PVD coatings for molds and mold components provide reductions in cycle time, easier mold filling, greater wear resistance, reduced demolding forces and increased productivity.
Only a few microns thin, PVD PAPVD coatings such as TiN, TaC, TiAlN, TiZrN, TiAlCN, CrN, CrCN and DLC are useful tools for moldmakers and molders. Their high hardness combined with a low friction coeficient imparts abrasive wear resistance, while their ceramic composition resists corrosion and enhances mold release.
PVD coatings for tools are conventionally applied by arc deposition temperatures between 150° and 500°C (750F to 930F), which renders them perfectly suited for steel with higher tempering temperatures including M2 and CPM grades.
Key applications of PVD/CVD coatings are on ejector guide elements, cavities and cores where the coatings’ tribological properties protect against seizure and corrosion. The coatings’ hardness and wear resistance protects molds from highly glass or mineral-filled resins, as well as hot-gas corrosion from materials like PVCs and CPVCs. Benefits include:
These specialty coatings are well suited for coating molds that work in plastics that, during processing, outgas chlorine, fluorine or other aggressive volatile contents, including: polyolefins (PE, PP, PB), acetal resins (POM), polyamides (PA), linear polyesters (PC) and polyaryis/polysulphones (PPE, PEEK, PAEK/PPS, PSU, PES).
PVD and Plasma-Assisted Physical Vapour Deposition (PAPVD) coatings, when used in the plastic tooling industry:
