World Earth Day is a powerful reminder that sustainable manufacturing starts with the decisions that matter most - and tooling is one of them. Celebrated globally on April 22nd, Earth Day is focused on driving awareness and action around environmental protection, climate solutions, and building a more sustainable future. In manufacturing, that means looking at every part of the production process - including cutting tools, and asking how we can reduce waste, save energy, and increase longevity. Choosing PCD tools isn't just a good long-term strategy for performance and efficiency, but also for ensuring best environmental and sustainability practices throughout your business.
At Exactaform, we believe that innovation and sustainability go hand-in-hand, and PCD tooling is a prime example of how engineering excellence can align with sustainability goals.
Why PCD Tools Are Built for Sustainability
PCD (Polycrystalline Diamond) tools are renowned for their extreme durability and high performance when machining non-ferrous and abrasive materials like aluminium, CFRP, graphite, and composites. But beyond their cutting-edge capabilities, PCD tools offer a huge environmental advantage: they can be refurbished, retipped, and reused multiple times.
Unlike coated carbide or diamond-coated tools, which are discarded after wear, PCD tools can be restored to near-new condition, making them a smart long-term investment for both productivity, machining costs and the planet.
Tool Life: Extended and Enhanced
A single PCD tool already has a significantly longer tool life compared to other materials, but the ability to refurbish these tools further amplifies their value. Rather than contributing to scrap waste or spending on entirely new tools, customers can return their used PCD tooling to be reconditioned by Exactaform’s skilled team - bringing them back to optimal performance.
This reduces the need for raw material extraction, limits manufacturing emissions, and helps businesses cut back on procurement waste - all while keeping machining quality at its peak.
The Exactaform PCD Reconditioning Process
At Exactaform, we’ve developed a specialist PCD tool reconditioning program that brings worn tools back to an “as-new” state using several restoration techniques:
- Worn Tool Analysis – Each tool is assessed for wear and damage to determine the best refurbishment method.
- Re-tipping – The most transformative option, re-tipping replaces the entire worn PCD tip with a new one, eliminating all edge wear and damage.
- Re-brazing – If the PCD tip is still viable, we can re-braze and re-machine it - a cost-effective way to extend tool life further.
- Cutting Edge Restoration – Where appropriate, the cutting edge is reground to restore performance and accuracy without replacing the tip.
This approach gives manufacturers the confidence of knowing their tools are performing as-new - without the environmental impact of constant replacements.
Refurb or Recycle: Our Circular Commitment
We’ve embedded this sustainable mindset into our “Refurb or Recycle” program, encouraging customers to consider reconditioning before replacement. And if a tool truly has reached the end of its life, we’ll ensure it’s recycled responsibly.
Reducing waste, cutting carbon, and conserving resources - all while delivering high-performance tooling. That’s the Exactaform difference.
This World Earth Day, Choose PCD Tools for the Planet
Sustainability in manufacturing doesn’t mean sacrificing performance. With Exactaform’s PCD tooling and refurbishment services, you get both. As your tooling partner, we’re proud to help you machine smarter, cut greener, and extend the value of every tool you buy.
Want to reduce your waste and improve your sustainability strategy?
Get in touch with our team today to discuss our PCD tools and reconditioning services.
