How to Choose Carbide Tool Coatings: TiN, TiCN, TiAlN, CrN, and DLC

In order to improve production efficiency, in addition to high-quality machine tools and excellent cutting tools are not enough, the "coating" of cutting tools is the key to improving cutting speed, achieving efficient processing and extending tool life. In the past half a century, the tool coating technology has been gradually upgraded. The coating is like the armor of the tool. It has a strong excellent protection, acid resistance, tool surface hardness and thermal stability coefficient, and can reduce the friction coefficient and have the characteristics of oxidation resistance and wear resistance.

【Two major tool coating technologies】

• CVD (chemical): Mainly used for hard and metal turning tool coatings, suitable for high-speed machining of medium-sized and heavy-duty cutting, with high speed and easy control; high permeability and uniformity, multi-layer coatings still maintain uniform thickness, and the process cost is low, which is suitable for mass production.
• PVD (Physical): Mainly suitable for integrated solid carbide tools and high-speed tool steel tools, used in carbide drills, milling cutters, taps and welding tools, etc.; PVD coating temperature is lower than the tempering temperature of high-speed tool steel, so it will not affect the dimensional accuracy and hardness, no heat treatment is required after coating, and the coating thickness is very thin to maintain the original accuracy!

【Coating type】

• TiN: the most common, with high hardness, high wear resistance and oxidation resistance; suitable for most cutting tools, forming dies and wear-resistant workpieces.
• TiCN: Lower internal stress, higher toughness and lubricity; suitable for processing environments requiring lower friction and high hardness.
• TiAIN: Good chemical stability, high hot hardness, oxidation resistance, wears resistance, suitable for dry cutting.
• CrN: Strong lubricity and high temperature resistance; suitable for copper cutting tools and coating of wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant parts.
• DLC: excellent wear resistance, corrosion resistance, extremely low friction coefficient; strong matrix binding force, usually used in conjunction with TiAIN as the matrix to process non-ferrous metals, stone mills and other materials.