Coating improves insert cutting performance

P3e technology allows the deposition of hard metal-oxide coatings at coating temperatures below 600C.

For years, PVD-coated tools have driven substantial performance and productivity gains in cutting operations.

In most cases, this successful trend has focused on metal-nitride coatings such as TiN, TiAlN or AlCrN.

Oerlikon Balzers Coating offers P3e technology, allowing the deposition of hard metal-oxide coatings at coating temperatures below 600C.

Conventional hard layers can be combined with hard metal oxides almost arbitrarily and that the properties of the coating system can be fine-tuned to an unprecedented degree.

This opens totally new possibilities for the design of high-performance tools.

P3e is a new PVD process in which electron emission and plasma density are systematically influenced by a controlled pulsed current.

This technology features high process stability and convenient operation.

It has already been migrated to the latest generation of PVD production systems.

A first important domain for the Innovative P3e technology is the coating of indexable inserts for milling and turning applications.

P3e makes it possible to combine coating properties that so far were available only with a PVD or only with a CVD process.

In just one process step, the typical benefits of PVD coating - namely sharper cutting edges, no embrittlement of substrates in the coating process, and a substantially reduced risk of crest cracking - can be combined with a benefit that until now was almost exclusively achievable with CVD: the deposition of hard, thermally and chemically stable metal oxides with good adhesion.

The deployment of the P3e technology, in combination with optimised and advanced tool substrates, will allow indexable inserts to achieve a substantially higher level of cutting performance, ultimately leading to increased productivity.

The Innova coating system developed by Oerlikon Balzers Coating, can be used to apply not only all available Balinit high-performance nitride coatings but also the latest hard metal-oxide coatings as well as a wide variety of other metal oxides with highly reproducible quality.

The new Innova etching technology, pulsed coating processes, and higher process pressure levels will support further progress in the development of nitride coatings, while P3e capabilities enable the deposition of high-quality metal-oxide coatings.

Thanks to its modular concept, the Innova system offers all options needed to customise processes and accommodate future developments.

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