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New coating tools surpass international standards
The article discusses a groundbreaking advancement in coating technology for high-performance cutting tools, developed by Zhuzhou Diamond Tool. The new Ti-Al-XN coating technology utilizes a vapor deposition process to apply a thin layer of high-hardness, wear-resistant material onto the surface of strong tool substrates. This innovation significantly reduces tool wear, extends tool life, and enhances cutting speed, marking a major achievement in China's national special projects for high-end CNC machine tools and manufacturing equipment.
This technology has broken the long-standing monopoly of foreign companies in the field of advanced tool coatings, boosting the localization rate of premium coated tools. It provides a solid foundation for key industries like automotive and aerospace to improve production efficiency and lower costs. For instance, Zhuzhou Diamond Tool managed to cut the cost of machining a critical engine block component by 30%, and raised the localization rate of Chery Automobile’s engine processing tools from 20% to 47%. This development is crucial in replacing imported tools and meeting urgent industrial demands.
Despite being a large country, China still faces challenges in catching up with international standards in CNC cutting tool technology, especially in basic research on advanced coating methods. However, the successful application of Ti-Al-XN coating technology has changed the landscape, breaking foreign monopolies and laying the groundwork for better local tool availability. This breakthrough brings significant economic and social benefits.
High-end cutting tools are often referred to as the "diamonds" on the artwork of modern industrial civilization. Their brilliance comes from precision coatings just a few micrometers thick. These coatings offer high surface hardness, excellent wear resistance, chemical stability, heat and oxidation resistance, and low friction and thermal conductivity. By acting as a chemical and thermal barrier, they reduce wear and extend tool life by 3 to 10 times, while increasing cutting speed by 20% to 100%.
Currently, 80% of cutting tools are coated, and the importance of these technologies has been increasingly recognized in China’s CNC machine tool initiatives. Breakthroughs in coating technology have been incorporated into various research programs.
Zhuzhou Diamond’s journey to develop Ti-Al-XN coating was not easy. Initially, the company could only produce basic Ti-N and Ti-Al-N coatings. Through continuous learning and improvement, they created nano-structured Ti-Al-N coatings that outperformed standard versions but still fell short of industry needs. In response, they formed an R&D team to focus on developing high-performance coatings using specialized platforms and innovative capabilities.
After extensive trials, they identified the optimal Ti-Al-XN coating, which showed higher hardness and oxidation resistance than Ti-Al-N, though its cutting performance remained similar. To understand why the results weren’t as expected, the team analyzed the coating’s structure at high temperatures. Eventually, they developed a nanocomposite multilayer coating—nc-TiAlN/Si3N4—which offered improved performance.
The Ti-Al-XN technology has secured nine invention patents. PVD coatings achieve a hardness above 40GPa, demonstrating superhard properties. Even after oxidation at 1100°C for 10 hours, the coating remains largely intact. After tempering at the same temperature, the hardness stays above 40GPa, with bond strength exceeding 90N. Meanwhile, their CVD α-Al2O3 coatings reach 10μm in thickness, with bond strength over 80N, allowing machining speeds of up to 500 meters per minute. These advancements match or exceed international standards in the mold processing industry.