WHAT IS THE BEST COATING FOR YOUR HARD METAL TOOL
Nowadays, mechanical processing, especially those of chip removal, is moving towards an increasingly advanced cutting phase and requires greater quality in the performance of the tools.
This fact shows the need to produce high-performance tools that are able to satisfy increasingly demanding commitments such as machining with large chip removal or high feed rates.
At this point, a process comes into play that is able to greatly improve the performance of cutters subjected to more demanding jobs: the PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) coating.
This type of process improves the surface finish of the tool by eliminating its irregularities that arise from manufacturing imperfections during construction.
Once the tool is coated it acquires characteristics that make it more performing:
- reduction of wear and therefore longer life of the cutting edges
- better anti-friction factor
- decrease in processing costs
TYPES OF COATING FOR HARD METAL TOOLS
The PVD system allows to obtain different types of coatings for the tools and they are chosen according to the type of machining that must be performed.
Below we are going to list the most important ones that are requested of us or that we ourselves suggest to our customers.
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Tool coating
in widia type AlTiN
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The coating of this type (AlTiN = Aluminum and Titanium Nitride) gives the carbide cutter a low adhesion value and therefore makes it very resistant to the wear factor.
In addition to the two characteristics mentioned above, the tool coated with AlTiN acquires the predisposition to work at other temperatures, extending the working life of the cutters.
The aluminum and titanium nitride deposit is able to increase the working performance of the cutters also due to its ability to improve the coated surfaces by increasing the quality of the cutting edges.
For all these reasons, AlTiN coated cutters can be engaged in heavier machining, saving time in the total machining calculation.
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Tool coating
in TiN type widia
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This type of process is not new in the PVD market, but it is still a very valid coating that is still in great demand by our customers today, especially in those chip removal processes.
In recent years, coating suppliers have taken a step forward in the coating process with Titanium Nitride with a technology called HDP (High Density Plasma), managing to make the surfaces of the cutters even smoother.
Do not forget that this type of coating that we use for our hard metal tools (or also called Widia) complies with ISO 10993 standards (it is biocompatible) and the American FDA. This means that the TiN-coated cutters can be used for work in the medical and food sectors.
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Tool coating
in CRONAL type widia
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Another interesting coating process is the CRONAL one which combines three elements: aluminum, chromium and nitrogen.
With these elements an excellent coating is obtained which gives the hard metal cutter better qualities in withstanding high operating temperatures (it can reach temperatures up to 1,000 degrees and for this reason it offers its best in dry machining) and therefore makes it more resistant to its deterioration (this coating has the ability to adhere very well to the substrate and this makes it resistant to wear), extending the life of the cutter itself.
This type of coating for tools is deposited in very thin layers in order to obtain the structure in AlCrN (Aluminum Chromium Nitride) which is optimal for all those tools that work to remove chips.
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Tool coating
in TiCN type widia
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This type of coating derives from TiN, but differs in the addition of carbon in the interstices of the lattice. TiCN considerably increases the hardness of the cutter, but, at the same time, also its fragility.
It can be used effectively for jobs that reach 350 ° C and thanks to the presence of carbon, the coating has a great toughness, a reduction in the coefficient of friction and greater resistance to corrosion.
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Tool coating
in widia type DLC
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The tools coated in DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) have a wide range of applications because they have excellent characteristics to face the difficulties related to abrasion and high operating temperatures.
The DLC coating is produced using PA-CVD (Plasma Assisted-Chemical Vapor Deposition) technology and is deposited at low temperatures, while maintaining perfect adhesion.
DLC coated tools perform excellently in dry contact machining due to their great hardness and low coefficient of friction.
The coating is also very resistant to corrosion and the chemical aggression of acids and salts.
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Tool coating
in widia type ZrN
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The ZRN type of coating is deposited in micro layers (for a maximum of 2,000) and for this reason it has a reduced porosity and better compactness than single-layer coatings.
Zirconium Nitride (ZrN) is a coating widely used in chip removal or die casting processes.
The HDP (High Density Plasma) technology of this Zirconium Nitride coating has managed to improve its deposit making the affected surface smoother and more compact.
DELIVERY TIME
The supply of a special tool is no longer a pipe dream and our company, on average, manages to deliver (special tools without coating) within a week from the day of the order.
If the special tool requires coating, delivery times vary from 2/3 weeks depending on the type of coating required.
In sintesi, le frese speciali in metallo duro sono particolarmente utili nelle macchine transfer/centri di lavoro CNC per l'industria automobilistica, in quanto possono lavorare con materiali di difficile lavorabilità in modo efficiente e duraturo, garantendo una produttività elevata e una riduzione dei tempi sia di esecuzione del pezzo che di fermo macchina per la sostituzione delle frese.