Abrasive Technology has been awarded a U.S. patent for the manufacturing of a PCD (polycrystalline diamond) or PCBN (polycrystalline cubic boron nitride) twist drill. The patent was formally assigned to Habit Diamond Limited, a member of the Abrasive Technology family of companies based in London, U.K. The drill's patented design features a PCD section fully integrated into a carbide drill. This innovative development is designed to improve the life of the drill, improve the drill hole surface finish, provide greater tolerance control, and reduce downtime by eliminating multiple drill changeovers and quality checks. The drill's rugged construction allows it to handle difficult conditions. It is designed for very high silica aluminum and many current composite materials.