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.
Solutions
Polycrystalline Diamond Cutters
Creating the longest-lasting PDC cutters for the world’s most demanding oil exploration and development projects.
Products and Services
Learn MoreDiamond Bearings
Keeping rotary steerable systems, down hole motors, pumps, and turbines running in the most challenging environments.
Products and Services
Learn MoreMining & Construction Tools
Improving production and safety for underground mining operations. Drilling 50-200 times longer than traditional carbide products.
Products and Services
Learn MoreFocused 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.
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
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 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.
Our History
ChampionX has been serving customers for over a century. See our vast company history that dates back to the 1800’s.
Our Solutions
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Resource Library
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Why work with us
7,100+
Employees
74+
Countries
40+
Manufacturing Locations