Innovative PVD-coated cutting tools are fl ying high on the rapid growth of usage of nickel-based heat-resistant alloys, titanium, Inconel, and other diffi cult-to-machine materials for aerospace, energy, medical, and chemical industry applications.
Coatings Targeted to Specifi c Materials
Steel, cast iron, heat-resistant alloys head the list for PVD, CVD coatings
Jim Lorincz Senior Editor
P
VD, CVD-coated, or uncoated—which cutting tool choice is the best for the application at hand?
Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) coating is a mature technology tracing its origins to the 1960s and widespread use for turning steel and cast iron, especially in automotive applications. Physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating technology is of more recent origin, tracing its development to the 1990s and growth to the emergence of titanium, Inconel, heat-resistant superalloys, nickel-based alloys, and other diffi cult-to-machine materials for aerospace, energy, medical, and chemical industry applications. Thick CVD coatings with titanium carbonitride (TiCN) and aluminum