A downhole component including a first portion; a second portion; a controlled failure structure between the first portion and second portion. A method for improving efficiency in downhole components.

A laser cutting method includes a step of determining a material to be removed and dividing the material to be removed into a plurality of material chips so as thereby to organize a machining plan for laser cutting; and, a step of, according to the machining plan for laser cutting, moving a laser along a boundary defining the material to be removed on the workpiece to perform cutting in a first direction and a second direction, such that the material chips can be separated from the workpiece orderly piece by piece so as to form a specific pattern. While in laser cutting, the method removes the material piece by piece. With the laser to remove the material chips through cutting along the boundary, the pattern on the workpiece is thus finished equivalently by the laser. Thereupon, the machining time can be significantly reduced.

A method of making a cutting element for use on an earth-boring tool may include forming the cutting element including a cutting table formed from a superabrasive polycrystalline material. The method may further include polishing a cutting surface of the cutting table by pulsing a laser onto the cutting surface of the cutting table. The cutting element may include a superabrasive polycrystalline cutting table including a cutting surface substantially free of micro-anomalies in the superabrasive material.

Drill collars may be constructed using solid-state welding processes. Solid-state welding produces robust drill collars with high fatigue lifespans and permits individual segments of the drill collar to be optimized based on their intended use. A drill collar may be formed of a first segment with a different material, density, modulus of elasticity and/or geometry than an adjacent second segment fused thereto. If a segment of a drill collar is damaged in use, the damaged segment may be removed and replaced, possibly without de-rating the drill collar. Methods of forming the solid-state welds may include friction welding adjacent segments to one another such that features in each segment are circumferentially aligned when the weld is formed. Supplemental energy sources may provide additional heat at the welded surfaces to ensure the segments are effectively fused.

A diamond mining core drill bit tool including a cylindrical body with first and second ends and an inner axial opening therethrough, the cylindrical body having a ring groove extending about the second end; the tool further including cutting segments circumferentially spaced about the second end; the tool having a first weld bead between a first portion of the segments and the second end of the cylindrical body; the tool further including at least one weld ring wherein the ring groove is shaped to receive the at least one weld ring such that the at least one weld ring extends about the ring grove; the tool further including at least one second weld bead between a second portion of the segment and the ring groove and a method for the same.

Methods of preventing or reducing cutter loss in a steel body PDC drilling tool may include applying a hardfacing layer on a surface of a PDC cutter pocket to form a covered PDC cutter pocket, the hardfacing layer comprising a metal binder and coated tungsten carbide particles; and bonding a PDC cutter into the covered PDC cutter pocket with a brazing material. Steel body PDC drilling tools may include a steel body, a PDC cutter, a PDC cutter pocket, and a hardfacing layer. Methods of preventing or reducing cutter loss in a steel body PDC drilling tool may include applying a hardfacing layer on a surface of a PDC cutter pocket of the steel body PDC drilling tool; applying a coated buffering layer on the hardfacing layer to form a coated PDC cutter pocket; and bonding the PDC cutter into the coated PDC cutter pocket with a brazing material.

Methods of screening a polycrystalline diamond element for suitability for electrical discharge machining (“EDM”). The method includes providing a PCD element including a plurality of bonded diamond grains, determining at least one characteristic of the PCD table correlated to electrical conductivity of the PCD element, and EDM the PCD element if the value of the at least one characteristic correlates to an electrical conductivity above a threshold value.

This disclosure includes the description of a braze alloy composition. The braze composition contains nickel, about 5% by weight to about 25% by weight germanium; and about 1% by weight to about 4% by weight boron. The composition has an amorphous structure, and is free of silicon.

A method includes disposing a braze material adjacent a first body and a second body; heating the braze material and forming a transient liquid phase; and transforming the transient liquid phase to a solid phase and forming a bond between the first body and the second body. The braze material includes copper, silver, zinc, magnesium, and at least one material selected from the group consisting of nickel, tin, cobalt, iron, phosphorous, indium, lead, antimony, cadmium, and bismuth.

A chromium-free, distributed hardfacing disposable on a surface of a wellsite component is disclosed. The hardfacing includes a metal filler (e.g., nickel) and particles distributed about the filler. The particles include pellets made of tungsten carbide and pieces made of angular molybdenum carbide. The pieces are smaller than the pellets for distribution in the filler between the pellets whereby a uniform distribution of particles is provided about the filler.