EP2889703A2 - Herstellungsverfahren eines mechanischen Bauteils aus Diamant für das Uhrwerk einer Armbanduhr, und nach diesem Verfahren hergestelltes Bauteil - Google Patents

Herstellungsverfahren eines mechanischen Bauteils aus Diamant für das Uhrwerk einer Armbanduhr, und nach diesem Verfahren hergestelltes Bauteil Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2889703A2
EP2889703A2 EP14196656.4A EP14196656A EP2889703A2 EP 2889703 A2 EP2889703 A2 EP 2889703A2 EP 14196656 A EP14196656 A EP 14196656A EP 2889703 A2 EP2889703 A2 EP 2889703A2
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
diamond
monocrystalline
doping
mechanical
anchor
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EP14196656.4A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP2889703A3 (de
Inventor
Serguei Mikhaïlov
Sergey Goloviatinski
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TGM Developpement SA
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TGM Developpement SA
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Application filed by TGM Developpement SA filed Critical TGM Developpement SA
Publication of EP2889703A2 publication Critical patent/EP2889703A2/de
Publication of EP2889703A3 publication Critical patent/EP2889703A3/de
Pending legal-status Critical Current

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
    • G04B15/00—Escapements
    • G04B15/14—Component parts or constructional details, e.g. construction of the lever or the escape wheel

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a mechanical part for watch movement, for example a wheel, a pinion, an anchor wheel, an escapement anchor, a spiral spring, a bridge, a plate, a rocker, a leaf spring, or other micro-mechanical functional component in the regulating member, in the gear train or in a complication of movement.
  • the present invention also relates to a diamond part manufactured by this method.
  • Mechanical parts for mechanical watch movements are most often made of metal.
  • the moving parts for example the axles, the wheels, the gears, the escape anchor, the escape wheel, the balance, the springs and the spiral are frequently made of steel, or steel elinvar for the spiral.
  • the plate and bridges are usually made of brass or steel. Other materials are used more marginally, eg ruby for bearings or pallets, or ceramics for some bearings.
  • EP732635A1 describes a micro-mechanical part, for example an anchor for a watch movement, cut in a silicon wafer by etching by means of a plasma gas around a mask formed previously on the face of the plate .
  • Silicon has the advantage of being easy to machine, reproducibly, with technologies perfectly controlled for the manufacture of integrated circuits or MEMS in particular.
  • it has certain disadvantages, including an insufficient tribological surface state and a relatively high coefficient of friction.
  • CH669109A1 (The Swatch Group R & D Ltd) suggests improving this surface condition by depositing a layer of DLC ("Diamond Like Carbon") carbon on the silicon.
  • DLC Diamond Like Carbon
  • US2002 / 114225 (Damasko ) describes in particular a steel exhaust anchor coated with a DLC layer ("Diamond Like Carbon”).
  • US2012 / 0263909 (Diamaze Microtechnology SA et al.) Discloses another example of a diamond coated mechanical part or a DLC layer.
  • DLC coatings have some of the properties of natural diamond, although their crystalline structure is very different. In general, these coatings are produced using a method of carbon deposition by plasma, filtered arcs, ion beams, cathode sputtering, and the like. These fast, high energy processes do not allow the carbon atoms to be arranged according to the typical sp3 cubic disposition of the diamond; the arrangement of the atoms is globally amorphous, with an entanglement of crystalline micro-structures oriented differently from each other.
  • the known DLC coating deposition processes generate a material having large proportions, greater than 10%, of hydrogen, graphitic carbon or other components.
  • a piece of steel or silicon coated with a DLC layer thus has tribological surface conditions which are certainly improved, but still far from perfect.
  • the adhesion of the DLC coating to the substrate is also a weak point.
  • the additional step required for the deposition of this DLC layer complicates the manufacture.
  • the anchors in the escapement of the mechanical movements are in particular subjected to severe constraints. It is first of all desirable to reduce their mass and moment of inertia to the maximum in order to limit the energy required for the high frequency oscillation of these moving parts, and therefore to increase the power reserve of the watch. .
  • the anchor, in particular the anchor pallet is subjected to repeated shocks at each alternation, or during shocks of the watch, and must therefore have sufficient strength.
  • WO2004 / 029733A2 (Fore Eagle Co Ltd) describes watch components made at least partially in this material.
  • This document lists various advantages of diamond, including its hardness, low coefficient of friction, good impact resistance, high mechanical strength, high modulus of elasticity, low coefficient of thermal expansion, transparency and the ability to not get scratched.
  • DE102008029429A1 suggests manufacturing micromechanical watch parts made of diamond or silicon coated with a DLC layer.
  • EP2407831A1 (Rolex SA) describes a watch oscillator hairspring that can be made of a low-density material such as silicon, diamond or quartz.
  • the spiral can be made by a process of chemical etching using a plasma ("DRIE, Deep Reactive Ion Etching").
  • CH701155B1 (Complitime SA) describes a balance for a timepiece including a board that can be diamond, quartz, silicon or corundum.
  • WO2005 / 017631 (Fore Eagle Co Ltd) describes another pendulum made of diamond and obtained by chemical etching using a plasma.
  • EP2107434A1 describes a mechanical part, in particular an anchor wheel for watchmaking, made of silicon or diamond.
  • EP2233989 (Ulysse Nardin Le Locle SA) describes a diamond spiral spring obtained by deep engraving.
  • CH701369 describes a diamond barrel spring.
  • the type of diamond used for the above parts is generally not specified in these documents. In practice, it is always polycrystalline synthetic diamond whose cost is 10 to 50% lower than that of natural diamond, and which can be produced in forms suitable for the intended use.
  • micro-mechanical components made of materials offering a better compromise between the desired properties of hardness, mechanical strength, lightness, low thermal expansion, stability of the modulus of elasticity, and ease of machining with high precision.
  • An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a method of manufacturing a mechanical part for horological application which offers such a compromise between these different properties.
  • the polycrystalline diamonds known in the prior art for the manufacture of mechanical parts are extremely hard, harder than the usual natural monocrystalline diamonds.
  • a high degree of hardness is not always necessary or even advantageous for a watch component. This hardness results in a high polishing cost, and faster wear of the less hard parts in contact.
  • Polycrystalline diamonds are moreover often transparent or gray; because of the multiple interfaces between different crystal grains with different orientations, they produce little or no glare, and virtually no iridescence effects.
  • the invention notably starts from the observation that monocrystalline diamond has many advantages over more widespread polycrystalline diamond, and even more so compared to DLC coatings.
  • monocrystalline diamonds have the advantage over polycrystalline diamonds of being extremely strong; no split primer exists between the different grains. This solidity allows to realize with the same solidity of the finer pieces and thus more light.
  • monocrystalline diamond parts such as, without limitation, anchor wheels or anchors with a thickness less than 120 microns, preferably less than 100 microns, for example between 20 and 60 microns.
  • the thickness is advantageously between 100 and 400 microns, for example 320 microns, or between 100 and 160 microns, preferably between 100 and 120 microns.
  • Such thicknesses would not be practically achievable with steel, silicon or polycrystalline diamond parts, because these parts would be too fragile and very difficult to mount without breaking them.
  • Monocrystalline diamonds can be made in a wide variety of colors, including transparent, black, blue, yellow, red etc.
  • the play of light that is reflected on different faces oriented in various ways produces very popular iridescence effects.
  • monocrystalline diamonds generally have a smoother surface finish than polycrystalline diamonds or DLC coatings, whose grain structure does not provide an optimal tribological surface.
  • monocrystalline synthetic diamonds can be obtained by growing carbon by CVD growth around a monocrystalline diamond primer. It is important that the primer is monocrystalline diamond so that the structure that is deposited is itself monocrystalline. Carbon can be obtained from methane in a CVD reactor.
  • Monocrystalline synthetic diamond can also be obtained by compression of carbon at high pressure and high temperature.
  • the invention also starts from the observation that the monocrystalline diamond can be cut accurately by means of a laser beam.
  • this cutting method has the disadvantage of releasing surface carbon atoms, which is deposited on the surface of the crystalline diamond in the form of graphite or in another non-diamonds form (that is to say in an unspecified organization). crystalline, or in the form of a crystal other than diamond). This results in a black surface, unattractive, and a coefficient of friction on the surface that is less good than that of polished diamond.
  • these non-diamonds for example graphite
  • these non-diamonds are eliminated by oxidation, without attacking the carbon with a diamantic structure.
  • the oxidation can be obtained by heat treatment at a temperature between 600 ° C and 750 ° C, preferably between 650 ° C and 680 ° C.
  • the oxidation can also be obtained by heat treatment at a temperature below 650 ° C in an oxygen-enriched atmosphere.
  • Oxidation can also be achieved by surface treatment with oxygen or fluorine plasma.
  • the oxidation process polishes the part by burning impurities, tips, cutting waste, and carbon in the form of surface graphite.
  • the method may include an additional step of polishing a surface by ion beams.
  • the mechanical part may further comprise side surfaces. At least a part of these mechanical surfaces can be polished or corrected, for example with a laser beam or an ion beam. Advantageously, at least a portion of these surfaces is corrected in order to have a better tribological state than before the correction. At least one portion may be corrected so that this portion is substantially perpendicular to the lower and upper faces of the part.
  • the invention thus starts from the observation that the doping makes it possible to control different mechanical and / or optical properties of the part, for example its hardness, its modulus of elasticity, the variation of the modulus of elasticity as a function of the temperature, its color etc.
  • the diamond preferably comprises at most 3% of doping impurities, without affecting its monocrystalline structure. This threshold makes it possible to modify the desired mechanical properties of the diamond without affecting its monocrystalline structure.
  • the doped monocrystalline diamond is obtained by voluntarily introducing a doping element into the diamond, either during the growth of a synthetic diamond, or in a synthetic or natural diamond already formed.
  • the doping operation thus makes it possible to produce a diamond different from the diamonds found in nature, and different from undoped synthetic monocrystalline diamonds.
  • the difference comes from the type of impurities, their distribution and / or their concentration.
  • the doping is chosen so as to modify the mechanical and tribological properties of the diamond piece.
  • At least one doping is advantageously carried out in the mass of the part, homogeneously, so as to affect the mechanical properties of the entire part, in depth.
  • This doping can be carried out practically without additional cost during the growth of a monocrystalline synthetic diamond.
  • Doping can also be done on the surface. Doping can be different in surface and depth. The density of doping can be different in depth and on the surface. The doping product may be different in surface and in depth. Impurities can be introduced differently at the surface and at depth.
  • the diamond may be a boron doped black diamond.
  • Impurities can be introduced into the diamond during the organic growth of the diamond.
  • the mechanical part made of doped monocrystalline diamond may be a flat part, for example a part used in the regulating member of a mechanical watch, for example an anchor or an anchor wheel.
  • the mechanical part may be a flat part made by cutting from a flat plate.
  • the cutting can be performed by laser.
  • the mechanical part may be a multi-level flat part obtained by thermochemical etching from a single-level flat part.
  • the flat mechanical part may be a spiral spring for the regulating member of a mechanical watch.
  • the high rigidity of monocrystalline diamond makes it possible to obtain high oscillation frequencies with small diameter spirals.
  • the mechanical part may be a spring, for example a rocking spring, a flat spring, etc.
  • the mechanical part can also be a pallet intended to equip an escape anchor in another material, for example a steel anchor.
  • the mechanical part can also be a bridge, a plate, etc.
  • the single-crystal diamond mechanical part may be rigid, for example in the case of a bridge, a plate, a rocker, a pallet, an anchor, a wheel, etc.
  • the monocrystalline diamond mechanical part can be flexible, for example in the case of a spring, a spring, a flexible blade, etc.
  • the flat part can be made by cutting a doped monocrystalline diamond wafer.
  • the invention also relates to a watch movement comprising at least one piece of doped monocrystalline diamond, for example an anchor, an anchor pallet, an anchor wheel or a monocrystalline doped diamond spiral.
  • Different mechanical parts of the same movement can be made in different varieties of monocrystalline diamond.
  • different mechanical parts of the same movement can be made in different colors of monocrystalline diamond.
  • the color of the monocrystalline diamond which is due to the impurities, influences its hardness.
  • transparent monocrystalline diamond is less hard than black monocrystalline diamond, doped with boron ions.
  • the type or color of monocrystalline diamond chosen for different pieces of the same movement is therefore determined according to the desired hardness, or according to other mechanical properties depending on this color.
  • the watch movement comprises, for example, an anchor or pallet of anchor in a hard monocrystalline diamond, and an anchor wheel in a less hard monocrystalline diamond.
  • the anchor or the pallets may be, for example boron-doped black monocrystalline diamond while the anchor wheel may be transparent or yellow monocrystalline diamond.
  • the movement may comprise several monocrystalline diamond pieces with different dopings.
  • the method may comprise an additional step of surface doping by injection of surface doping ions by means of an ion beam.
  • the impurities may include boron which makes it possible to increase the hardness without affecting the crystalline structure of the diamond.
  • FIG. 1 to 3 schematically illustrate a method of manufacturing a functional mechanical part according to the invention.
  • the Figure 1A illustrates an uncut monocrystalline diamond 1 used to manufacture one or more pieces according to the invention.
  • the monocrystalline diamond may be a natural diamond or a synthetic diamond, with a weight advantageously greater than 1 carat, preferably greater than 3 carats.
  • a natural diamond it may be a diamond having a shape or other properties rendering it unfit for recovery for use in jewelry.
  • a synthetic monocrystalline diamond can be produced for example by means of a filtered arc to deposit carbon on a monocrystalline diamond primer, without the addition of hydrogen or other materials. Another possibility is to make a CVD deposit of carbon produced from a hydrocarbon such as methane on a monocrystalline diamond primer.
  • the primer can be reused after cutting plates in the mass deposited above the primer.
  • a third, less desirable, possibility is to produce a synthetic monocrystalline diamond by subjecting a carbon source to a high temperature and a high simultaneous pressure. Other methods may be used.
  • the monocrystalline diamond thus formed can be doped.
  • the doping product can be introduced during the formation of the synthetic diamond, for example by adding traces of dopant in the filtered arc respectively in the CVD reactor.
  • the dopant is added after formation of the synthetic diamond, for example by means of a high energy ion beam.
  • the doping can be carried out homogeneously throughout the mass of the diamond, and / or only at the surface. A first doping may be carried out in the mass and a different doping, for example with another doping product and / or with another concentration, may be carried out on the surface.
  • Doping can be selected to modify the hardness of the pieces produced from this diamond; depending on the doping product, it is possible to increase or reduce this hardness. For example, the inclusion of nitrogen as a doping product makes it possible to reduce the hardness of a part, whereas the inclusion of boron ions makes it possible to increase it.
  • the hardness of a monocrystalline diamond pallet is increased by doping, for example by including boron ions, while a monocrystalline diamond anchor wheel intended to collaborate with this pallet in the exhaust is undoped, or doped so as to reduce its hardness, for example with nitrogen, in order to obtain a hardness lower than that of the pallet. It is indeed advantageous to have very hard pallets, to reduce their wear and the coefficient of friction on the impulse plane, and a less hard escape wheel to absorb the impact of the anchor at each oscillation.
  • the anchor wheel is doped with a relatively high concentration of nitrogen, while the pallet is doped with a lower concentration of nitrogen. The inclusion of nitrogen in the manufacture of synthetic monocrystalline diamond by CVD growth makes it possible to increase the speed of manufacture, and thus to reduce the cost, while obtaining pallets which remain harder than conventional ruby pallets. .
  • Doping can also be selected to control the color of the diamond. Doping can be chosen to control the Young's modulus of the diamond. The doping can be chosen so as to reduce the sensitivity of the Young's modulus to the temperature, in order to produce parts whose rigidity is as independent as possible from the temperature. The doping can be chosen so as to reduce the coefficient of expansion of the diamond, in order to produce pieces whose dimensions are as independent as possible from the temperature.
  • the doping product and the concentration of this product are further selected so as not to interfere with or minimize the interference of the diamond's single crystal structure.
  • the diamond is doped with boron ions. Different diamonds used for the production of different pieces in the same watch can be doped differently depending on the desired properties.
  • the boron doping carried out during the organic growth of the synthetic diamond has the advantage of producing a non-radioactive black diamond, unlike doping processes by introduction of high energy ions.
  • the monocrystalline diamond 1 is then cut as shown in FIG. Figure 1B , for example by means of a diamond saw, or split with a hammer and a blade, an electric arc, an ion beam, or preferably cut by means of a laser to obtain a planar surface.
  • the laser is advantageously a pulsed laser, for example a pulsed laser at a frequency of 5 to 40 GHz.
  • the diamond is sliced from a first side by means of a first laser beam 20.
  • the laser beam is rotated by means of a movable mirror, so as to emit in a cone with an opening angle of less than 5 °.
  • the diamond is then attacked from the other side by means of another laser beam 21 rotated in a cone ( Figure 4B ). It is also possible to use the same laser beam to attack both sides of the piece, turning it between the two cuts.
  • This cone machining allows the ablation zone to be enlarged and to avoid poor surface conditions and the destruction of the crystalline structure which may occur if the ablation is performed in a narrow channel, causing a rise in excessive temperature.
  • the process is comparable, proportionately, to that of a lumberjack cutting a trunk by means of two slits on each side of the trunk.
  • the convex surface thus produced by this cutting is then rectified or flattened, as illustrated in FIG. figure 4C , by means of a laser beam oriented parallel to the surface of the plate that it is desired to produce.
  • the pulsation frequency of this laser can be, for example, between 10 and 100 KHz, in order to obtain precise cutting without the problems of modifications of the crystalline structure caused by the high energy of the pulsed lasers more rapidly.
  • the section plane is determined in order to obtain an active surface of the workpiece oriented along the ⁇ 111 ⁇ crystalline plane, which is generally the hardest.
  • the cutting plane is preferably parallel to the ⁇ 111 ⁇ plane of the diamond.
  • the plane of section is preferably distinct from the plane ⁇ 111 ⁇ and chosen so as to allow the cutting of pallets whose impulse surface, obtained in the slice of the cut plates, is parallel to the ⁇ 111 ⁇ crystalline orientation plane.
  • the section plane is determined in order to obtain an active surface of the part oriented substantially in the ⁇ 001 ⁇ crystalline plane or preferably in the ⁇ 011 ⁇ plane; although less hard than the ideal plane ⁇ 111 ⁇ , these planes are less sensitive to deviations from the ideal surface.
  • the cutting plane is preferably substantially parallel to the ⁇ 001 ⁇ or ⁇ 011 ⁇ plane of the diamond.
  • the cutting plane is preferably chosen so as to allow the cutting of pallets whose impulse surface, obtained in the edge of the cut plates, is substantially parallel to the ⁇ 001 ⁇ crystal orientation plane or ⁇ 011 ⁇ plane. Substantially parallel means here that the deflection after polishing is at most + 5 °.
  • the rough face 10 obtained at the end of this cut is then ground and / or polished so as to obtain a polished flat face 11 as illustrated on FIG. figure 1C .
  • the rectification of the face 11 can be performed, as indicated, by means of a laser, for example a pulsed laser between 10 and 100KHz.
  • the polishing of the face 11 can be performed on a rotary grinding wheel covered with synthetic diamond powder, for example polycrystalline diamond powder.
  • the roughness of the face 11 can also be reduced by means of a high energy ion beam parallel to the surface.
  • the diamond is then cut into a new cut parallel to the first cut, so as to obtain a thin plate 2 as illustrated on the drawing. figure 1D .
  • This delicate cut is advantageously performed by laser to avoid shocks that could break the plate.
  • this cutting can be performed according to the method illustrated on the Figures 4a to 4c i.e., by means of one or two laser beams deflected by a mirror to produce a conical ablation zone.
  • this process makes it possible to cut extremely thin plates in a monocrystalline diamond, for example plates with a thickness of less than 400 microns, for example plates with a thickness of between 100 and 400 microns, by 320 microns, or between 100 and 160 microns, ideally between 100 and 120 microns, in the case of plates for machining pallets, and plates with a thickness of between 20 and 120 microns, for example between 40 and 80 microns, for example 60 microns, in the case of manufacture of anchor wheels, anchors, wheels, spirals, springs or latches for example.
  • a monocrystalline diamond for example plates with a thickness of less than 400 microns, for example plates with a thickness of between 100 and 400 microns, by 320 microns, or between 100 and 160 microns, ideally between 100 and 120 microns, in the case of plates for machining pallets, and plates with a thickness of between 20 and 120 microns, for example between 40 and 80 microns, for example 60 microns, in the case of
  • This characteristic makes it possible to manufacture extremely light parts and thus to reduce the energy necessary to put them in displacement.
  • the lower face 12 of the plate 2 is relatively crude. For many applications, especially in watchmaking, this aspect not perfectly polished is entirely satisfactory since this face is not visible. However, it is possible to realize a room slightly thicker also to polish this face 12, for example by mechanical polishing on a grinding wheel and / or laser.
  • the part is held without glue during polishing, preferably by vacuum. It is thus possible to very precisely control the thickness of the piece after polishing, without this thickness depending on the thickness of the glue.
  • the plate 2 produced can be visually inspected to remove plates that have too many impurities or a non-monocrystalline structure.
  • this control is performed by illuminating the plate with a polarized light that highlights the imperfections.
  • the control can be manual or done by means of a camera and an image analysis software.
  • the piece 3 is cut in the surface of the plate 2. This cut is for example obtained by means of a laser beam perpendicular to one of the surfaces 11, 12 or the median plane of the plate 2.
  • the piece 3 thus cut is an escape anchor for watch movement. It is also possible to make other micromechanical parts using the method described above, for example an anchor wheel or a spiral spring or another wheel. Several different pieces can be cut into a single plate.
  • the figure 5 illustrates an example of a possible trajectory of the laser beam 6 during the machining of a pallet in a plate 11.
  • the laser beam may have a relatively large dimension, for example a maximum diameter of the order of 20 microns.
  • the shape of this beam 6 is generally non-circular, for example elliptical.
  • the cutting trajectory is therefore advantageously determined by software designed to determine a trajectory of the light beam which takes into account the size, shape and orientation of this beam with respect to the piece to be cut, so as to obtain a piece after release whose dimensions correspond to the desired dimensions.
  • the path is preferably initiated at a distance from the part to be produced, on a portion 32 which does not belong to the part produced. This avoids the deformations due to the initial drilling.
  • the trajectory is further preferably optimized, taking into account the crystalline orientation of the diamond, so that any cracks that propagate from the point of ablation have a maximum chance of following the edge of the piece, or move away from this room. For example, on the figure 5 , the maximum risk of cracking occurs from the initial piercing point 32; the position of this point is therefore preferably chosen so that the most likely crack direction exactly follows the line followed by the beam.
  • the workpiece is oriented on the diamond plate 11 so that the active surface of the workpiece is in the ⁇ 111 ⁇ crystal plane.
  • the active surface 31 is constituted by the impulse surface (plane or non-plane) intended to be brought into contact with the anchor wheel. The pallet is thus cut in the plate 11 so that this surface 31 is precisely in the ⁇ 111 ⁇ plane.
  • the elements 33 on the figure 5 are cutting indicators used during the subsequent polishing step to define the ideal polishing depth. The polishing will be done precisely until the moment when these marks disappear completely.
  • facets are obtained by cutting and / or polishing in one of the upper and / or lower faces 11 or 12, so as to control the direction in which the light passes through the workpiece 3 and the reflections or iridescence produced on the different faces.
  • the room remains however essentially flat; in a preferred embodiment, the ratio between the thickness and the shortest length is greater than 10, advantageously greater than 50, for example greater than 100.
  • This cutout can be through or blind; it allows for example to offer protection against counterfeiting by making copying extremely difficult.
  • the method of cutting into a plate 2 of the part 3 by means of a laser has the disadvantage of producing lateral flanks 13 that are not perpendicular to the faces 11, 12, as represented excessively on the figure 3A .
  • the diamond being more or less transparent, the cut is in fact obtained by the attack of the plasma produced by the interaction between the laser light and the air. This results in non-perpendicular flanks and not very smooth.
  • This surface quality is generally not problematic for parts 3 or portions of parts 3 which are not intended to come into contact with other parts. In some cases, however, these irregular surfaces are undesirable either for aesthetic reasons, or because it is necessary to accurately control the shape of the workpiece and the amount of material, for example in the case of a spiral spring.
  • the piece 3 is an anchor pallet, a pallet anchor portion, or a tooth of an anchor wheel or other wheel.
  • an optional operation for rectification of the flanks 13, or at least a portion of these flanks can be performed by means of a laser or a grinding wheel in order to obtain smoother and perpendicular sidewalls 14. to the surfaces 11, 12 as shown in figure 3B .
  • a laser or a grinding wheel in order to obtain smoother and perpendicular sidewalls 14. to the surfaces 11, 12 as shown in figure 3B .
  • the active surface 31 can be ground to the depth of the mark 33 by means of a grinding wheel coated with polycrystalline diamond powder.
  • the portion of each tooth intended to be brought into contact with the pallet may be polished or ground by means of a laser beam.
  • this grinding is preferably performed by orienting the grinding wheel relative to the workpiece so as to grind in a direction substantially parallel to the tangent of the workpiece, so as to create micro-grooves parallel to the direction of friction of the part during its use.
  • the surfaces of the piece 3 thus obtained are preferably not coated; the monocrystalline diamond has a surface state that is practically ideal both from an aesthetic point of view and with regard to the coefficient of friction or the impact resistance, for example.
  • the surfaces 11, 12, 13 or 14 may be covered with traces of graphitized carbon resulting from the destruction of the diamond structure during cutting or polishing operations.
  • the part 3 it is possible in the context of the invention to subject the part 3 to a heat treatment, for example by leaving it for a few seconds or a few minutes in a furnace between 600 ° and 750 ° C., preferably between 650 and 680 ° C, preferably with ambient air; this operation makes it possible to burn the residual graphite at the surface without affecting the carbon in the form of a diamond, and thus to improve the surface state of the part. It is also possible to use a lower temperature with a higher oxygen level, or to oxidize the non-crystalline carbon without attacking the diamond by using for example an oxygenated or fluorinated plasma.
  • This operation also polishes the pallet by burning tips on the surface.
  • the piece produced can also be polished by means of an ion beam ("ion etching"), for example an ion beam parallel to the surface to be polished.
  • ion etching an ion beam parallel to the surface to be polished.
  • this ionic polishing is performed after polishing by heat treatment.
  • the part produced can also be polished by means of ultrasound. It can be cleaned with gasoline to improve the appearance of the diamond.
  • a mechanical watch movement within the scope of the invention may comprise one or more pieces 3 monocrystalline diamond. It is possible to choose the hardness of each piece 3 by selecting the type and color of diamond. For example, a part for which maximum hardness is required may be made of synthetic diamond, for example boron doped black synthetic diamond. A part for which such a high hardness is not desired can be made of transparent synthetic diamond, natural diamond, etc. Different diamond pieces of different colors and types can be combined in one movement. For example, it is advantageous to make a pallet or an anchor made of very hard monocrystalline diamond, and a monocrystalline diamond anchor wheel slightly less hard in order to cushion the shocks.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Crystals, And After-Treatments Of Crystals (AREA)
  • Piezo-Electric Or Mechanical Vibrators, Or Delay Or Filter Circuits (AREA)
EP14196656.4A 2013-12-05 2014-12-05 Herstellungsverfahren eines mechanischen Bauteils aus Diamant für das Uhrwerk einer Armbanduhr, und nach diesem Verfahren hergestelltes Bauteil Pending EP2889703A3 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CH02010/13A CH708926A3 (fr) 2013-12-05 2013-12-05 Pièce mécanique en diamant et procédé de fabrication d'une pièce mécanique en diamant pour mouvement de montre.

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EP2889703A2 true EP2889703A2 (de) 2015-07-01
EP2889703A3 EP2889703A3 (de) 2015-09-30

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Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP3865955A1 (de) * 2020-02-17 2021-08-18 The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd Herstellungsverfahren eines mechanischen monoblock-bauteils einer uhr

Citations (15)

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CH708926A3 (fr) 2015-07-31
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