Innovation in the diamond industry. Redesign a diamond cutting tang by Antwerp Polishing Technologies

Tom, you work in the diamond sector in Antwerp. Would you like to introduce yourself?

Tom Van Remortel: ‘I have been working in the diamond industry in Antwerp since 1989, so I am no stranger to it. I founded Antwerp Polishing Technologies in 2023. My company manufactures machines for diamond processing and installs and relocates diamond cutting machines. I also receive orders - which I often carry out with other Antwerp companies - to process large stones or, as is the case now, a black diamond. That is a polycrystalline stone, difficult to cut because this type of diamond has no wax direction. I developed a machine to process polycrystalline diamond.'

You were looking for a solution to a design problem: optimising a cutting machine.

Tom: ‘A cutting tang sinks when it cuts material away from the diamond facet. As it sinks, the angle of the tang changes, so the cutter has to make constant adjustments to the tang during the process.

With the modification I had in mind, the angle of the tang will no longer change. The correct angle will be maintained while falling during the cutting process - eliminating the need for manual correction.

Many factors have to be taken into account while redesigning this tool, such as the force used or the thermal effects on the tang and the stone during the process.'

What is the added value of this design improvement?

Tom: ‘The modified tang will provide safer cutting and offers the cutter certainty. Nowadays, every cutter cuts with a tang in a non-parallel decline. With this innovative design, I remove the margin for error while cutting a facet on a stone; the angular misalignment is eliminated and thus the uncertainty during the cutting of the stone.

This is a no-brainer for all tools in the diamond industry where parallel lowering is desirable. Most cutters correct angular misalignment manually and they are good at it; they have learnt from experience. But for new generations of cutters, this new design fills in that expertise.’

How did Verhaert's advice help your project?

Tom: 'Verhaert introduced a compliant mechanism as a solution to the angular misalignment. With this mechanism, you can achieve a parallel sinking of the tang, realised by a reduction of a section in certain places. There, the material can be plastically deformed. This deformation results in a smooth, vertical sag without deviation.’

How is your innovation progressing now?

Tom: ‘Developing the tang is fairly straightforward. The concept is there, as are the factors that need to be taken into account. Calculating the compliant mechanism will not be easy, but it can certainly be done.

The next step is to build a prototype, test it together with customers and finetune the prototype. And then, we hope an investor will put the design into production.’

How do you position Antwerp in terms of innovation in the diamond sector?

Tom: 'Antwerp is home to top diamond polishing companies. It’s all about the attitude of the people who work here. The commitment, trust and dedication are strong and deeply rooted. Antwerp is a traditional market where companies cut large, exceptional diamonds and coloured stones. As a result, Antwerp polishers understand the big picture much better and are quicker to spot when something goes wrong in the process. They are creative polishers who work with coloured stones while optimising the colour in the process. They are professionals who have a nose for it. There is a lot of unique expertise here that has been built up over the years.

We must continue to invest and seize new opportunities. For example, synthetic diamond offers a huge market - very technological - with opportunities in other industries. These are innovations where we still can learn a lot. Makes our work interesting, no?

Processing diamonds for industrial use also offers opportunities. It will take time and investments, but it has a future.

As a city, it makes sense to look ahead. The city could create links between the industry and the expertise in the Antwerp diamond sector. To open up new markets. I believe there is additional work waiting here for Antwerp diamond companies, in growing sectors.