A new technological complex for applying wear-resistant coatings to cutting tools has been introduced into production at BelAZ. The numerically controlled equipment will increase the durability of cutters, milling cutters, drills, and taps used in the manufacture of parts for mining equipment.
The line has become part of the enterprise's production capacity modernization program and is intended for the development of its own tool production.
With the help of the new technology, protective coatings are applied to tools made of high-speed steel and hard alloy.
According to the enterprise, treating tools with special coatings can increase their wear resistance by up to 70% for high-speed steel products and significantly extend the service life of carbide tools. This should reduce the number of tool changes, increase the stability of part processing, and maintain the manufacturing precision of mining machine components.
Technologies for strengthening cutting tools
The application of protective coatings to metal-cutting tools is a rapidly developing area in industry. Scientists at Perm National Research Polytechnic University have developed optimal parameters for magnetron sputtering of titanium-aluminum nitride (TiAlN) coatings on milling cutters, drills, and other high-speed steel tools. When the coating is applied in a vacuum chamber, a thin oxide protective layer forms on the working surface of the tool, preventing build-up and extending service life. Experiments have shown that the optimal pulse frequency during sputtering is 30 kHz: in this mode, the coating structure becomes denser, and surface roughness decreases.
Parallel developments are also underway in the field of spraying wear- and heat-resistant coatings for parts and tools in general. Scientists at Don State Technical University have created a technology based on an acoustic field using amorphous tungsten-cobalt compounds that form carbides, carbonitrides, and intermetallics. According to the developers, the method provides 100% adhesive bonding to the substrate and can extend the service life of products up to ten times. The application area of such coatings covers transport engineering, aircraft construction, and power engineering.