A BRIEF REPORT ON HARD COATING OF TOOLS

ABSTRACT:

Present report covers new features of TiN TiA1N, etc. special coating on cutting tools. The
industrial tool coating procedures PVD and CVD have been explained in detail. Preparation of tool
surface for coating process is equally important for good adhesion and long life. The performance
of coated tools is critically examined in various applications under several parameters. These
results are graphically represented for better understanding. Different types of coatings having
different properties are discussed. The relative performances of various coatings are graphically
represented for milling cutters and drills.

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 CONTENTS

CHAPTER TITLE PAGE No.

INTRODUCTION

1. NECESSITY OF COATING 02
2. PREPARATIONS OF TOOLS FOR COATING PROCESS 03
3. TYPE OF COATING DEPOSITION 05
4. TYPES OF PROCESS 06
5. TYPES OF COATINGS 14
6. APPLICATION AN PERFORMANCE OF COATED 20
TOOLS
7. CONCLUSION 24
REFERENCES 25

2
INTRODUCTION:

Wearing of machine tools is a major problem in machining industry. Since more and more
processes are automated and interlinked wearing of individual parts hinder the process. The
increasing time raises the cost of the products. Hence wear protection is essential from the
economic viewpoint. Multilayers coating of mechanical resistant materials (hard coating) have
proved successful in increasing the life of machine tools.

It is proved for a long time that nitrates and carbides of certain compounds are very hard.
These materials exhibit good sliding behaviour and extremely high resistance to wear. Though
these materials are brittle and fracture susceptible in bulk solid state they exhibit totally different
properties when coated in thin film form.

Thin coating of nitrates and carbides on steel and other tools confirm to the toughness of the
base material. Due to these coatings extremely hard, abrasion resistant surfaces are produced. The
coating increases the toughness of the surface (wear resistance) secondly, certain coatings like
titanium nitrate (TIN) gives attractive golden appearance to the surface. This property is used in
increasing the appearance of the finished product.

With this data at hand an extensive study of the hard coating processes is under taken in the
present seminar. The coating processes (CVD, PVD) are studies in details. The relative merits and
demerits of these processes are compared. The increase in tool life as a result of coating is
compared from standard data. Attempt is also made to explain the physical significance of increase
in strengths. Essential diagrams and industrial data from standard source supplement the present
study.

Deposition of hard thin films with a few microns in thickness is a common technology
improve the performance of tools, dies, and molds for many different applications. Starting with
thermally activated chemical vapor deposition (CVD), different methods have been developed
including plasma-assisted physical vapor deposition (PVD), plasma-assisted chemical vapor
deposition (PACVD) and laser-assisted methods like pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The
importance of wear-resistant hard coatings is given by the following facts. About 90% of all

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indexable inserts for metal cutting, based on cemented carbide substrates, are coated for wear
protection by CVD or PVD techniques, with PVD being used in about 25% of the cases. The
important issue for the future is not which deposition technology is used, but instead which
properties can be achieved at which production cost, this is where the need for micro-structural
design enters into the field.

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 CHAPTER#1

1.1 CONCEPT OF CUTTING:

Cutting is the separation of a physical object, or a portion of a physical object, into two
portions, through the application of an acutely directed force. Cutting is a compressive and
shearing phenomenon, and occurs only when the total stress generated by the cutting implement
exceeds the ultimate strength of the material of the object being cut. The simplest applicable
equation is stress = force/area: The stress generated by a cutting implement is directly
proportional to the force with which it is applied, and inversely proportional to the area of contact.
Hence, the smaller the area (i.e., the sharper the cutting implement), the less force is needed to cut
something.

Fig.2.1 Concept of Cutting.

In the context of machining, a cutting tool (or cutter) is any tool that is used to remove
material from the work piece by means of shear deformation. Cutting may be accomplished by
single-point or multipoint tools. Single-point tools are used in turning, shaping, plaining and
similar operations, and remove material by means of one cutting edge. Milling and drilling tools
are often multipoint tools. Grinding tools are also multipoint tools. Each grain of abrasive
functions as a microscopic single-point cutting edge (although of high negative rake angle), and
shears a tiny chip.

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 Cutting tools must be made of a material harder than the material which is to be cut, and
the tool must be able to withstand the heat generated in the metal-cutting process. Also, the tool
must have a specific geometry, with clearance angles designed so that the cutting edge can contact
the work piece without the rest of the tool dragging on the work piece surface. The angle of the
cutting face is also important, as is the flute width, number of flutes or teeth, and margin size. In
order to have a long working life, all of the above must be optimized, plus the speeds and feeds at
which the tool is run.

1.2BASIC METAL CUTTING

THEORY:

The usual conception of cutting suggests clearing

the substance apart with a thin knife or wedge. When
metal is cut the action is rather different and although
the tool will always be wedge shaped in the cutting area
and the cutting edge should always be sharp the wedge
angle will be far too great for it to be considered knife
shaped. Consequently a shearing action takes place
when the work moves against the tool.

Figure 2.2 Basic Metal Cutting Theory

Figure 4 shows a tool being moved against a fixed work piece. When the cut is in progress the chip
presses heavily on the top face of the tool and continuous shearing takes place across the shear
plane AB. Although the Figure shows a tool working in the horizontal plane with the work piece
stationary, the same action takes place with the work piece revolving and the tool stationary.

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1.3 CUTTING TOOLS & ITS CHARACTERISTICS:

Cutting tool is a device, used to remove the unwanted material from given work piece. For
carrying out the machining process, cutting tool is fundamental and essential requirement. A
cutting tool must have the following characteristics:

•Hardness:
The tool material must be harder than the work piece material. Higher the hardness, easier it is for
the tool to penetrate the work material.

•Hot hardness:
Hot Hardness is the ability of the cutting tool must to maintain its Hardness and strength at
elevated temperatures. This property is more important when the tool is used at higher cutting
speeds, for increased productivity.

•Toughness:
In spite of the tool being tough, it should have enough toughness to withstand the impact loads
that come in the start of the cut to force fluctuations due to imperfections in the work material.
Toughness of cutting tools is needed so that tools don’t chip or fracture, especially during
interrupted cutting operations like milling etc.

• Wear Resistance:

The tool-chip and chip-work interface are exposed to severe conditions that adhesive and abrasion
wear is very common. Wear resistance means the attainment of acceptable tool life before tools
need to be replaced.

• Low friction:
The coefficient of friction between the tool and chip should be low. This would lower wear rates
and allow better chip flow.

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• Thermal characteristics:
Since a lot of heat is generated at the cutting zone, the tool material should have higher thermal
conductivity to dissipate the heat in shortest possible time; otherwise the tool temperature would
become high, reducing its life.

1.4 TOOL ANGLES:

There are three important angles in the construction of a cutting tool rake angle, clearance angle
and plan approach angle.

Figure 2.3 Main Features of a Single Point Cutting Tool.

1.4.1 RAKE ANGLE:

Rake angle is the angle between the top face of the tool and the normal to the work surface
at the cutting edge. In general, the larger the rake angle, the smaller the cutting force on the tool,
since for a given depth of cut the shear plane AB, shown in Figure 4 decreases as rake angle
increases. A large rake angle will improve cutting action, but would lead to early tool failure, since
the tool wedge angle is relatively weak. A compromise must therefore be made between adequate
strength and good cutting action.

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 Medium Mild
Metal Being Cut Cast Iron Hard Steel / Brass Aluminium
Carbon Steel Steel

Top Rake Angle 0° 8° 14° 20° 40°

Table1. Typical value for top rake angle

1.4.2 CLEARANCE ANGLE:

Clearance angle is the angle between the flank or front face of the tool and a tangent to the
work surface originating at the cutting edge. All cutting tools must have clearance to allow cutting
to take place. Clearance should be kept to a minimum, as excessive clearance angle will not
improve cutting efficiency and will merely weaken the tool. Typical value for front clearance angle
is 6° in external turning.

1.5 PLAN PROFILE OF TOOL:

The plan shape of the tool is often dictated by the shape of the
work, but it also has an effect on the tool life and the cutting
process. Figure 6 shows two tools, one where a square edge is
desired and the other where the steps in the work end with a
chamfer or angle. The diagram shows that, for the same depth of
cut, the angled tool has a much greater length of cutting edge in
contact with the work and thus the load per unit length of the edge
is reduced. The angle at which the edge approaches the work
should in theory be as large as possible, but if too large, chatter
may occur. This angle, known as the Plan Approach Angle, should Figure 2.4 Plan Approach

therefore be as large as possible without causing chatter. Angle

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 The trailing edge of the tool is ground backwards to give clearance and prevent rubbing and
a good general guide is to grind the trailing edge at 90° to the cutting edge. Thus the Trail Angle or
Relief Angle will depend upon the approach angle.

A small nose radius on the tool improves the cutting and reduces tool wear. If a sharp point is used
it gives poor finish and wears rapidly.

1.6 CHARACTERISTICS OF TOOL MATERIALS:

For efficient cutting a tool must have the following properties:

1. Hot Hardness:

This means the ability to retain its hardness at high temperatures. All cutting operations generate
heat, which will affect the tool¡¦s hardness and eventually its ability to cut.

2. Strength and Resistance to Shock:

At the start of a cut the first bite of the tool into the work results in considerable shock loading on
the tool. It must obviously be strong enough to withstand it.

3. Low Coefficient of Friction:

The tool rubbing against the work piece and the chip rubbing on the top face of the tool produce
heat which must be kept to a minimum.

1.7 TOOL MATERIALS IN COMMON USE:

1. High Carbon Steel

Contains 1 - 1.4% carbon with some addition of chromium and tungsten to improve wear
resistance. The steel begins to lose its hardness at about 250° C, and is not favored for modern
machining operations where high speeds and heavy cuts are usually employed.

2. High Speed Steel (H.S.S.)

Steel, which has a hot hardness value of about 600° C, possesses good strength and shock resistant
properties. It is commonly used for single point lathe cutting tools and multi point cutting tools
such as drills, reamers and milling cutters.

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3. Cemented Carbides

An extremely hard material made from tungsten powder. Carbide tools are usually used in the
form of brazed or clamped tips. High cutting speeds may be used and materials difficult to cut with
HSS may be readily machined using carbide tipped tool.

1.8 TOOL LIFE EXPECTANCY:

The Taylor Equation for Tool Life Expectancy provides a good approximation.

Vc× Tn = C

A more general form of the equation is

Where

• Vc=cutting speed

• T=tool life

• D=depth of cut

• F=feed rate

• x and y are determined experimentally

• n and C are constants found by experimentation or published data; they are properties of
tool material, work piece and feed rate.

For high-speed steel tools the value of C ranges from 0.14 to 0.1 and for carbide tools the value
would be 0.2.

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1.9 TOOL WEAR:
Tool wear describes the gradual failure of cutting tools due to regular operation. It is a term often
associated with tipped tools, tool bits, or drill bits that are used with machine tools.

Types of wear include:

• Flank wear in which the portion of the tool in contact with the finished part erodes. Can be
described using the Tool Life Expectancy equation.

• Crater wear in which contact with chips erodes the rake face. This is somewhat normal for
tool wear, and does not seriously degrade the use of a tool until it becomes serious enough
to cause a cutting edge failure.

Can be caused by spindle speed that is too low or a feed rate that is too high. In orthogonal cutting
this typically occurs where the tool temperature is highest. Crater wear occurs approximately at a
height equaling the cutting depth of the material. Crater wear depth ~ t0 t0= cutting depth

• Built-up edge in which material being machined builds up on the cutting edge. Some
materials (notably aluminum and copper) have a tendency to anneal themselves to the
cutting edge of a tool. It occurs most frequently on softer metals, with a lower melting
point. It can be prevented by increasing cutting speeds and using lubricant. When drilling it
can be noticed as alternating dark and shiny rings.

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• Glazing occurs on grinding wheels, and occurs when the exposed abrasive becomes dulled.
It is noticeable as sheen while the wheel is in motion.

• Edge wear, in drills, refers to wear to the outer edge of a drill bit around the cutting face
caused by excessive cutting speed. It extends down the drill flutes, and requires a large
volume of material to be removed from the drill bit before it can be corrected.

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 CHAPTER # 2

2.1 NECESSITY OF COATING:

The industrialists had to increase their production, due to pressure to ever increasing human
needs. This lead to improve and innovations in the existing technology, which in turn helped to
increase the productivity and efficiency then existing units.

Industrial production is largely dependent on the state of technology and its advancements.
Machinery and tools play a vital role in production process. In fact it is the key factor for
improving productivity. This motivated the scientists and technicians to think of modifying and
improving tools.

In the year 1984, the process of coating tools was first introduced. This was important
landmark in the history of industrially advanced countries. Even though the tool existed in the
olden days, they were far inferior and suffered from many drawbacks, some of them are-
i) Firstly, tools were short lived; they were used to become useless after one use.
ii) This lead to enormous wastage of material and labour, the cost of which could not imagine.
iii) Need for changing and resetting the new tools every now and then was the main hurdle in
the productivity as there was lot of wastage of time for changing and resetting the tools.

These all drawbacks lead to the invention of coating tools which has helped to increase the
productivity nearly 2.5 times than the original. Thus, coating process is boon for the modern
industry.

2.2 METHODS FOR IMPROVING TOOL LIFE:

Surface coating technologies for tool steels are numerous some of which are summarized
below, these type of surface coatings find use in drills, reamers, bore cutters, shank cutters, taps,
milling tools and some of dies.

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2.2.(a) Steam Tempering:
Steam tempering gives a strongly adhering blue oxide surface, which acts to retain cutting fluid
and prevent chip to tool welding and thereby counteract the formation of built up edge. Steam
tempering can be applied to any bright tool but finds application mainly on drills and taps.

2.2.(b) Bronze Finish:

A bronze finish is a thin oxide layer formed on the tool surface and it is applied principally to
cobalt high-speed steels.

2.2.(c) Nitriding:

Nitriding is a process, which is used to increase the hardness and wear resistance of the surface of
a tool. Particularly suitable for taps that are used on abrasive materials such as castings, Bakelite,
and the like. Nitriding is used on twist drills when it is desirable to increase the strength and wear
resistance of the cylindrical lands.

2.2.(d) Hard Chromium Plating:

Hard chromium plating under specific condition increases the surface hardness significantly,
achieving values of up to 68Rc. It is especially suitable when tapping structural grade steels,
carbon steels, copper, brass, etc.

2.2.(e) Titanium Nitride Coating (TiN):

Titanium nitride is a gold colored ceramic coating applied by Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD).
High hardness combined with low friction properties ensure considerably longer service life or
alternatively better cutting performance from tools, which have been coated. TiN coatings are
used mainly for drills and taps.

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2.2.(f) Titanium Carbo Nitride Coating (TiCN):

Titanium carbo nitride is a ceramic coating applied by PVD coating technology. TiCN is harder
than TiN and has a lower coefficient of friction. Its hardness and toughness in combination with
good wear resistance ensure that it finds its principal application in the field of milling to enhance
the performance of milling cutters.

2.2.(g) Titanium Aluminum Nitride Coating (TiAlN):

Titanium aluminium nitride coatings, also called aluminium titanium nitride consist of a multi
layer ceramic coating applied by PVD coating technology, which exhibits high toughness and
oxidation stability. These properties make it ideal for higher speeds and feeds whilst at the same
time improving tool life. TiAlN is suitable for drilling and tapping. It is recommended to use
TiAlN when machining dry.

2.2.(h)TiAlN – X:

TiAlN - X is a Titanium aluminium nitride coating, which incorporates the latest developments in
surface coating technology. The high aluminium content of the coating combined with nanometer
layering techniques ensures a unique blend of high temperature resistance, hardness and toughness.
This coating finds application on milling cutters which are intended to run without coolant and
when milling materials with high hardness.

2.2.(i) Chromium Nitride Coating (CrN):

CrN is an excellent coating for aluminium alloys and low-alloyed steel materials. CrN can also be
used as an alternative on titanium and Nickel alloys. This coating has a low tendency for built up
edges. Hardness values of 1750HV are common.

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2.2(j) Super-R Coating:

Super R is a coating specific to the milling operation. It exhibits low internal stress, high toughness
and wear resistance, whilst demonstrating excellent oxidation resistance, thanks to the high
oxidation temperature of the coating.

2.2(k) Zirconium Nitride Coating (ZrN):

Zirconium Nitride is a ceramic coating applied by PVD coating technology. It exhibits a

combination of properties, which make it attractive when tapping aluminum and aluminium alloys.

2.2(l) Dialub (Diamond Like Coating):

Dialub is an amorphous diamond coating with extremely low coefficient of friction and high
hardness. This coating is specially developed for tapping aluminium alloys with low Si-content.

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 CHAPTER # 3

PREPARATIONS OF TOOLS FOR COATING PROCESS

3.1 SURFACE PREPARATION:

Coating improves only top quality tools. Tools with coarse and rough surfaces may not
perform as designed after coating, since the coating material may wear unevenly over the high
spots finely ground surfaces free from burrs grinding burns, grinding resides glazing and cracking
provide optimum coating adhesion. The coating centre may reject tools showing any of these
problems.
Polishing, burnishing, and buffing should be carried out to avoid incorporating abrasive
compounds into the substrate trapped compounds can cause coating adhesion problems.

Over polishing and EDMing both leave residual stress in the tool. Subjecting the tool to
PVD temperatures will relieve those stresses, which can cause the warping or dimensional changes.
Residual stress should be relieved before the tools is shipped for coating by heat treating it to 500F
less than the ideal tempering temperature.

Once the tools have safely arrived at the coating centre, they undergo a final inspection and
cleaning immediately prior to coating. Incoming inspection verifies that the tools received match
those described on the purchase order, and no tools have been lost in transit. The tools then are
checked visually to make sure they are undamaged and free from contamination or inappropriate
surface treatments. The coating centre should notify the customer immediately if there is any
problem with the tools.

At the time the tool enters the coating chamber it must be entirely free of paints, corrosion
products, oxide films, or any other compound that is capable of vaporising during the coating
process. Vaporised organic material can either interface directly with the process of laying down
the coating or contaminate the purity of the coating itself.

Cleaning cum involve thermal and chemical processes that are proprietary to each coating
centre. However, any steps the tools manufacturer or each user can take to ensure the cleanliness

18
and appropriateness of the tool prior to shipment will make the final cleaning process is complete.
The tools are handled only with gloves in a semi-clean-room operation.

The most important steps in successful coating actually are taken along before the tool
enters the coating chamber.

3.2 TYPE OF COATING DEPOSITION:

5. TYPES OF PROCESSES

S.No: Type of Coating Method of Coating

PVD method Cluster Ion Beam method

1.
(100-500c) Cathode Ion method

CVD method Arc Evaporation method

2.
(800-1100c) Arc & HCD joint method

Sputtering
Plasma CVD method Ion mixing
3.
(300-700c) (Ion implementation & Evaporation)

Table 2 Type of Coatings

3.3 Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD):

CVD is an atmosphere-controlled process carried out at temperature in the range off 950c
to 1050c. Tools to be coated are first prepared by polishing, honing (putting radius on the cutting
edge) and cleaning. If an uncoated tool performs best with polished surface, polishing of tools must
be done before coating, as the thin coating will replicate the surface of the tool. high temp. and the
HCL environment affect the substratum surfaces so that unusually a zone consisting of both
metaphase and free carbon is found. When applied to carbide inserts engaged in continuous cutting,

19
both cutting speeds and tool life can be increased substantially. However, when applied under
interrupted. Cutting conditions, minute chipping often occurs, as a result of loss of impact strength
caused by the era phase layer. For this reason pre-honed edges are recommended. the size of the
hardness of the substrate unlike PVD coating, CVD is not a line of sight process and hence the pats
can be stacked on trays. The CVD process being a gaseous process and hence the parts can be
stacked on trays. The CVD process being a gaseous process results in a tool, which is, coated
uniformly all over, this included blind slots and blind holes.

Cleaned tools ready to be coated are staged on pre-coated graphite shelves and loaded
on to a central gas distribution column (tree) inside the retort of the CVD reactor. The tools are
heated under an inert atmosphere until the coating temp. is reached. The reactants are titanium tetra
chloride plus methane to produce titanium carbide and titanium tetrachloride plus nitrogen to
produce titanium nitrate. A large volume of hydrogen is used as a carrier gas.

3.3.1 Chemical Reaction:

Ticl4 + CH4 Heat (1000c) Tic + 4HCL
2TiCl4 +N2 + 4H2 Heat (1000c) 2Tin +8HCLI
The HCL gas, which is the bye-product of the chemical reaction, is discharged from
the CVD reactor into scrubber when it is neutralised.
The resulting deposition is generally of course morphology and then is little of no
diffusion observed in the microstructure. Tic and Tin nucleate and grow on the carbides present in
the high-speed steel.

3.3.2 Materials Restrictions:

Experience has shown that a minimum of 5% carbon 1.5% chromium and 1% tungsten,
vanadium or molybdenum is necessary to provide a continuous network for good coating coverage.
The process and resultant coating dictate which coating process to use different tools. Most fastener
tooling applications will perform best when CVD coated process considerations including tool
geometry, tooling, material, lubrication and coating process all play key role in the subsequent
performance of the coated tool and the important in tool life, surface finish and economics of
coating process.

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3.4 Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD):

Physical vapour deposition is done well below the tempering temperature of tool
steel, protecting the metallurgy and properties of the substrate. A pre-determined coating thickness
is predictably achieved within +0.5 microns.

There are three different PVD methods currently in use.

They are:
1) REACTIVE SPUTTERING
2) REACTIVE ION PLATING
3) ARC EVAPORATION

PVD processes are carried out under a high vacuum, with the work piece heated to
temperature in the range of 250C to 450C. Surface heating enhances the adhesion of coatings
ARC evaporation technique adopted by IONVAC is more effective and versatile than sputter and
ion plating.
The arc evaporator and the cathode spot. Normal arcs in a gas atmosphere between a
negative cathode and positive anode with low voltage (order of magnitude 20V) and high ampere
(order of magnitude 100A) are generally well known. However, in a low-pressure atmosphere or a
vacuum an arc with the same electrical characteristics changes its physical appearance at the
cathode it moves around attacking only small spots of micro-millimetres in diameter the so called
cathode sports in the immediate vicinity. It is possible to trace the path of the arc moving very
quickly over the cathode. The total electrical power of the arc concentrated in one such microscope
cater of a cathode spot -causes momentary power densities in order of 10 9 W/cm2.As a result the
solid cathode material is suddenly evaporated; the vapour particles are ionised several times and
accelerated tremendously in a heated ion cloud in front of the cathode spot the so-called plasma.
The principle of cathode erosion is shown diagrammatically.

Mostly ionised vapour is emitted although there are individual emissions of molten
droplets, some of which are incorporated in the coating. Since the vapour particles are produced are
produced form the solid cathode material the physical arrangement of cathode in a vacuum

21
chamber can be varied. The vast acceleration of the ions is particularly striking .The energy content
of the emitted vapour cloud is more than 100 times higher than for conventional evaporation from a
crucible even before the ions have additionally accelerated by bias voltages. A distinctive feature
is that coatings deposited at coating temperatures of 200C are characterised by good adhesion.
This means that a number of steels (cold worked steels) can be coated without loss of hardness or
distortion.

In PVD equipment e.g. TiN coating the cathode is a solid piece of titanium with a simple
circular or rectangular shape. The vacuum chamber walls act as the anode. The arc is ignited with
an ignition trigger as a result of brief contact with the cathode. Static magnetic field behind the
cathode assures uniform cathode erosion over the entire surface in the case of an uncontrolled arc
the so-called ‘random’ arc. Locally variable magnetic field arc used if one wishes to control the
arc’s erosion at the cathode surface. This technique the so-called “steered” arc has been technically
developed to such an extent in recent years that the path of the erosion of the cathode spot over the
surface can be controlled in a reproducible manner. Another feature of the steered arc is that it
reduces the surface roughness of produced coating and offers promising application possibilities for
cathodes made up of segments of different materials.

The flow of material from the cathode to the substrate: Erosion of the cathode by a vacuum
arc causes a flow of material in three forms of ions uncharged metal vapour and molten metal
vapour and molten metal micro particles (droplets).In the case of titanium the contribution of mass
flow in the form of ions to total erosion rate is approximately 80 multicharged ions are
predominant in the general plasma.

Ion with five or six unit charges detected in materials with a high melting point (e.g.
tungsten and molybdenum).

Another feature of arc evaporator is the emission of droplets, which decrease as the
melting point of the material to be evaporated increases. However, methods are now available for
influencing droplet, (which primarily form in the ion bombardment phase before the actual coating
process). The performance of the coated tool depends on the respective application case.

22
 The role of the droplets should not be overheated in the case of machining and coating tools
since are coated tools attaining a very long life even if droplets are present. Adhesion,
stochiometry, coating thickness distribution and stress condition are more important coating
features which govern the performance of coated tools. In case of forming tools the higher coating
surface roughness resulting from droplets can have an effect. However, the surface quality attained
after a subsequent quality-finishing step. Which is normal to practice for forming tools permits the
successful use of tools also for this application.

Formation of hard coating: prior to actual hard coating any microscopically thin
oxide films and impurities adhering to edge substrate are removed by intensive ion bombardment at
high bias voltage. During subsequent coating the high ion current density of ARC PVD process
ensures the loosely adhering coating particles are removed that the hard coating is compressed. The
effect of ions can be compared to the coating being carefully hammered on to the surface of the
component. This compression also ensures that the chemically correct amount of nitrogen is always
exactly included –ARC PVD coatings are stoichiometic and largely independent of the adjust
nitrogen pressure.

However, the most significant advantage of the Arc process is that adhesive layers
can be deposited at substance temperatures at around 200C. This again is due to uniform high-
energy ion bombardment the substrate surface is changed microscopically to a depth of a few
nanometer to create ideal growth conditions for the hard material which actually alloys with the
surface. Uniform ion bombardment during coating leads to a favourable stress pattern in the hard
coating so that flanking and micocracks are avoided and to repeat this all take place at low coating
temperatures too.

The excellent adhesion of the arc coating is demonstrated clearly when compared to
other ion-plated coatings.

3.5 FEATURES OF THE INOVAC COATINGS:

➢ SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN HARDNESS

➢ EXTREMELY DENSE STRUCTURE
➢ LOW COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION

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 ➢ CHEMICALLY STABLE & INERT
➢ LOW TENDENCY TO STICK & WELD
➢ LOW CUTTING FORCES
➢ REDUCTION OF POWER CONSUMPTION
➢ INCREASE FEED
➢ AVOIDANCE OF FORMATION OF BUILT-UP EDGES
➢ IMPROVED SURFACE QUALITY OF THE PARTS
➢ LONGER LIFE TIME OF OFTEN USED REGROUND TOOLS
➢ INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY
➢ FAVOURABLE COST-PERFORMANCE RATIO

PVD At A Glance:

This micrograph shows a cross section of a TiAIN-coated turning insert .

Hard coatings have come a long way since the mid-1980s, when titanium nitride (TiN) was
first applied by the physical vapor deposition (PVD) process on cemented-carbide cutting tools.
These first-generation TiN-coated carbide tools were initially used in interrupted-cutting
applications such as the milling of steels. The superior milling performance of these PVD-coated
tools prompted their use in other machining applications, such as threading, grooving, and
parting, boring, and turning. A recent study reveals how three popular PVD coatings stack up in
the turning of three common work piece materials.

The continued success of PVD-coated tools led to the commercial development of second-
and third-generation PVD coatings. Tools coated with titanium carbonitride (TiCN) and titanium
aluminum nitride (TiAlN) offer higher hardness, toughness, and wear resistance for better
machining productivity. While the superior performance of these later-generation coatings has
been seen in the field, research is needed to determine exactly how these coatings enhance

24
performance and to identify those applications and cutting conditions that benefit most from the
coatings’ properties. Researchers at Kennametal Inc., Latrobe, PA, have critically assessed the
relative merits of PVD TiN, TiCN, and TiAlN coatings on a cemented-carbide substrate in the
turning of a variety of work piece materials. The metal cutting results are considered in relation to
the physical, chemical, mechanical, and micro structural properties of the coated tools.

PUTTING PVD COATINGS TO THE TEST

The hard-metal composition employed for the insert substrate in this study was a WC-6% Co
alloy. This material has a room-temperature hardness of 1770 HV30. The CNGP 12 04 08 inserts
were manufactured by conventional powder-metallurgy techniques. The positive rake in this
geometry, coupled with a sharp edge, reduces cutting forces. With PVD coating, this geometry is
employed in finish-machining applications.

TiN and TiCN coatings were applied to the inserts by the ion-plating technique. A high-
ionization magnetron-sputtering process was employed to deposit the TiAlN coating. All coatings
had a nominal thickness of 3.0µm to 3.5µm.

UTS (MPa) YS (MPa) El. (%) H (Bhn)

Inconel 718 1450 1210 20 330

Medium-Carbon Steel 730 450 24 210

Ductile Cast Iron 550 380 6 240

Table 1: Properties of work piece materials tested.

The researchers evaluated the PVD-coated inserts in the turning of Inconel 718, medium-
carbon steel (SAE 1045), and ductile cast iron. These materials varied widely in such properties
as tensile strength, hardness, and ductility (Table 1).

The researchers machined these materials at metal cutting parameters typically used in the
field. They conducted tests on Inconel 718 at speeds of 46m/min. and 76m/min., setting a feed
rate of 0.15mm/rev. and a depth of cut (DOC) of 1.50mm. For medium-carbon steel, cutting
speeds were 305m/ min. and 396m/min., the feed rate was 0.15mm/rev., and the DOC was
0.75mm. Ductile cast iron was tested at a speed of 244m/min., a feed rate of 0.20mm/rev., and a
DOC of 1.50mm. The researchers used flood coolant in all tests.

25
End-of-life criteria for the tools included either crater depth exceeding 0.10mm; uniform flank
wear of 0.40mm; or maximum flank wear, nose wear, or DOC notching (wear at the edge farthest
from the insert nose) exceeding 0.75mm.

TAKING A CLOSER LOOK:

The researchers studied the PVD coatings using optical, scanning, and transmission
electron microscopy (TEM) in cross section. They observed a high density of slip lines indicating
plastic deformation in the WC grains adjacent to the TiCN coating. These slip lines are believed
to be caused by the high residual growth stress generated in the TiCN coating during the PVD
process. In contrast, the WC grains did not reveal slip-line activity in the regions adjacent to the
TiAIN coating, suggesting low residual growth stress. The adhesion of the coatings to the hard-
metal substrate was good, with no flaking observed in scratch adhesion tests involving loads up to
60 N.

The researchers then determined the composition of the TiCN and TiAIN coatings in the
study. This is important because higher levels of carbon and aluminum can make a coating harder
and more wear resistant. The TiCN coating is actually a multilayer coating with thin inner and
outer layers of TiN. The approximate composition of the TiCN layer, as determined by Auger
analysis, is TiC0.3N0.7. The approximate composition of TiAIN as determined by EDS is
Ti0.55Al0.45N. These findings indicate that, in the case of TiCN, some of the nitrogen is replaced
by carbon, and in TiAIN, some of the titanium is replaced by aluminum.

As expected, all three coatings showed a face-centered cubic crystal structure. The
researchers examined the compressive stress generated during each coating process. It is desirable
for a coating to have slightly compressive stress. They observed the highest compressive stress in
the TiCN coating (3775 MPa) followed by TiN (3580 MPa). These stress values were calculated
from the elastic module of 570 and 640 GPa for TiCN and TiN, respectively. It was not possible
to obtain reliable stress measurements in the TiAlN coating because of low intensity of the high-
angle X-ray peaks and lack of reliable elastic-modulus data on TiAlN. However, during TEM
thin-foil preparation, TiAlN-coated foils showed much less bending than the TiN- or the TiCN-
coated foils, indicating much lower compressive stress in the TiAlN coating than in the TiN or

26
TiCN coatings.

Coatings 3.0µm to 3.5µm thick were deposited on hard-metal bars for three-point-bend
transverse rupture strength (TRS) tests. The researchers observed that the TRS of the coated hard-
metal test bars did not vary widely from the TRS of the uncoated WC-6% Co bar, which was
3523 ±200 MPa. In comparison, the TRS of the TiN-coated bar was 3475 ±248 MPa, the TRS of
the TiCN-coated bar was 3330 ±200 MPa, and the TRS of the TiAlN-coated bar was 3379 ±276
MPa. These measurements show that the PVD coatings have no deleterious effect on the TRS of
the bars. This indicates absence of gross columnar defects, porosity, or tensile stress in the
coatings.

Coatings 8µm thick were deposited on test bars for Vickers micro hardness
measurements. The researchers made hardness measurements using a 50gf indentation load.
Figure 1 shows the plot of Vickers micro hardness as a function of temperature from 25° to 1000°
C for the coatings. The TiCN coating has the highest hardness at room temperature, but above
750° C the TiAlN coating is harder than TiCN or TiN. At 1000° C, TiAlN is considerably harder
than TiCN and TiN. The higher hardness of TiCN and TiAlN compared to TiN may be partly
attributed to the effect of the solid solution of carbon or aluminum in the TiN lattice. In the TiCN
coating, some nitrogen is replaced with carbon; in the TiAlN coating, some titanium is replaced
with aluminum. The result is a harder coating that offers more wear resistance. In addition to the
solid-solution effect, the high compressive residual stress contributes to the hardness in the TiCN
coating.

Figure 1: Hot-hardness data for the three PVD

coatings in the study.

27
PUTTING THE COATINGS TO WORK:

After comparing the properties of the three PVD coatings, the researchers conducted metal
cutting tests on the three work piece materials. Figure 2a shows tool life for identical carbide
substrates coated with TiN, TiCN, and TiAlN in the turning of Inconel 718. At cutting speeds of
46m/min. and 76m/min., TiCN- and TiAlN-coated tools performed significantly better than TiN-
coated tools. The end of tool life for all three coated tools was dictated by maximum flank wear
and nose wear. Figure 2b plots maximum flank wear as a function of time at a cutting speed of
46m/min. The researchers noted the excellent resistance to maximum flank wears of the TiAlN-
coated tools.

Not only did the TiAlN-coated tools show the lowest maximum flank wear, but they
exhibited lower nose wear and crater wear than tools coated with TiN and TiCN. The researchers
examined the used edges of the TiN-, TiCN-, and TiAlN-coated inserts after 5 minutes of cutting
at 46m/min. Although the TiAlN-coated tools showed a tendency for DOC notching, the end of
tool life was reached by maximum flank wear.

Figure 2: Metalcutting test results (a) for the wet turning of

Inconel 718 at speeds of 46m/min. and 76m/min., a feed rate of
0.15mm/rev., and a DOC of 1.50mm; wear curves (b) at the
slower speed.

28
 Figure 3a shows tool life for the three PVD-coated tools in the turning of SAE 1045 at
speeds of 305m/min. and 396m/ min. Again, the TiCN- and TiAlN-coated tools lasted longer. At
305m/ min., the tool life of TiAlN-coated tools exceeded 60 minutes and the test was terminated.
Figure 3b plots maximum flank wear as a function of cutting time at 305m/min. As in the case of
Inconel 718, the superior wear resistance of TiAlN relative to TiN and TiCN was apparent.

The researchers then examined the used edges of the tools after 15 minutes of cutting
medium-carbon steel at 305m/min. They noted the excellent crater-wear resistance of the TiAlN-
coated tools relative to the TiN- or TiCN-coated tools.

Figure 3: Metal cutting test results (a) for the wet turning of medium-carbon steel at speeds
of 305m/min. and 396m/ min., a feed rate of 0.15mm/rev., and a DOC of 0.76mm; wear
curves (b) at the slower speed.

29
 Figure 4a shows tool life for TiN-, TiCN-, and TiAlN-coated tools in the turning of
ductile cast iron at 244m/min. Again, the TiAlN-coated tools had the longest tool life, followed
by the TiN- and TiCN-coated tools. Figure 4b presents maximum flank wear as a function of
cutting time. The researchers noted the improved flank-wear resistance of TiCN and TiAlN
compared to TiN.

An examination of the used tool edges after 2 minutes of cutting ductile cast iron
revealed results similar to those for medium-carbon steel. The TiN- and TiCN-coated tools
showed more crater wear than the TiAlN-coated tools.

Figure 4: Metal cutting test results (a) and wear curves (b) for the wet turning of ductile cast
iron at a speed of 244m/min., a feed rate of 0.15mm/rev., and a DOC of 1.50mm.

The researchers then sought to determine why the TiCN- and TiAlN-coated tools
performed significantly better than the TiN-coated tools in the turning of all three work piece
materials in this study. They also attempted to explain why the metal cutting performance of
TiAlN- and TiCN-coated tools relative to TiN was even greater at higher speeds than at lower

30
speeds.

WEAR’S THE PROBLEM:

The three most important material characteristics that affect machining performance of
tools are fracture strength, resistance to plastic deformation, and resistance to wear (crater wear,
nose wear, flank wear, and DOC notching). For a given macro-geometry of the tool (insert style
and edge preparation), the composition and mechanical properties of the substrate typically
determine the fracture strength and deformation resistance of the tool material. Since the substrate
material was the same for all the coated tools, the observed differences in tool life and wear
behavior cannot be ascribed to the substrate.

Coatings primarily increase wear resistance, but they may also reduce cutting forces and
temperatures at the tool edge and thereby indirectly affect the deformation and fracture behavior
of the tool. Unlike the PVD process, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reduces the fracture
strength of the tool material due to interfacial eta-phase formation or the presence of grown-in
cracks due to tensile residual stresses in the coating. The results of the TRS tests with uncoated
and PVD-coated carbide bars revealed that PVD coatings produced no degradation in fracture
strength. This leads to the conclusion that tool-life differences between the PVD TiN-, TiCN-, and
TiAlN-coated tools should be related to the effect of these coatings on their wear behavior and,
consequently, on the deformation of the substrate.

The results of the wear-mechanisms study provide a clue to the sequence of events leading
to tool-edge failure. On all three work piece materials, cratering is observed first. Once the hard
coating wears off and exposes the substrate, the tool-tip temperatures, and possibly the cutting
forces, rise rapidly, leading to nose deformation and maximum flank wear.

There are several components to crater wear, including abrasive wear, dissolution wear,
and diffusion wear. Abrasive wear occurs as the chip rubs on the insert. Dissolution wear is the
chemical tendency of the tool material to dissolve in the work piece. Dissolution wear must
precede diffusion wear, which is the actual rate of atomic transfer between the tool and the work
piece. The degree to which the three coatings resist these components of crater wear can be
related to the differences in their mechanical, chemical, and thermal properties as a function of
temperature.

The TiAlN-coated tools showed the least tendency for cratering, which can be ascribed to

31
several factors. TiAlN has significantly higher hardness than TiN or TiCN above 750° C, which
will translate into improved resistance to the abrasive-wear component of crater wear for the
TiAlN-coated tools.

The dissolution component of crater wear is related to the chemical stability of the coating
material. Although TiAlN is thermodynamically unstable (the stable phases are mixtures of cubic
and hexagonal crystals of TiN and AlN), it exhibits good high-temperature stability at the tool-tip
temperatures encountered in metal cutting. (In continuous-cutting operations, the tool-tip
temperatures typically exceed 900° C.)

This high-temperature stability is a result of the tendency of the TiAlN coating to form a
protective outermost layer of Al2O3 and an intermediate layer comprised of titanium, aluminum,
oxygen, and nitrogen during the machining operation, leading to higher oxidation resistance.

Chemical dissolution of the tool material into the work piece becomes a significant wear
mechanism, especially at high temperatures. Other researchers have predicted the relative
dissolution-wear rates of the various coating materials in ferrous work pieces and shown that the
dissolution rates of Al2O3 and TiN are six and two orders of magnitude lower, respectively, than
TiC at 900° C. The higher crater-wear resistance of Al2O3 over TiN can thus be expected from the
above differences in dissolution rates. The higher crater resistance of the TiCN coating compared
to TiN can be attributed to the significantly higher resistance to the abrasive-wear component of
the TiCN coating.

Finally, TiAlN has been shown to have the lowest thermal conductivity among the three
coatings. This should result in lower tool-tip temperatures, as much of the heat generated during
machining would be carried away by the chip. As a result, the TiAlN coating imparts excellent
crater-wear resistance and consequently longer life.

This study has demonstrated that the high compressive residual stresses in ion-plated PVD
TiN- and TiCN-coated tools retard premature tool-edge chipping, thereby providing consistent
tool life. While the effect of compressive residual stresses may be less important in continuous
turning operations than in milling applications, they play a beneficial role in retarding abrasive
wear and DOC notching.

The researchers concluded that the tool-life improvement in TiAlN-coated tools results
from retardation of dissolution wear as well as abrasive wear. In TiCN-coated tools, the abrasive-

32
wear resistance predominates. The superior tool life of TiCN- and TiAlN-coated tools over TiN-
coated tools can be partly attributed to the solid-solution strengthening effect of either carbon or
aluminum in the TiN lattice. In the case of TiAlN coating, not only is the hot hardness increased
due to solid-solution strengthening, but the substituting aluminum atom imparts higher chemical
stability through the formation of a stable Al2O3 layer. These characteristics can, in turn, endow
the coated tool with higher resistance to abrasive wear and dissolution wear, thereby providing
longer tool life and higher speed capability on a broad range of work piece materials.

5.3 COMPARISON CHART OF CVD/PVD:

Point Chemical vapour Physical Vapour Deposition

Deposition

Coating structure Coarse grained structure Fine grained colummer structure

Coating temperature 950C to 1050C 350C to 450C

Coating thickness 4 to 10 micron 1 to 5 micron

Coating roughness Rz > 2 micron Like substrate finish

Influence on the Reduction in TRS value Not significant

substrate upto 20%

Internal stresses in the Tensile stresses Compressive stresses

coating

33
Mechanical Stability Slightly brittle deficiency Like substrate
of cutting Edge of carbon (Eta-phase)

Chapter # 04

TYPES OF COATINGS

34
4.1 Various Types of Hard Coatings:
There are various types of coatings in practical applications from them we have studies the
following types of coatings:

A) Titanium Nitride Coating(TiN)

B) Titanium carbo nitride coating(TiAIN)
C) Titanium carbo nitride coating(TiCN)
D) Diamond coating
E) Chromium carbide coating (CrC)
F) Chromium nitride coating (CrN)

4.1.A TITANIUM NITRIDE COATING:

Titanium ‘Nitride (Tin) is one of the best of the new ultra-hard coatings for gear cutting
tools. Press tools and other engineering tools and parts. The performance of HSS cutting tools can
be enhanced by TiN coating which give greater chip removal rates as well as INCREASED TOOL
LIFE. TiN coating virtually eliminates the formation of built-up edge, and also protects the base
material from abrasive wear. TiN can applied to finished precision tools by physical vapour
deposition (PVD) and chemical vapour deposition (CVD) which is widely employed the world
over.

IONVAC uses the physical vapour deposition (PVD) method, which offers considerable
technical and economical advantages over the chemical vapour deposition method.

Physical vapour deposition (PVD Arc) is a new process switch is accepted to provide
increased life and productivity for cutting and ornamental applications and of wear and corrosion.
This process can be applied to finished products without affecting prior metallurgy dimension
clearance surface finish, edge sharpness or degree of distortion.

Tin is a very hard wear resistant applied coating which has been shown to greatly increase
the life and performance of cutting tools particularly high speed steel cutting tools and other steel
components subjected to several operations. TiN coating has been applied to carbide inserts since
the 1960.

35
 The coating process takes place in a vacuum chamber; electric arcs are generated on the
surface of (titanium) evaporators positioned at multiple locations, typically the top and sides of
chamber. Electrons and ions of titanium are discharged from the evaporated and accelerated
towards the objects to be coated. The ions mix with reactive nitrogen gas introduced into the
chamber, forming plasma which deposits on the workpiece as the TiN coating.

TiN coating applied by the ION BOND processes provides several important advantages
are –

1) Tool life increase from 300 to 800 percent as compared to uncoated or oxided tools.
2) Cutting speed can be increased from 20 to 30 over percent rates with no sacrifice in tool-
life.
3) Finishes are greatly improved often obviating secondary operations.
4)
The thickness of coating normally applied in PVD process is 2.5 microns about 0.0001” to
0.0002” on a surface. It may be thicker or thinner depending on the actual application. (1 micron
– 0.00004”) for CVD, the coating is 0.0003” (5 – 10 microns).

Titanium nitride (TiN) has a hardness of about 3000 DPHN, which is about 84 RC if
extrapolated. This makes it harder than tungsten carbide and 4 times harder than HSS.

TiN is extremely inert and therefore very non-reactive. Because it does not have any
affinity for other metals (with possible exception of TiN) it is excellent preventive for galling and
welding. TiN improves the life a poorly designed tool. It should be considered as a boon.

36
4.1. a APPLICATION:

IONVAC technique of TiN coating is widely used for metal cutting application. The
following tools are currently being coated in this field of application resulting in substantial
increases in the lifetime.

Hob Cutter, Shaper Cutter, Broaches, Coniflex Cutter, Shaving Cutter, Pinion type Cutter,
and Milling Cutter are some of the applications. Another wide field of application is for metal
forming tools. Coating of the metal forming tools not only leads to considerable increased
lifetime, but frequently improves the quality of the machined workpieces, with a much better
surface finish. The following tools are currently being coated in this field. Form Tools, Piercing
Punches, Trimming dies, Cold heading dies, Thread Chasers, Thread Rollers and Die plates. In
addition to this the following tools are also currently being coated with IONVA – TiN coating to
enhance the life time. Drills, Taps, End Mills, Reamers and Carbide Inserts.

4.1.B TITANIUM ALUMINIUM NITRATE COATING (TIAIN):

TiAIN is the newest PVD hard coating for carbide / H.S.S. tools with the substitution of
aluminium for some of the titanium in the coating. TiAIN develops an amorphous AI2O3 layer on
the surface of the coating at very high temperatures. This allows TiAIN to retain its hardness at
higher temperatures than any coating. Thus TiAIN out performs those coatings in application such
as high-speed continuous turning operations. Most tool coaters prefer powder-metal (PM) TiAI
source for TiAN coating because they are easier and cheaper to machine for the coatings properties
depend greatly on aluminium percentage in the coating. TiAIN has hardness of 300 – 3300 (HK
0.05 on hard metal) with higher roughness of Ra 0.67 to 0.75 in micro mm. It has higher oxidation
stability (upto 800 °C) than any other coatings. It also gives good ductility and adhesion to besaid
coating TiAIN coating can be used for wear protection in applications like interrupted cut, difficult
machining materials like Titanium and its alloys/ nickel alloys stainless steel and cast materials.

37
PROPERTIES:
Hardness : Hv 0.05
Adhesion : 60 Newton
Oxidation Temperature : 800 / 900 °C
Friction Coefficient : 0.7
Surface roughness : 0.6 to 0.7 micro mm

6.3 Titanium Carbo-Nitrate Coating (TiCN):

One coating gaining momentum in the U.S. a multilayer PVD TiCN on both carbide and
high speed steel (HSS) tool. While the technology has been available in the US for about two years
and Europe for three, only within the last eight months has additional US production capacity
come on the time to make it widely available. TiCN is harder and tougher than TiN. Through
PVD illuminated trouble stresses from cutting temperature and coolant can crack the TiN coating
later. Multilayer TiCN however reduces cracking further and interacts less with coolant. So in
high speed milling, ferrous we find that TiCN works better than TiN. The reason, the coating
thickness is still on the some order and magnitude as single layer TiN, TiCN comes in layers that
easy in carbon concentration.

6.4 Diamond Coating:

Diamond coated cutting tools have come on age they have moved beyond the experimental
to the commercial soon we will be able to diamond coat everything from tiny drills to a blowing
balls. This induces anything that coated benefit from diamonds hardness, chemical reistivity and a
friction co-efficient life Teflon cutting tools, forming tools, dies wear components, bearing races.

Although diamond-coating are ready to move beyond simple turning into more challenging
milling and interrupted cuts, the proof will be upto you. All the lab tests and early field trails are
nice for providing initial quickness, but only you can determine if diamond coatings are true
productivity boosters for your applications or just another flash in the pan.
Poly crystalline diamonds (PCD) cutting tools are widely accepted. Solution to difficult of
non-ferrous and abrasive components in quantity. PCD is formed synthetically suited to a carbide

38
substrate by diamond makers and sold in water forms to tool makers who slice dice and braze into
the business edges of cutting tools. Thick film gives us greater wear resistance than coarse-grain
wear resistant PVD and a better finish than fine grain-finishing PCD.

6.5 Chromium Carbide Coating (CrC):

Like a diamond, chromium based coatings are finding a much place in cutting non-ferrous
metals that might cause problem for TiN on aluminium workpiece for example chromium carbide
(CrC) coatings.

Of course, CrC is not as hard as diamond but it is good for maintaining sharp edges that
don’t require hardness. Such as on gummy materials like soft aluminium, copper and alloy that’s
not abrasive on difficult to machine. Substrates do not softer than from thermal effects because
CrC is a PVD coatings requires a relatively low temperature process around 675 °F (37 °C) CrC
also has excellent thermal stability much better than TiN so it can ion at high temperature without
galling. The coating typically improves toll life 50-300 even an uncoated tool and applications
include continuous cuts, such as turning, milling, tapping and reaming.

6.6 Chromium Nitrate Coating (CrN):

CrN coatings are characterised by their low stress structure, which permits coating
thickness upto 50 microns. Another plus point is the high oxidation stability of CrN. However,
adhesion can be slightly poorer than that of TiN depending on the substrate particularly at low
coating temperature. On the other hand supported by the higher coating thickness CrN coatings
show much better corrosion resistance than TiN especially in aqueous solutions. The best proof of
this is that CrN coatings show much better results in salt spray tests.

If CrN compared to conventional hard chrome plating it is apparent that –

➢ CrN is twice hard (74 HrC)
➢ CrN coatings are free from cracks.
Chapter # 07
7. APPLICATION AND PERFORMANCE OF COATED TOOLS

39
7.1 Drilling:

For drilling applications, coating reduces the crater wear between the chip and the flute as
well as the built up edge between the work material and the tool steel further more, the friction
decrease along the margin of the coated drill leads to reduce the cutting forces and consequently to
improve the surface finish of the drilling pieces.

Since the coating used modifies the chip formation and the cutting forces, drilling
performances can be enhanced by increasing speed and feed. Additional improvement can also be
achieved by designing drill geometry adapted to the coating composition and the material to be
machined. As reported by adjacent Fig. 3 shows that the increase life with TiN coated drills, lasts
approximately 8 times longer on cast iron and between 2 to 3 times longer on high alloy steel.
High oxidation resistance and ductility of (Ti, AI) N coating are required for drilling abrasive and
refractory materials, such as tool steel and steels with hardness over 40 RC, the high hardness, low
efficient of friction and elevated thermal conductivity of Ti (C, N) make this coating ideally suited
for this material.

7.2 Milling:

In Fig. 4 TiN end mills showed about 4 times increase in life compared to uncoated tools as
measured by the wear and land developed. Also using higher cutting speeds and feed rates
productivity increases of more than 40 % can be attained.

The machinability of work material affects milling operations, on construction steel TiN
and Ti (C, N) coating perform identically at low cutting speeds while at optimum feed rate Ti (C,
N) outperforms TiN when the cutting speed is increased. Much more data is needed to determine
the range of optimum use of these new coatings but it seems that TiN will remain the coating of
choice for roughing application, while Ti (C, N) exhibits better performance in finishing milling of
low carbon and alloyed steel. Scale on forged material or cast surfaces and grain structure of the
metal are important factors to consider for the selection of the coating. Cast material may have
chilled segregation of hard material, thus the hard and ductile (Ti, AI) and showed better
improvement than TiN and Ti (C, N) as reported in Fig. 4.

40
8. CONCLUSIONS

In the modern industry of today there are high demands for consistent and
predictable results of cutting tools. Two essential requirements for this are good edge strength of
the tool with good adherence between the coating and the substrate; secondly, the tools cost, only
represents minor part of the total machining cost. If higher feeds and speeds increase the
productivity, larger savings are possible. Higher speed processing demands less tool wearing. It
has been proved and accepted industrial fact that special hard coatings (TiN, TiALN, TiCN etc.)
increase tool life many folds.

The prominent advantages of tool coatings can be summarised as –

1) Tool coating increases the life span of the tools and hence increases productivity.
2) There is no need for repeated change of tool. This reduces the machine downtime,
resulting into better efficiency.
3) The tool coating increases the tool cost marginally. This increased cost is over
compensated by increased tool life and less machine downtime.
4) The increased tool strength leads to better performance of tools. The ease of operation
helps to reduce the labour fatigue-increasing production rate.

41
 REFERENCES

1) IONVAC Titanide Nitride Coatings, “Journal of Tool Coatings”, Equipment News (1997),
Page No. 1 – 4.
2) HANITA Cutting Tools, Catalogue of “End Mills and Milling Cutters”, Edition 91/100, Page
No. 104,105.
3) ADDISON (INDIA0, Technical Handbook on “Cutting Tools”, Page No. 20-25.
4) MULTI ARC INDIA LTD., A Catalogue on “Tool Coating”.
5) BALZERS INDIA, A Catalogue on “Tool Coating”

42