Business
Patent Announcement
Patent Announcement.
About this update from Hardide Plc
[{"type":"text","content":"\n Hardide PLC\n07 September 2006\n\n\nPress Release 7 September 2006\n\n\n Hardide plc\n\n ('Hardide' or the 'Company')\n\n New US Patent Announcement\n\n Adhesive Coating for Industrial Diamonds\n\nHardide plc (AIM:HDD), the provider of unique surface engineering technology, is\npleased to announce that it has been granted the US patent for a new tungsten\ncarbide adhesive and protective coating for industrial diamond crystals.\n\n\nThis development opens up a global multi-million dollar market for Hardide plc\nin diamond tools for the oil and gas, mining and construction industries.\n\n\nThe non-porous Hardide coating offers an unprecedented combination of adhesive\nand protective properties for diamond crystals which are used in drilling and\nsaw tools in global oil, gas, mining and construction applications. The new\ncoating enables the retention of diamonds in tool metal for longer; protects the\ndiamonds from aggressive metals used in tool manufacture which compromise their\nperformance, and strengthens diamonds by filling-in defects within the crystals.\n\n\nBy addressing these issues the new Hardide coating will offer significant cost\nsavings to drilling, mining and construction operations where tool durability\nand performance are important and downtime for tool replacement is expensive.\n\n\nJim Murray-Smith, Chief Executive of Hardide plc, said: 'This notable\ndevelopment is a result of our research and development strategy to ensure we\nremain at the forefront of the next generation of ultra-high performance\ncoatings. The global diamond tool market has estimated annual sales of US$5\nbillion and is based largely in the oil and gas sector where we have a proven\ntrack record and fast-growing customer base around the world. Our plant in\nHouston, Texas opened on 1 September 2006 and is ideally located to capitalise\non the potential of this coating in the US oil and gas market.'\n\n\nThe Company has also been granted patents for the coating in China, Australia\nand Russia and has patents pending in EU (Europatent), Canada and Korea.\n\n\nThe new coating has been in development for ten years and has been successfully\ntrialled with a major global energy industry company in the US.\n\n\nPatent number: US 7,022,403 B1 - adhesive composite coating for diamond and\ndiamond-containing materials and method for producing sa...