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, providing high corrosion resistance.
- Attractive in appearance.
- Very thin and do not significantly affect the dimensions of the component.
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
- Pinnete paksus: 1 kuni 5 – 10 µm
- Deposition temperature: 350–500 °C
- Maximum coated workpiece: Ø300 × 420 mm
- Maximum workpiece weight: 50 kg