Want to sell a used machine that erodes and grinds PCD or PcBN tools? We buy your machine. Send the nameplate, the control, the year and the generator type and you usually receive an initial estimate. We organise dismantling and transport; on a direct purchase, payment is made by bank transfer before pickup.
How PCD tools are made decides what a buyer looks for, so this page explains that first. The overview of all machine classes is on sell a tool and cutter grinder. A pure 5-axis machine without an eroding option belongs on CNC tool grinders.
PCD and PcBN: why these tools are made differently
PCD is polycrystalline diamond: a synthetic mass of intergrown diamond particles, sintered under high pressure and temperature. As a cutting material it is usually sintered onto a carbide body. PcBN is polycrystalline cubic boron nitride. Both come as cutting edges on carbide tools; manufacturer pages speak of PCD-tipped tools.
PCD is used mainly on wood, plastic and non-ferrous metals: chipboard and fibreboard, aluminium and magnesium alloys, copper, brass, glass and carbon fibre, metal-matrix composites, sintered ceramics and carbide. Steel can be machined with PCD only in rare cases, because carbon from the diamond diffuses into the iron at rising temperature and limits tool life strongly. For steel, PcBN is the alternative. Rollomatic also lists CVD diamond, single-crystal and natural diamond among the superhard materials for its laser machines.
These edges last long and cut cleanly, but they are so hard that grinding wheels can make them only to a limited extent. That is why eroding became established. A spark discharge removes material, and because PCD edges conduct electricity, this works regardless of hardness. The process runs in a non-conductive medium, the dielectric, usually oil or deionised water. Its drawbacks are the effort of handling electrodes, a low removal rate per cycle and the need for conductive material. PCD edges can also be sharpened by grinding with diamond wheels in ceramic or non-ferrous bonds under coolant. Vollmer writes that with high precision and surface quality, grinding can be dropped in many cases.
Wire, disc, laser: three processes compared
| Process | How it works | Examples from manufacturer data (30 September 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Wire eroding | A thin, continuously running wire is the electrode; a spark jumps where the gap to the workpiece is smallest. The wire is consumed | Vollmer VPulse 500: five simultaneous CNC axes, for PCD-tipped tools with complex profiles |
| Disc eroding | A rotating disc, for example copper-tungsten, is the electrode and can be dressed | Vollmer QXD 250: six CNC axes, workpieces up to 250 mm long, surfaces down to 0.1 µRa; Vollmer QM eco select: five CNC and two manual axes, Ra below 0.2 µm |
| Laser | Non-contact removal without tool wear; suited to chip breakers and edge treatment | Vollmer VLaser 370: five axes, linear and torque motors; Rollomatic LaserSmart 810XL: tools up to 300 mm, six simultaneously interpolated axes |
Wire and disc are the classic eroding processes. The laser adds to them where non-contact removal is needed. Which process fits depends on the tool. Vollmer assigns wire to tools with complex profiles, disc to making and resharpening PCD precision tools for wood and metal, and laser to chip breakers and edge treatment. That is the maker’s classification, not an independent comparison.
Hybrid machines: grinding and eroding in one clamping
Many PCD tools are PCD-tipped carbide tools: the carbide body is ground and the PCD edge is eroded. So that the tool does not have to be re-clamped, makers offer hybrid machines. Walter offers this as its Diamond series, Vollmer as the VHybrid 260 and, with hybrid grinding possible, the QXD 250 disc eroding machine. Walter describes the principle as Two-in-One and states on its website that eroding and grinding in one machine has existed for 20 years. At Vollmer the grinding wheel and the electrode disc sit at the pivot point of the C axis, which gives short travel paths. For the used market, hybrid machines are interesting because one machine covers two operations for a buyer.
Machine generations
According to the makers’ timelines, Vollmer added eroding machines for diamond-tipped woodworking tools in 1988 and wire eroding in 1998, and Walter introduced the HELITRONIC POWER DIAMOND in 2001. Used machines therefore span several generator generations, so a buyer asks first for series, generation and software version, then for the state of the eroding unit.
Measuring and compensating
A PCD blank costs much more than a carbide blank, so a scrapped tool weighs heavily. ANCA measures non-contact with LaserPlus on the EDGe before the last eroding pass, and the machine compensates deviations from thermal drift or electrode wear in the finishing pass. For the Vollmer QXD 250 the maker names an integrated three-point measurement in the HP 360 software package that improves concentricity and shortens measuring time by more than 30 percent in some cases. For buyer and seller alike: if you can show a measuring system, you show that the machine still works within tolerance.
Machine series at a glance
All figures are manufacturer data (30 September 2026). Where the maker does not state a figure, it is not printed here.
| Maker and series | Process | Manufacturer data |
|---|---|---|
| Walter HELITRONIC RAPTOR DIAMOND | Entry-level combination machine, erodes PCD and CBN, grinds HSS and carbide in one clamping | Up to three electrodes and three wheels, or six wheels; Fine Pulse Technology; diameter range per data sheet |
| Walter HELITRONIC DIAMOND EVOLUTION | Combination machine, erodes PCD and CBN in one clamping with grinding of HSS and carbide | Tool diameter 1 to 165 mm; length 185 mm (255 mm extended); 9 kW HSK 50 spindle; options robot loader, wheel and electrode changer |
| Walter HELITRONIC POWER DIAMOND 400 | Flexible eroding and grinding machine | 24 kW spindle; up to three electrodes or six wheels; Fine Pulse Technology; Laser Contour Check; wheel changer with 4 to 8 positions |
| Walter HELITRONIC VISION DIAMOND 400 L | High-end eroding and grinding machine | Tool diameter 3 to 315 mm; length 420 mm; 35 kW; mineral cast gantry; Fine Pulse Technology; Laser Contour Check |
| Vollmer VHybrid 260 | Combined grinding and eroding machine for carbide and PCD | Five CNC axes; upper spindle grinds, lower spindle grinds and erodes; tools up to 150 mm, micro tools from 0.2 mm; surfaces down to 0.05 µRa; VPulse generator; ExLevel PRO software |
| Vollmer QXD 250 | Disc eroding of PCD-tipped precision tools, hybrid grinding possible | Six CNC axes; workpieces up to 250 mm long and 25 kg; VPulse generator; three-point measurement |
| Vollmer QM eco select | Disc eroding of PCD tools | Five CNC and two manual axes; Ra below 0.2 µm |
| Vollmer VPulse 500 | Wire eroding of PCD-tipped rotary tools | Five simultaneous CNC axes; workpieces up to 500 mm long; ExProg software; 19 inch touch panel |
| ANCA EDG and EDGe | Eroding machines for tools; EDG3 and EDG5 in the current range | For the EDGe, non-contact laser measuring with compensation (LaserPlus); no further figures in the maker documentation we evaluated |
| Rollomatic LaserSmart 510 and 810XL | Laser machining of PCD, CVD diamond and PcBN | 810XL: tools up to 300 mm, six simultaneously interpolated axes |
If you sell a combination machine, keep three things apart in the listing: what the machine can erode (PCD, PcBN), what it can grind (carbide, HSS) and which tool diameters it takes. Makers distinguish by series between tool diameter, workpiece diameter and magazine size. The Vollmer QXD 250 gives tools up to 200 mm diameter in the magazine and workpieces up to 320 mm, the VHybrid 260 tools up to 150 mm. Checking these figures against your machine avoids follow-up questions.
What makes a PCD machine valuable on the used market
Buyers of eroding and combination machines look for a machine that makes their PCD tools, and they check different points from those on a pure CNC grinder.
| Factor | Why it matters | What to have ready |
|---|---|---|
| Eroding generator and software version | The generator sets removal rate and surface quality; Walter names Fine Pulse Technology, Vollmer the VPulse generator | Generator type, software version, technology database |
| Electrode equipment | Number and type of electrodes decide which eroding steps run without changeover | Electrodes, holders, changer |
| Combination capability | Eroding and grinding in one clamping saves setup time | Configuration, spindles, wheel sets |
| Control and software | A buyer must be able to program new tools; at Vollmer the programs are ExProg and ExLevel PRO | Control type, licence, operating system |
| Measuring system | Laser and three-point measuring secure the accuracy of the edges | Type of measuring equipment |
| Loader | Pallet magazines and robots allow unmanned running | Loader type, capacity |
| Dielectric treatment | Filters, cooling and fill level on eroding machines | Condition of the unit, service records |
| Spindle hours and maintenance | Spindle condition and records show the real state | Operating hours, service history |
| Series and year | Decides software and service options | Nameplate |
The control is again where value separates most. A machine with a current control and software generation can be taken over by a buyer without detours, while one with an outdated operating computer takes effort. For machines with a Fanuc control, Walter offers a Windows 10 upgrade, and an upgrade already done belongs in the documents. Vollmer offers a performance package for the QXD 250 and VHybrid 260 that can be switched on and off and billed through an hours quota, so clarify whether and how such a package transfers in a sale. Buyers also ask whether the eroding process runs stably (sample parts with cutting-edge images help) and whether the machine can be shown running before dismantling. A machine that produced until the end is placed far more easily than one that stood idle for a long time.
Name traps on PCD machines
The eroding machines of the makers carry names that get mixed up on the used market.
| Designation | What is behind it |
|---|---|
| Vollmer ‘QXD 250’ and ‘QXD 200’ | The QXD 250 is on the maker’s page. The QXD 200 we know only from a dealer listing of 2008 that describes it as a universal eroding and grinding machine |
| Vollmer ‘QS 860’, ‘QSF 860’ | Disc eroding machines for PCD-tipped circular saw blades, so saw machines and not tool eroding machines |
| Vollmer ‘QM 110’, ‘QWD 760’, ‘QWD 750’ | Older eroding machines: QM 110 with a disc electrode, QWD as wire eroding (QWD 760 for metalworking, QWD 750 for woodworking) |
| Walter ‘Helitronic Power Diamond’ | The current series is HELITRONIC POWER DIAMOND 400; without the 400 the older series is usually meant |
| Walter ‘Woodtronic’ | Saw blade sharpening machines, not tool grinders in the sense of this page |
| ANCA ‘EDG’, ‘EDGe’ | The EDGe is documented in the maker’s press, and the current range lists EDG3 and EDG5 |
At Vollmer one more general rule applies: designations with V (VGrind, VHybrid, VPulse, VLaser) and QXD, QM and QWD belong to rotary tools, while the series with C such as CH, CN, CS, CM or CP belong to saws. The exceptions are QS and QSF. The Vollmer page has more on this boundary: Vollmer tool grinders.
Dismantling, transport and papers
Eroding machines have their own points at dismantling. The dielectric has to be drained and disposed of, and the treatment unit is an assembly of its own. Generator, electrodes, holders and wheel sets should be secured with the machine, because a buyer needs them to start work. The weight is on the nameplate; we plan lifting gear and transport from it. We organise dismantling and transport, and whether those costs are included is stated in the offer upfront.
How to sell your PCD machine to MBR
- Send the data: nameplate, control, generator, electrodes, measuring system, year and spindle hours.
- Add photos: overall view, work area, treatment unit, control cabinet.
- Receive the estimate: you learn how we place your machine. Sale through our buyer network: commission stated upfront; you are paid before pickup.
- Offer: usually within 24 to 48 hours on working days once all information is in. An urgent on-site visit is possible, usually within 48 to 72 hours on working days.
- Dismantling and transport: we organise both and agree date and access with you.
- Payment before pickup (direct purchase): no machine leaves your site without confirmed payment. The whole process usually takes 7 to 15 working days on a direct purchase.
The general process is under how it works. We have no connection with any of the makers named here. Maker pages: Walter, Vollmer, ANCA and Rollomatic. The value logic for all tool grinders is in what is my tool grinder worth.
Where this page ends
Die-sinking and wire EDM machines for mould making are on EDM machines, general precision grinders on grinding machines. Borderline cases are settled by the nameplate designation.
Sources
Manufacturer data as of 30 September 2026; encyclopedia articles on PCD and spark erosion were used for the process descriptions.
- Walter Maschinenbau: eroding machines, company history and HELITRONIC RAPTOR DIAMOND.
- VOLLMER: erosion machines, VHybrid 260, QXD 250, VPulse 500 and VLaser 370.
- ANCA: LaserPlus on the EDGe; Rollomatic: LaserSmart catalogue.