Huge range of hard ceramic coatings and low friction coatings available

There are a huge range of coatings available for many different applications. I have listed some of the main basic PVD ceramic coatings formed by the addition of nitrogen during the coating process and two low friction coatings. The properties of the ceramic coatings can and have been improved by the addition of other elements such as vanadium, yttrium, chromium etc. and the development of multilayers by material design. However the aim of this website is to give a general overview of PVD coatings. If you have a particular question though please do not hesitate to ask.

TiN

The first PVD ceramic coating to be used successfully to machine steel in industry and still the most recognized, distinguished by it's attractive bright gold colour. The TiN ceramic coating is a wear resistant ceramic coating suitable for a wide range of applications, materials, and cutting conditions where extended tool life and elevated feeds and speeds are required. The friction coefficient of TiN ceramic coating helps chip flow, prevents build up of workpiece material at the tool edge and reduces cutting forces and tool temperature. The TiN ceramic coating is used for machining (carbon, alloy, and stainless steels, cast irons, and aluminum alloys) and protecting dies, moulds, punches, and a range of metal stamping and forming tools. It is also used for decorative components and as a direct gold plating replacement as it approximately the same colour and is more wear resistant.

TiAlN

TiN has now been superceded in many applications by TiAlN. The colour is dependent on the Ti:Al ratio within the coating and can range from black to bronze (if the Ti:Al ratio is less than 1 the coating can be referred to as AlTiN). The TiAlN ceramic coating offers superior performance for a range of metal machining and fabrication applications. The reason for this lies in the addition of aluminium to TiN or specifically the formation of aluminium oxide on the surface of the tool which increases the operational temperature range of the coating to 800 deg.C. This has recently been increased by the addition of chromium and yttrium or vanadium to the coating increasing the temperature range to beyond 900 deg.C. TiAIN is also a tough PVD ceramic coating resulting in a reduction in coating chipping. The properties of TiAlN make it suitable for high temperature cutting operations with minimum use of lubricant or dry machining. TiAlN is used successfully to machine titanium, aluminium and nickel alloys, stainless steels, alloy steels, Co-Cr-Mo and cast irons. For more information about coated cutting tools take a look at cutting tool coatings, cutting tools Australia, cutting tools USA. TiAlN is also used to protect dies and moulds that are required to operate at high temperatures ausch as those in medium and hot forging and extrusion industries.

Click to view the ceramic coatings TiCN and CrN or the low friction coatings MoST™ and Graphit-iC™

Click the link to find out more about PVD.