When using PVD coatings in a tooling application, the primary motivation is very simple: to lower your cost-per-part manufacturing costs. Our customers consistently experience a longer tool life while also being able to operate at increased speeds and feeds. The savings calculation becomes very easy: reduced down-time for PM and/or tool changes + increased production rates + decreased tooling costs due to increased tooling life with coating = significant and tangible savings for your company. The savings generated by the use of these coatings fall right to the bottom line as profit for the company

While all of our coatings have some variation in their properties in order to augment their performance in specific applications, there are two main properties that are fundamental to all of our coatings: high micro-hardness and lubricity (low coefficient of friction). The average relative micro-hardness of our PVD coatings would be well over 80 Rc. When this hardness is compared to 58-62 Rc of tool steel, 62-65 Rc of HSS, or 70-76 Rc of carbide, one gets a clearer picture of the comparative hardness of our coatings. This higher hardness gives cutting tools, forming tools, and wear components much greater protection against abrasive wear. As for lubricity, the Coefficient of Friction of our coatings can be significantly lower than the un-coated tool substrates. For forming tools, this lowered Coefficient of Friction means that tools work with less force due to reduced resistance. In cutting applications, reduced friction means less heat is generated during the machining process, thereby slowing the breakdown of the cutting edge. In slide wear applications, the coatings greatly reduce the tendency of materials to adhere this reduces friction and allows for more unrestricted movement.

In many applications, conservative estimates would range from 2-3 times the life of an un-coated tool; however, some applications have shown increases in tool life that exceed 10 times that of an un-coated tool.

This is a question without an “easy” answer. There are many variables that must be taken into consideration when choosing the best coating process and composition for a customer’s application: workpiece material, failure mode, tool substrate, and tool tolerances are just a few. PVD coating, due to its relatively low processing temperatures, is suitable for a much wider range of substrates and applications. This is largely due to its lower processing temperatures (200°C-510°C) and average coating thicknesses of 2-5 microns. These characteristics, among others, make PVD coatings a better choice for applications where close tolerances need to be held, and for base materials that are sensitive to higher temperature ranges. Lower process temperatures mean zero distortion will be observed on most materials, as long as proper draw temperatures are utilized.

PVD is a line-of-sight process; therefore, it is possible to mask areas in order to prevent them from receiving coating deposition. When custom masking fixtures are required, our in-house machine shop is able to respond quickly in order to meet the customer's needs.

Please contact us regarding the feasibility and costs related to masking for your particular application.

Assembled parts cannot be coated with any of our coating processes. Parts must be fully disassembled prior to sending for coating. There can be no plastic, rubber, nylon, glue or tape in or on any part. Polishing compounds and excessive oil or lubricants must also be removed.

The average thickness of our various PVD coatings is 2-5 microns.

The standard processing temperatures for our PVD coatings can range from 200°C-400°C depending upon the particular coating being deposited. Please note that we recommend draw temperatures of 400°C+ in order to avoid distortion or hardness changes. If these draw temperatures are not possible for your parts, then we recommend you contact us for special instructions in order to provide for the safe processing of your parts.

High Speed Steels, carbides, and a wide variety of tool steels and stainless steels are among the most commonly coated materials for all of these processes.

The average turn-around time for functional PVD coatings ranges from 2-5 working days, depending upon the specific coating composition.

We have de-coating processes available for removing all of our coatings. These processes remove only the coating layers and, in most cases, do not adversely affect tool substrates. There may be some limitations to de-coating certain compositions from carbide substrates.

YES, PVD is a super-hard coating that is by far the most durable coating available today. Superior quality that will out last any traditional finish.

The PVD coating will not level or fill like an electroplated finish so surface imperfections will still be visible after the coating process. Polished or mirror surfaces are used to produce PVD polished finishes and brushed or satin surfaces to produce satin or matt PVD finishes.

Most of the industry standards are based on neutral salt spray (ASTM B117) or CASS (Copper-Accelerated Acetic Acid-Salt Spray)(ASTM-B368). Zirconium Nitride (ZrN) has shown to surpass 1200 hours of neutral salt spray and over 150 hours CASS on electroplated brass.

PVD maintenance is simple. You can use a soft cloth with mild soap and water. Avoid all products designed to remove tarnish or rust, and contain hydrochloric, hydrofluoric, and/or phosphoric acid or caustic agents. Also avoid bleach and scouring pads (such as Scotch Brite®).

Product must be received clean: completely disassembled, free of adhesive, oil, grease, powders and polishing compounds.

Our systems are capable of high volume coatings. Load Diameter = 500 mm. Load Height = 700 mm. Load Mass = 700 kg.

Coating failure usually can be traced to two major problems areas: poor substrate and deficiencies in the coating process itself. Substrate problems include improper preparation (poor surface finish, incomplete cleaning), weak or soft substrate (wrong material selection or insufficient heat treatment). Coating process problems include uniformity problems (inconsistent or inadequate thickness; porosity; macro particles, impurities, or columnar structures within the coating), and adhesion problems (peeling or wearing off due to substandard or extremely hot application processes).

Many coatings require temperatures in excess of 980ºC for extended periods. This can anneal tool steel, compromise physical properties, and cause components to warp. Some customers have told us they previously had to make several parts in order to ensure that they would have one usable item after coating. The patented PVD coating process goes on at 510ºC, very low compared to most high-performance coating processes. This typically eliminates the need for rework after coating.

PVD coatings are applied using a modified line-of-sight operation. Generally, this means that all working surfaces can be coated, including holes to a depth up to two times the diameter. For more radical profiles and complex features, contact your PVD coating representative.

While PVD coatings can improve the toughness of nearly any metal, critical applications call for better materials. High-performance tool steels or carbides, with a fine surface finish, are the best choice for extreme applications. In addition, the ideal material would have a final tempering temperature higher than 520ºC to prevent annealing during the coating process. The ultimate hardness and toughness of PVD coatings are related to the hardness of the substrate.

Surface finish also will affect coating performance. A finer surface finish will allow a more uniform layer of coating to be applied. In general, you should specify a slightly better surface finish than usual. This will ensure maximum coating adhesion, toughness, and lubricity. An exception to this would be applications that require friction, such as thread rolling dies. In these cases, talk to a PVD coating expert about strategies for increasing friction while improving toughness.

For extreme stress applications such as metal forming or stamping, tool steels with an annealing temperature lower than 520ºC should be avoided to ensure that hardness and grain structure are not compromised during the coating process. In other applications, such as components subjected only to abrasive wear, substrate hardness is less critical

Many coatings require temperatures in excess of 980ºC for extended periods. This can anneal tool steel, compromise physical properties, and cause components to warp. Some customers have told us they previously had to make several parts in order to ensure that they would have one usable item after coating. The patented PVD coating process goes on at 510ºC, very low compared to most high-performance coating processes. This typically eliminates the need for rework after coating.

PVD has both extreme hardness and good toughness. Also, it is less brittle than other similar coatings, due in part to its uniform, nano-crystalline structure. Other coating processes often produce very large macro particles, pores, or columnar structures within the coating. These act as stress concentrators, weakening the coating and decreasing its useful life. PVD's patented application process produces a more uniform coating structure with virtually no defects.

Critical load is a measure of toughness. In extreme-stress machine tools, such as roll forming, forging, and heading dies, PVD extends tool life significantly by increasing the allowable critical load. Surface hardness is increased without brittleness, allowing components to withstand higher mechanical loads and longer load cycles. Because of its highly uniform structure, PVD is actually more flexible (less brittle) than other coatings—more able to “roll with the punches” without losing adhesion. Because it has more “stretch” than other coatings, it has better ability to withstand repeated impact.

A key benefit of PVD's nano-crystalline microstructure is its low coefficient of friction. PVD has a COF (coefficient of friction) of less than 0.1 under properly lubricated conditions in an oxidizing environment. PVD coating users report better release properties and fewer cosmetic rejects after coating molds used for silicone rubber, aluminium casting dies, and precision stamping dies. We also can help you with applications in which you must increase toughness while maintaining higher friction characteristics.

PVD coatings increase surface hardness and toughness and reduce friction. This combination, plus high hardness, makes treated surfaces extremely resistant to abrasion. PVD coating reduces abrasive wear in machine tools and engineered components used

Unlike hot-processed CVD coatings, which combine with carbon molecules from the substrate to form a hard layer, PVD coatings are a chemically complete coating, applied to a surface using a special high-adhesion process. Typical CVD coatings are applied above 980°C in order to increase diffusional activity within the substrate. During the CVD coating process, carbon atoms move to the surface and combine with the coating material to form a third compound. This can produce a hard coating, but there are drawbacks: only some of the substrate's carbon is available to migrate to the surface, and it can only travel a short distance. This means that as tools and coatings wear, the second application of a CVD coating usually lasts about 70 percent as long as the first application. A third application generally has a life of only 30 percent of the original tool. The free carbon molecules are all “used up” after that. When no more carbon can be leached to the surface, the process ceases to provide any benefits. PVD coating does not require diffusional action within the substrate to build a hard coating. Instead, the patented PVD process, with its unprecedented level of process control, applies a chemically complete layer of nano-sized particles onto the surface. The PVD coating does not require any carbon or other molecules from the substrate. This means that every re-coat of PVD has the same toughness, and lasts as long, as the first. Tool life is extended, and the chemical composition of the substrate remains the same, regardless of rework.

Large parts will usually be treated individually, but smaller, similar parts can be batch processed.

PVD's patented process begins with a substrate cleaning using an EPA- and OSHA-approved aqueous solvent bath. Parts are cleaned in an efficient closed-loop cleaning line that includes a hard-piped vapor recovery system to capture and return vapor emissions. To reduce chemical use to an absolute minimum, final substrate cleaning is performed electronically, with no emissions. Finally, the PVD coating is applied electronically within a vacuum chamber, producing no toxic by-products and releasing nothing into the atmosphere. The final product, a PVD ultraendurance coating, is inert, safe, and approved for food contact.