用户要求现代刀具材料应能生产出具有最佳表面光洁度和较长刀具寿命的产品。在开发用于不同应用的新型聚晶金刚石和硬质合金刀具时，已考虑到这些要求。新开发的亚微米硬质合金刀具寿命提高了70-100%。另一方面，PCD-TIPPED刀具的寿命约为硬质合金刀具的50至300倍。然而，由于PCD-TOOLS的总成本约为可比硬质合金刀具的50至80倍，因此还必须考虑影响生产成本的所有经济因素。 结果表明，如果用PCD刀具代替硬质合金刀具，总成本可节省60-80%。

THE USER DEMANDS THAT THE MODERN CUTTING TOOL MATERIALS SHOULD LEAD TO A PRODUCT WITH AN OPTIMAL SURFACE FINISH COUPLED WITH A LONG TOOL LIFE. THESE DEMANDS HAVE BEEN TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW POLYCRYSTALLINE DIAMOND AND CEMENTED CARBIDE TIPPED TOOLS FOR DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS. NEWLY DEVELOPED SUBMICRON CEMENTED CARBIDES HAVE SHOWN IMPROVEMENTS IN TOOL LIFE OF 70-100%. ON THE OTHER HAND, LIFE OF THE PCD-TIPPED TOOLS COULD BE ABOUT 50 TO 300 TIMES THAT OF THE CEMENTED CARBIDE TOOLS. SINCE THE TOTAL COST OF THE PCD-TOOLS IS, HOWEVER, ABOUT 50 TO 80 TIMES THAT OF THE COMPARABLE CEMENTED CARBIDE TOOLS, ALL ECONOMIC FACTORS THAT AFFECT PRODUCTION COSTS ALSO HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED. IT IS SHOWN THAT TOTAL COST SAVINGS OF 60-80% CAN BE ACHIEVED IF PCD-TOOLS CAN BE USED IN PLACE OF CEMENTED CARBIDE TOOLS.