PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) is a vacuum coating process in which the coating material is evaporated from a cathode and deposited onto the workpiece. The process is environmentally friendly and does not require the use of hazardous substances. PVD coatings can be single-layer or multilayer, with a gradient structure or nanostructured. Such architecture significantly improves adhesion to the substrate and increases the mechanical strength and wear resistance of the coating.
PVD coatings:
- Wear-resistant, with a low coefficient of friction.
- Chemically inert.
- Attractive in appearance.
- Very thin and do not significantly affect the dimensions of the component.
Chromium-containing coatings provide corrosion protection for steels. Compared with electroplated chromium, the CrN coating process does not require the use of environmentally hazardous substances, while the wear resistance of the coating is significantly higher.
Applications:
- Cutting tools
- Forming and punching dies
- Casting molds
- Tribological applications (rolling and sliding surfaces)
- Decorative products
According to our customers, PVD coatings offer the following advantages:
- The service life of cutting tools increases more than threefold (Hevea AS)
- The service life of dies increases 3–4 times (Metaprint AS, Kitman Thulema AS)
- Elimination of lubrication for sliding guides (Efenco OÜ)
Materials suitable for PVD coatings: structural steels, tool steels, alloy steels, hardmetals, copper-based alloys. PVD coatings have also been successfully tested on glass surfaces.
| Coating | Colour | Microhardness, GPa | COF | Max operating temp., °C | Applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TiN | gold | 24 | 0.55 | 600 | decorative |
| TiCN | copper | 32 | 0.2 | 400 | cutting tools, dies, sliding guides |
| TiAlN (mono / multilayer) | lilac-black | 35 / 28 | 0.5 / 0.6 | 800 / 700 | cutting tools |
| TiAlCN | lilac-blue | 45 | 0.3 | 500 | dies |
| AlTiN | black | 36 | 0.7 | 900 | cutting tools |
| CrN | silver | 18 | 0.3 | 700 | plastic injection molds |
| AlCrN | bluish gray | 32 | 0.6 | 1000 | dies |
If needed, in addition to the surfaces coated according to the manufacturer’s specified recipes, we can also develop a customized coating solution based on the client’s specific requirements.
Technical data:
- Coating system: Platit Pi 80
- Coating thickness: 1 to 5–10 µm
- Deposition temperature: 350–500 °C
- Maximum coated workpiece: Ø300 × 420 mm
- Maximum workpiece weight: 50 kg