Introduction:
In 1999, my boss asked me a simple question: “Can we make polycrystalline diamond cutters (PDC) any better, or is ‘diamond just diamond’?” I was working in R&D at US Synthetic developing PDC inserts for oil and gas drilling, and I knew a “no” wasn’t the right answer. So, I took a leap of faith and said, “I think we can make it 50% better.” Little did I know that conversation would lead to a 25-year journey of relentless experimentation and a thousand-fold (three orders of magnitude) improvement in PDC wear resistance!
The Challenge:
PDC drill bits were primarily used for soft rock formations. Harder rocks required roller cone bits with tungsten carbide inserts. The inherent brittleness of diamond limited its application, even though diamond is the hardest material known. Our goal was to push the boundaries and make PDC suitable for all rock types.
Discovering the Future:
We did not have an equivalent of Moore’s Law to show us that exponential growth in performance over decades was possible. Our innovations weren’t “Eureka!” moments. Instead, improving the performance of PDC was a gradual, evolutionary process, fueled by constant learning and adaptation resulting from the following:
- Massive Experimentation: We tested everything, embracing failure as a learning tool. Our journey involved over 30,000 experiments and 200,000 lab-broken inserts. We dedicated equipment and personnel to a prototype factory specifically for the purpose of building inserts we could test.
- Fast Learning: Innovation isn’t just about testing; it’s about speed. Speed of learning. We had to develop systems to accelerate our learning process, which proved crucial to our success.
- Teamwork: This was a collective effort, not a solo pursuit. Collaboration was essential to improve the quality of our experiments and to learn from our discoveries.
- Freedom to Explore: We had the space to challenge conventional wisdom, even when it meant taking risks. We were told not to experiment with pressure, but we did anyway. It led to equipment failures and increased costs, but also to significant breakthroughs. We had to innovate not only the PDC but also the tools we used to make it. We delved into the details of leaching, starting with hot plates and Pyrex dishes! We struggled to sinter fine-grain diamond powders until we learned the importance of surface chemistry and adsorbed gasses. Each area provided crucial insights.
“Innovation, like evolution, is a process of constantly discovering ways of rearranging the world into forms that are unlikely to arise by chance – and that happen to be useful.”
Matt Ridley
This quote perfectly encapsulates our journey. We were constantly combining and recombining ideas, learning from every experiment, and gradually refining our processes. The improvement was not just incremental; it was transformative. Our massive industrial effort to push forward the technological frontier improved PDC wear resistance by three orders of magnitude!
“In the engineering game, improving anything by a single order of magnitude—ten times better—is a very big deal, usually worth a nice bonus or at least a bottle of champagne. Three orders of magnitude is one thousand times better. That’s worth a fortune, a medal, or both, but is as rare an occurrence as an astronomer discovering a new constellation.”
Ben Rich of Skunk Works fame
The Impact:
Today, PDC bits drill successfully in all rock formations, even hard, hot granite for geothermal applications. The advances we drove in PDC performance have led to incredible gains in efficiency and productivity. These innovations played a key role in the U.S. becoming the largest oil producer in the history of the world.
Conclusion:
I’m incredibly grateful I didn’t simply say, “Diamond is just diamond,” in 1999. Our journey has shown me the power of relentless curiosity, the importance of teamwork, and the rewards of pushing boundaries. What are your experiences with innovation and exponential performance improvements? Share your stories in the comments below!
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