Tool coating without heat distortion.(Tooling, product design and prototyping)

British Plastics & Rubber, May, 2007

Tool wear protection using PVD nitride coatings is usually done by arc evaporation at temperatures between 400 and 450 degC, but Oerlikon Balzers UK (Stand 106) has developed an arc technology that works as low as 200 degC. This makes it possible to coat cold-working steels and die steels which are commonly tempered at 200 degC, as well as copper alloys. Currently, three well-known high-performance nitride coatings--Balinit A (TIN), Balinit D (CrN), and Balinit Futura Nano (TiAIN)--are available as low-temperature Balinit Arctic versions.

With Balinit Arctic coatings, injection moulding and extrusion tools as well as punching and forming tools can be coated without distortion, loss of hardness, and reduction in corrosion resistance.