IMTS Chicago, Booth #43-2054 West Building, Level 3
LACH DIAMOND INC., Grand Rapids, MI celebrates its 40th anniversary
Since the Woodworking and Machinery Show Louisville 1982, it can rightly be said that “Diamonds are no longer only the girls’ best friend”.
During the show in August 1982, the newly established company LACH DIAMOND INC. opened all “fellow woodworkers” a new world of productivities.
Diamonds – man made – polycrystalline – produced by the American manufacturer General Electric in Worthington, Ohio, started their way in 1973 as cutting tool material for hard wood, soft wood, particle board, laminated and unlaminated plywood panels and tropical wood, as well as graphite, plastics, and aluminum.
The tool life of the Diamond-PCD-Woodworking tools shown for the first time by LACH DIAMOND INC. as a pioneer in the USA at this show, was overwhelming. The tool life of previously used carbide tools was exceeded by 250-300 times.
The use of polycrystalline diamonds as cutting material for manufacturing rotary tools, such as milling cutters, saw blades and for example scoring blades, etc., was only made possible by an invention made by Horst Lach in 1978.
Until this invention, the pcds, which were launched on the market by the former manufacturer General Electric under the name compax in 1973, could only be machined by grinding with diamond grinding wheels.
However, this was associated with high grinding costs.
Accordingly, the production of rotating PCD tools was never an option.
This should change in 1978 when Horst Lach developed the so-called »LACH-EDG« process (electrical discharge grinding system) using the electrical conductivity of polycrystalline (electrical conductivity) diamonds for a spark-erosive removal of the polycrystalline matrix.
From now on it was possible to produce all types of PCD milling cutters, profile tools, saws etc. for wood, composite and of course also for the machining of aluminum by means of electrical discharge.
The so-called LACH EDG spark grinding machines, developed by LACH after the patent application in 1978, are nowadays used multiple times all over the world and have successfully contributed to the spreading and recognition of the diamond tool for the economical machining of all wood and composite materials and of aluminum.
Today, LACH DIAMOND INC. with products made in the US in Grand Rapids, Michigan is an all-rounder when it comes to the production of slide tools for the automotive and accessories industry, the composite and wood furniture industry, aircraft and wind power industry.
At the IMTS in Chicago, LACH DIAMOND INC., under the direction of Jon Cade and Randy Prafke, will be showing the full range of products for the economical use of superior diamond tools in today’s industry.