Coating technologies
Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology
Coated cutting and forming tools find only limited use in applications where the demands on the tools are high, because the coating properties are liable to high variation. For this reason, no certain assertions regarding tool lifetime and productivity increases can be made. The challenge is to guarantee that newly developed coatings can be reliably used in production without complex and time consuming field testing.
Topics covered by the department
Coatings for precision glass molding tools
Precision glass molding is the most promising technology for the production of complex optical components with freeform surfaces or micro dimensions. With this technology, glass blanks are molded into ready to use optical components in a single process step using ultraprecision molding tools. In order to increase the lifetime of these expensive tools, protective coatings must be applied on their optical surfaces. Within the framework of the Fraunhofer PCCM, the Fraunhofer IPT is developing coatings specially adapted for this application in cooperation with the CERTH.
Coatings for high performance cutting tools of aerospace materials
The manufacturing of Blisks for jet engines and turbines is a highly topical subject which is being researched at the Fraunhofer IPT. By using modern high performance materials and processing strategies it is possible to increase the rotational speed and the operational temperature of turbine components, which lead to significantly increased energy efficiency. Currently, mainly uncoated tungsten carbide tools are used during the production of these components, because they display a predictable wear rate and lifetime. Coated tools exhibit often high variance in these critical areas, which is why they are not commonly used in practice.
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