Title: Boron nitride coating of tools and dies to improve performance in manufacturing applications

Authors: Bilgin Kaftanoğlu; Nihan Dökmetaş

Addresses: Metal Forming Center of Excellence, Atılım University, İncek-Gölbaşı, 06836 Ankara, Turkey ' Metal Forming Center of Excellence, Atılım University, İncek-Gölbaşı, 06836 Ankara, Turkey

Abstract: A physical vapour deposition (PVD) system is developed to coat boron nitride (BN) films on tools, dies, and mechanical parts to improve hardness, to decrease wear, to reduce friction and to increase high temperature resistance. Various coatings applications on steel, stainless steel, aluminium, titanium and copper have shown good adhesion. Quality is checked by coating thickness, nanohardness, scratch testing, AFM, SEM and FTIR measurements. BN coating is also applied on specimens and tools which have been previously coated by titanium nitride (TiN). FTIR results show that different allotropes (polymorphs) of BN are produced by different coating parameters. From industrial tests, extended life and improved performance is obtained for tools and dies in manufacturing applications.

Keywords: physical vapour deposition; PVD; boron nitride coatings; titanium nitride coatings; thickness measurement; nanohardness testing; friction coefficient tests; wear resistance; friction reduction; stainless steel; aluminium; titanium; copper; tools; dies; manufacturing industry.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMMS.2014.067169

International Journal of Mechatronics and Manufacturing Systems, 2014 Vol.7 No.4/5/6, pp.311 - 335

Received: 17 May 2014
Accepted: 31 May 2014
Published online: 07 Feb 2015 *

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