Development of New Tool Coating

Characterization of New Hard Coating for Metal Forming Tools

Multilayer DLC/TiAlN coating is developed. The coating is formed by DLC film (top layer) and TiAlN film (bottom layer) on top of the substrate (tool steel Vanadis 4, with 62 HRC surface hardness). The coating was accumulated through the process of Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) via an unbalanced magnetron sputtering. The framework for every DLC/TiAlN coating layer disclosed their coating films thickness which were 2.4 and 2 µm, each. The adhesion strength of the coating was enhanced by the combined elements of Cr and Ti in the multilayer DLC coating. A composition that is congregated and rough was exhibited from the first DLC layer, different compared to the framework of the TiAIN layer which was fine and smooth. Good coating adhesion is explicable by the composition of CrCN/CrN interlayer under the first DLC layer, that is big and has columnar grain.

To know more about the topic, please read the following publications

Sulaiman, M. H., Farahana, R. N., Bienk, K., Nielsen, C. V., & Bay, N. (2019). Effects of DLC/TiAlN-coated die on friction and wear in sheet-metal forming under dry and oil-lubricated conditions: Experimental and numerical studies. Wear438, 203040.

Sulaiman, M. H., Sheng, A. O. C., Farahana, R. N., & Bienk, K. (2019, November). Corrosion resistance of PVD hard coatings for tribological engineering applications. In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering (Vol. 670, No. 1, p. 012054). IOP Publishing.