China’s superhard materials industry must rely on innovation to achieve development.

　　Technological innovation and continuous improvements in production processes have enhanced product quality, enabling stable mass production and replacing flake‑type catalysts. A diamond‑tool manufacturer in Guangdong, which produces gang saws, has leveraged ongoing technological innovation and advancements to elevate its product quality, successfully displacing imported counterparts. Innovators in the diamond industry should pay close attention to the following points:

　　1. Innovation is not unattainable; being half a step ahead of others, or even surpassing them by that much, constitutes innovation. Improving processes is innovation; automated control in diamond synthesis is innovation; and the latest trend in diamond synthesis—encasing catalyst powder within carbon to produce diamonds—is also innovation.

　　2. Innovative thinking should always be given top priority; don’t wait until a company is in dire straits and has nowhere else to turn before you start considering innovation.

　　3. Product upgrades must align with international standards, and the products manufactured by enterprises should gain recognition in global markets; therefore, it is essential to enhance testing capabilities and refine quality standards. Hunan Jingzuan Company has taken a leading position in diamond testing by integrating foreign equipment with domestic methodologies, achieving excellent results. Moving forward, any branded products submitted for approval by the company must bear the official seal of the Hunan Super‑Association and pass their instrumental testing before they can be officially recognized.

　　II. Enterprises Must Build Brands

　　A company must have its own branded products—high‑tech, flagship offerings. Whether an enterprise can compete hinges on these brand‑name products. Foreign manufacturers place great emphasis on branding, and domestic firms are now following suit, recognizing the value of brand equity. Examples include Haier refrigerators and Hengyuanxiang yarns. In our industry, too, there are efforts to register branded products, such as “Jingangshi,” with brands like “Qiyi” and “Pinfeng” already approved through this process. Building a brand also requires sustaining it; product quality is paramount. Only consistent performance can earn trust. Take top hammers: Zhuzhou Cemented Carbide Factory’s “Diamond” brand enjoyed strong market acceptance at the time, but over the years, product quality began to fluctuate, largely due to lax control over raw materials. Even minor deviations—whether one or two occurrences—ultimately undermined the brand’s reputation. Today, a cemented carbide producer in Foshan, Guangdong, has emerged as a rising star, delivering remarkably stable quality and commanding substantial domestic sales. Product quality and corporate credibility are critical for ensuring long‑term survival and growth; success depends on both. Third, we must intensify efforts to develop advanced products. In the future, superhard materials will evolve along increasingly sophisticated, high‑end lines: larger presses, scaled‑up production, scientifically refined formulations, and greater product diversification—this is where our industry should head. We should vigorously promote diamond‑based products, for everyone knows that finished goods drive the development of diamonds, while diamonds provide the foundation for those products. In the 1970s, the rise of diamond grinding wheels marked the first major boom in diamond‑related tooling; in the 1980s, diamond drill bits ushered in a second surge, propelling further advances in diamond production; and in the 1990s, the resurgence of the stone‑processing industry sparked a third wave, with diamond saw blades leading the way. As for the fourth major phase of rapid diamond‑industry growth, which remains yet to fully materialize, analysis suggests that the development of diamond cutting tools may well propel the sector into deeper, more specialized realms. Overall, however, the current range of diamond‑based products remains limited, with modest technological content and unattractive packaging.

　　1. There is a limited variety: foreign products encompass thousands of items (with Russia alone offering 1,500 varieties), whereas domestic offerings number only a few hundred.

　　2. The technological content is relatively low; for example, composite‑insert bits can be manufactured with diameters of up to 120 mm overseas, whereas domestically they are limited to 40 mm. As for drill bits, the market is dominated by conventional mining‑grade drills, most of which are made from cemented carbide. A few companies also produce diamond‑impregnated bits, but there is limited production of polycrystalline‑diamond‑compact (PDC) bits, composite‑insert bits, and thin‑walled engineering‑drilling bits—products that feature high technological sophistication, significant technical challenges, and strong profitability. At present, standard mining drill bits enjoy robust sales.

　　3. There are few tools available for processing functional materials. Cutting tools used to slice semiconductors (single-crystal silicon) rely on imports; composite blades priced at 600–700 yuan cost tens of millions of yuan in annual import expenditures. Most of these single-crystal silicon production lines are located in China, with facilities in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. The 21st century marks a period of rapid growth for China’s superhard materials industry. We must seize this opportunity, accelerate development, and focus particularly on finished products, increasing investment in research and development to create more high‑quality offerings and contribute to the advancement of China’s superhard materials sector.