demanding projects.

500+

patents in advanced diamond technology

A dedicated group of experienced scientists, engineers, and technicians drives US Synthetic’s efforts to perfect and enhance our existing diamond solutions.

Advanced technology delivered on time, every time

US Synthetic offers an absolute commitment to quality and innovation—combined with a personal “do whatever it takes” approach to customer service—that sets us apart from the competition and makes us your best choice for all kinds of diamond solutions.

  • Advanced, state-of-the-art research, development, and testing facilities
  • Experienced engineers and scientists with decades of collective experience
  • Continuous field testing to understand and solve the biggest problems field engineers deal with every day
  • ISO 9000 certification
  • Close, personalized relationships with every customer
  • Diamond solutions that are customized and tailored to meet specific drilling requirements
  • Knowledgeable, friendly people who are trained and capable of dealing with any situation
  • An absolute commitment to on-time delivery every time an order is placed
US Synthetic employee.

What we do

A problem-solving culture

As an industry leader in the development and production of polycrystalline diamond cutters (PDCs) for oil and gas exploration, we’re dedicated to an uncompromising commitment to constant innovation, outstanding quality and superior customer service. This commitment allows us to meet the highest performance standards and match the requirements of the world’s most demanding oil exploration and development projects.

We’re focused on the development of diamond inserts for use in drill bits for oil and gas exploration. We also provide a variety of diamond-enhanced components for use in downhole exploration and production.

We employ approximately 900 people and are located in Orem, Utah.

Why choose

Diamond as an Engineering Material

US Synthetic graph
US Synthetic graph

Meet the

Toughest diamond cutters you'll ever use

The oil exploration business demands speed, durability, and toughness. And there’s no place where those three things matter more than where diamond meets rock at the bottom of a hole.

That’s why US Synthetic has spent more than a decade perfecting polycrystalline diamond cutters (PDCs) that drill faster and last longer—especially in tough conditions that test the limits of the most durable drilling equipment.

Today, US Synthetic leads the industry in the development and production of innovative, top-quality PDC inserts that meet the highest standards and match the requirements of the most demanding oil exploration and development projects.

This absolute, no compromises commitment to superior quality and constant innovation sets us apart from the crowd and makes US Synthetic your best choice for all kinds of diamond solutions.

Diamond cutter drilling a well.

Diamond Sintering

The extreme hardness, wear resistance, and thermal conductivity of diamond make it an ideal cutting tool material. However, individual diamond crystals cleave quite easily when struck parallel to certain planes (the process used to facet diamond gemstones takes advantage of these relatively weak planes). As a result, individual diamond crystals do not make good cutting tools—unless they are meticulously oriented.

Diamond sintering overcomes the problem of weak planes in diamond gemstones by bonding a mass of small diamond particles onto a larger, coherent structure. Sintered diamond provides greater toughness and durability than single crystals because the individual crystals in a sintered body are randomly oriented. This prevents cracks from propagating along the weak planes where traditional diamond crystals cleave most easily. Sintered diamonds also provide more uniform wear than a single crystal, while maintaining similar thermal conductivity and hardness properties. All of these factors combine to make sintered diamond the preferred material for cutting rock.

At US Synthetic, the sintering process begins with premium saw-grade diamond crystals. These crystals are sintered together at temperatures of approximately 1400°C and pressures of around 60 kbar in the presence of a liquid metal catalyst. Typically, the diamond is bonded to a tungsten carbide substrate during the same high-temperature, high-pressure process. This sintered diamond and tungsten carbide composite is known in the industry as a polycrystalline diamond cutter (PDC).

Diamond Finishing

The extreme hardness of diamonds presents obvious machining and finishing challenges. In typical machining situations, the finishing tool is harder than the work piece. With diamond inserts, this isn’t possible, since diamond is the hardest known substance. This makes machining diamond analogous to cutting through a wooden beam with a wooden saw. As a result, US Synthetic uses millions of carats of industrial diamond each year to machine and finish PDCs to their final dimensions. Over the years, we have developed specialized techniques and machines for lapping, grinding, polishing, brazing, and cutting PDC inserts. These techniques make it possible for us to finish PDCs to exacting specifications, despite the inherent challenges of machining sintered diamond.

Resources

Maximize your assets

ChampionX global education and training

Our education and training resources are available to help you gain insight into our market-shaping solutions across artificial lift, oilfield chemical, drilling, and digital technologies. From free virtual webinars to our established ChampionX Production Academy, learn from our industry experts to get the most out of your assets.

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Why work with us

7,300+

Employees

60+

Countries

40+

Manufacturing Locations

400+

Scientists and Technologists