Patent ID: 8052765

Claim:
A method of making a contoured helical shaped solid polycrystalline superabrasive material comprising the steps of: a) preparing a precursor mold having a plurality of shaped openings each corresponding to a predetermined helical shape of a drill tip segment or an end mill fluting segment; b) placing a specially prepared charge feed into the helical shaped openings to form a shaped charge feed within a charged precursor, said charge feed including a substantially homogeneous mixture of superabrasive source particulates, sintering binder, and optional inorganic bonding medium; c) preparing a loaded reaction cup-assembly including the charged precursor; d) subjecting the loaded reaction cup-assembly to a pressure, temperature and time sufficient for sintering and formation of the contoured helical shaped drill tip segment or an end mill fluting segment of polycrystalline superabrasive material; and e) recovering said helical shaped segments from said reaction cup-assembly for attachment into grooves of a drill bit shank or end mill shank.