PVD Coating

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What is PVD Coating?

The History of Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD)

Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) methods are mainly based on the principle of accumulation, by evaporation and/or sputtering, of solid-state coating material on a base material.

The coating made by Faraday by evaporating a metal wire under vacuum in 1857 is accepted as the first PVD coating application. Optical properties examinations were performed with thin films produced by Kuntz with this method in 1888. The method was limited to physics studies for many years, but it started to become widespread when it was used on the cutting tool surfaces with the aim of delaying tool wear after the 1960s.

Solidification mechanisms of physic-chemistry rules are not valid in PVD coating methods. Moreover, materials coated in the way of thin films exhibit the elastic properties of the base material. Due to these reasons, it is possible to coat any material on almost any solid material.

Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) Technique

The lifetimes of the machine parts and the life cycles of tools are limited due to wear. Nowadays, in spite of the increasing demand for the same part to be produced, run-down times of production workbenches due to wear constantly increase the cost factor. That’s why, the delay of wear becomes more and more important in economic terms day by day. Instead of replacing the used tool and mold parts with more expensive ones, improving the friction and wear properties of the part surface brings an economical and more practical approach to the problem. Thin film hard ceramic coatings provide great success in this field.

PVD coating technique is the most important one of the methods in which hard ceramic coatings can be successfully applied on mold and tool surfaces. This technique is based on the principle of ionic accumulation of materials under vacuum by being evaporated and/or sputtered on the surface, to which the coating is to be applied.

Advantages of PVD coatings

  • High hardness (2400-4000 HV) (~ 80-90 HRc)
  • High abrasion resistance
  • Low friction coefficient (high surface lubricity)
  • Reduced tool heating due to low thermal conductivity
  • Resistance to chemical environments
  • Increased surface quality of the machined parts
  • Preventing the processed parts from adhering to the tool-mold surface
  • No change in dimensions due to coating thickness at micron level
  • Decrease in tool cost per piece due to increased tool physical life
  • Decreasing in workbench downtime periods since tool change frequency are decreased
  • Obtaining homogeneous coating thickness in each area

PVD Coatings

High quality PVD coating is produced in our company with the use of Platit PVD coating system. > PVD coating Technology

Coating NameChemical compositionHardness (HV)Friction co-efficient*Thickness (μm)Degradation temperature (°C)ColorProperties
Super TiNTiN based26000,402 – 5600Golden yellowGeneral purpose use, wide application area, all mechanical-chemical properties are at medium level
AntrazitTiCN based38000,251 – 4400Violet-GreyHigh hardness, low friction co-efficient, medium temperature resistance
Zafir PlusAlTiN based36000,551 – 4900Black-PurpleHigh hardness, high oxidation resistance, high heat hardness
Moldex ExtraCrN based24000,352 – 10700Silver GreyLow friction co-efficient, high surface quality, very high coating toughness, feature of being thick-applied
OnyxAlCrN based36000,501 – 71000Fume GreyHigh hardness, high heat hardness, high oxidation resistance, suitable for insufficient cooling and dry chip removal
PreventaTiSiN based42000,501 – 41100BronzeVery high hardness, very high heat hardness, excellent oxidation resistance, suitable for chip removal and dry cutting from hard material, Nano-composite structure
PotentaTiCrN based30000,301 – 7600Golden yellowIt includes intermediate phases in inter ceramic bind structure, having low friction feature, in its body.
AlternaZrN based30000,301 – 5450Bright yellowExcellent surface properties, very high adhesive abrasion, adhesion, winding resistance
Lubrica TopAlTiCrN based37000,502 – 10950Black-PurpleHigh hardness, low friction co-efficient, high toughness, high temperature resistance, high heat hardness
Lubrica TriboAlCrTiN based37000,302 – 10900Blue-GreyLubrica Tribo PVD coating, it is the version of Lubrica Top coating whose surface properties have been improved, and friction co-efficient of which has been decreased.
Mold PlastTiN based26000,400,5 – 2600Golden yellowHigh hardness, low friction co-efficient, high toughness, high temperature resistance, high heat hardness

Which PVD coating should I choose?

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