Diamond coatings are now used to extend the life of cutting tools. Some of these coated cut- ting tools have been able to keep cutting 10 to 20 times longer than the same material without the diamond coating. Engineers also are looking for ways to use the diamond coatings to increase the life of industrial equipment, by reducing wear of critical parts. We are on the threshold of a new revolution in wear-resistant materials. Soon, we'll be able to broadly and inexpensively apply thin coatings of diamond, the hardest material known, to protect a wide variety of other materials.