To meet the increasing utilization of superhard materials in production processes, notably aerospace, Agathon Machine Tools Inc. has introduced the Neo Roughing Laser for accelerated processing rates, and overall indexable insert production savings. The Neo has three mechanical axes and three optical axes for processing the periphery, clearance angles and chipbreakers.

Easy to use without prior laser processing knowledge, the Neo Roughing Laser offers ultracompact design, easy accessibility and overall user-friendly ergonomics, as well as thermally stabilized construction for sustained production operations. The Neo Roughing Laser produces 100 fold higher material-removal rates compared to grinding, leaving the PCD product just a few hundredths of a millimeter away from the final dimension where a finishing grinding machine can complete the process, thereby providing an effective PCD processing time reduction up to 60 percent, according to the company. The Neo offers low operating costs, a space saving footprint and is backed by Agathon service, support and application expertise.