What is PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) coating?

PVD coating refers to a method of physically vaporizing and depositing high-melting-point materials such as metals using electrical power.

Generally, it is a process in which hard metallic substances such as titanium are vaporized and plasma-treated to form an even harder nitride film on the surface of the treated item using nitrogen. PVD treatment can apply various films depending on the type of material being melted and vaporized. For example, if titanium is melted, a titanium nitride film is formed; if chromium is melted, a chromium nitride film is produced. Similar to nitriding treatment, the selection of the film must be differentiated based on the intended use and conditions of the mold, making it very important to carefully consider and accurately select the appropriate film. The thickness of PVD coatings is typically between 2 to 4 micrometers, with a hardness around 3000 HV, which is comparable to the hardness of the surface of cutting tools. As a reference for hardness, the interior of the mold is about 350 HV, while the surface treatment through gas soft nitriding reaches around 1300 HV. The color of the coating varies depending on the material being deposited, with common colors for tools being gold, as well as other shades like orange, gray, and purple. Since the processing temperature is around 450°C, there is no dimensional change or distortion of the material during treatment. The recrystallization temperature of mold materials is around 560°C, so exceeding this temperature will result in a decrease in hardness and deformation.

Plasma surface treatment equipment