This article appeared in the February 2007 issue of MetalForming magazine.
A new tool coating eliminates
severe galling when deep drawing
brackets for automotive seating
assemblies, and slashes downtime
needed for part rework and
die maintenance. — more story here
Laying It on Thick with
Specialized Coatings
Printed with permission from MOLDMAKING TECHNOLOGY, May 2003 issue.
Written by Sherry L. Baranek
While conventional coatings are
designed to extend the life of a
tool by making it stronger, often
quite the opposite occurs. High temperature
chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and
thermal diffusion (TD) processes used to
apply hard wear-resistant coatings are able
to change a tool’s critical dimensions and
mechanical properties. — more story here
New CrN Tool Coatings
Keep Going and Going and Going…
Printed with permission from METALFORMING, July 2003 issue.
Written by Brad F. Kuvin, Editor
Phygen PVD-applied chromium-nitride coatings on
deep-draw tools, form tools and cutting-tool edges last
longer than other coatings, and they go on with minimal
heating of the tool, preventing distortion and other
unsavory side effects of hotter coating
processes. — more story here
PVD Process Provides
Superior Adhesion, Dense Coating
Structure to Increase Tool Durability
by David C. Bell, President and CEO,
Phygen Coatings, Inc.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Among the many challenges facing die toolmakers are premature failures of the tooling caused by heat checking, soldering, corrosion or oxidation and erosive wear. These failures cause production delays and increase the overall cost of operation. During the last 10 years, PVD processes have been used to deposit thin, hard coatings on engineering components — such as forming and cutting tools — to significantly reduce tool wear. — more story here
Printed with permission from THE FABRICATOR, December 2004 issue
No production stamper likes to have press downtime. It simply costs too much money. For this reason, progressive stampers invest quite a bit of time, money, and energy in finding ways to fight downtime and to make their presses as productive as possible. — more story here
Tool Coating Halts Draw-Tool Galling
PDF furnished with permission from METALFORMING, September 2006 issue
Pentaflex, Inc., Springfield, OH, a
heavy-gauge stamper, runs presses to
2300 tons to produce heavy-duty components
for the tractor-trailer industry,
including close-tolerance brake-system
components. — get the PDF here
This article appeared in the February 2007 issue of 
While conventional coatings are
designed to extend the life of a
tool by making it stronger, often
quite the opposite occurs. High temperature
chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and
thermal diffusion (TD) processes used to
apply hard wear-resistant coatings are able
to change a tool’s critical dimensions and
mechanical properties. 
Phygen PVD-applied chromium-nitride coatings on
deep-draw tools, form tools and cutting-tool edges last
longer than other coatings, and they go on with minimal
heating of the tool, preventing distortion and other
unsavory side effects of hotter coating
processes. 
Among the many challenges facing die toolmakers are premature failures of the tooling caused by heat checking, soldering, corrosion or oxidation and erosive wear. These failures cause production delays and increase the overall cost of operation. During the last 10 years, PVD processes have been used to deposit thin, hard coatings on engineering components — such as forming and cutting tools — to significantly reduce tool wear. 
No production stamper likes to have press downtime. It simply costs too much money. For this reason, progressive stampers invest quite a bit of time, money, and energy in finding ways to fight downtime and to make their presses as productive as possible. 
Pentaflex, Inc., Springfield, OH, a
heavy-gauge stamper, runs presses to
2300 tons to produce heavy-duty components
for the tractor-trailer industry,
including close-tolerance brake-system