F O R Y O U

From market trendsto system solutions

HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34 . APRIL 2020

4Introduction Dave Doerwald

6Launching the Flexicoat® 1250

11New Hard Black Decorative Coating

12Performance Beyond the Customer’s Expectations

14Applications Where HiPIMS Really Shines

16Training for YOU

18Integrated Service Location in Asia

20New Al2O3 Coating from Bernex

24Coating Developments in the Aerospace Market

27New Design Applications for Cromatipic®

29Team Spotlight

32Meet Us

Publisher IHI Hauzer Techno Coating B.V. PO Box 3057 . 5902 RB Venlo . The Netherlands T +31 77 355 97 77 . info@hauzer.nl

hauzer.nl

Editor Martine van de MortelWriter Maartje Gorte

Design creationstation.nl

CONTENT

2 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

24

No responsibility can be accepted for the correctness or completeness of the statements made, especially in the case of external contributions. The opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily refl ect those of IHI Hauzer Techno Coating B.V. We reserve the right to make technical changes. Reprinting or

reproduction of any kind is prohibited. Exceptions to this rule are possible only with the prior written permission of the publisher.

© IHI Hauzer Techno Coating B.V., all rights reserved.

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20

16

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3 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

4 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 344

Sharing the Spotlight with Bernex

“Since the integration of IHI Bernex with Hauzer last year, there

has been a steady supply of Bernex news. In this magazine, we

share their breakthrough in their Al2O3 CVD coating, with a 300%

improvement in tool lifetime compared to the reference. We also

give their team some time in the spotlight. And we give you the

details of the successful integration of the Hauzer and Bernex

service sites in China. Both companies already had a strong

presence in Asia, and this integration allows us to coordinate our

customer service and spare parts sales even better.”

New Black Coating for Deco

“We also have a Hauzer breakthrough to share. We have

improved our black coating by making it harder and more wear-

resistant. The demand for black coatings continues to be high,

thanks to the continued boom of the construction market and

the trend for new colours such as black and rose gold in addition

to the standard chrome. Expanding this product portfolio is

an ongoing investment at Hauzer.”

“In this Hauzer For You, we are proud to announce our latest in the Hauzer Flexicoat® platform: the

Flexicoat® 1250, the modernised big brother of our well-known Flexicoat® 1200. With a 33% increase in

capacity, this machine is designed for customers in tribo, deco and tool looking for a competitive cost

of ownership and the ability to choose an even more tailored confi guration of technologies.”

STRONG TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS

INTRODUCTION

New Applications for Key Technologies

“The HiPIMS technology has reached a high maturity level

for many diff erent applications. To inspire customers in the

tool and tribo sectors, we devote an article to several of

them. Cromatipic® is known as the environmentally friendly

replacement technology of the traditional electroplating

process, but we also see great potential in other applications

such as lasered and translucent components. These novel

decorative design techniques are going to change the market,

and we are keen to follow.”

Goodbye to Roel Tietema

“After 34 years at Hauzer, our Manager New Technologies, Roel

Tietema, is retiring. We wish him the best of luck. And it’s not

farewell forever – Roel will still be advising on Hauzer projects.”

Dave Doerwald

CEO

HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 345

MARKET DEVELOPMENT

LAUNCHING THE HAUZER

FLEXICOAT® 1250

LEADING EDGE TECHNOLOGY

Hauzer is proud to announce the launch of the latest batch-coating machine in our well-known

Hauzer Flexicoat® platform. As with the other machines in the family, the Flexicoat® 1250 is

characterised by maximum fl exibility in cathode sources. Unique about this machine is that it

was designed specifi cally to off er the best cost of ownership, especially for hydrogen-free carbon

coatings and for coating larger products.

6 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

33% loading increase compared to the Flexicoat® 1200; fully

compatible with existing Flexicoat® 1200 fi xturing.

Optimum chamber size: spacious enough to accommodate

bigger volumes and bring down coating costs, small enough

that most customers can use it at capacity.

7 positions for deposition sources that can be individually

confi gured for the coating capacity you need.

DESIGN

Tribo Market Developments

Due to the drive towards increased fuel effi ciency and

power density in automotive design, many automotive

components are now subjected to temperatures above

300 °C. These temperatures are too high for the diamond-like

carbon (DLC) coatings traditionally used in the automotive

sector. A tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) DLC coating,

however, can withstand temperatures of up to around

500 °C. An added benefi t of the ta-C coating is that it can be

used with a wider range of lubricants. Together, this means

that while regular DLC coating is still a massive market in

automotive, the demand for ta-C coatings is growing much

faster. In other sectors, too, ta-C is growing in importance.

With the Flexicoat® 1250, you are ready for the future, as it

can easily be confi gured for both traditional DLC and for ta-C

coatings. The larger size of the vacuum chamber allows you to

coat larger products. It also allows you to achieve a lower cost

per coating compared to the Hauzer Flexicoat® 1200, by coating

more products in a single batch. And the increased cooling

capacity keeps process times short, even at increased power.

Deco Market Developments

Within the decorative sector, there is a limit to the feasible size

of coating machines. Too big, and small products will never fi ll

it up to full effi ciency. A larger chamber does, however, make it

possible to easily coat larger objects as well. The Flexicoat® 1250

is designed to sit in this sweet spot. It is designed to provide an

economical cost per coating for small objects such as spectacle

frames, while still being spacious enough to effi ciently coat

trendy larger bathroom fi xtures such as rain showers.

Increased cathode power to reduce cycle time and keep

costs down.

Optimum cooling performance (up to 8 positions for cooling

plates) for low-temperature hydrogen-free carbon coatings.

Optional retractable central cooling and heating feature.

Increased accessibility for ease of use.

Flexible setup to fi t more existing building layouts.

HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 347 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

The Flexicoat® 1250 is also the most fl exible system in the

Hauzer platform, allowing you to confi gure it for the entire

range of decorative coatings that you use as manufacturer or

coating provider in the decorative sector.

Tool Market Developments

An important development in the forming tool sector is the

increasing size of the tools to be coated, thanks to modern

production methods. Another ongoing trend is the investment

in weight reduction in industries such as automotive and

aerospace. With the increasing importance of light-weight

aluminium and other non-ferrous metals, the need for DLC and

ta-C coatings on forming tools is growing.

The Flexicoat® 1250 is also an ideal investment for tool

manufacturers looking to expand capacity. The larger chamber

size keeps the cost per coating down and allows for easier

and more effi cient fi xturing of larger objects such as forming

tools, moulds, dies and saw blades. The fl exible confi guration

also means that a single machine can be used for both

coating and nitriding.

Confi gured to Meet Your Needs, Today and in the Future

The Hauzer Flexicoat® platform was designed with maximum

fl exibility in mind. The Flexicoat® 1250, with its 7 deposition

source positions and 8 cooling panel positions, is the most

fl exible member of the Flexicoat® family yet.

This fl exibility is not only a hallmark of our machines, it is a

hallmark of Hauzer as a company. With every machine project,

we collaboratively discuss which coating needs the customer

has. The result: a confi guration that is just right for your

needs, whether you specialise in a single coating, regularly

switch between a few coatings or even want a machine that

can handle any R&D requirements you may have.

Investing in a Hauzer Flexicoat® is also a great way to ensure

that your company is ready to handle future market

developments. The platform’s fl exible design makes it easy

to modify your Hauzer machine, even years in the future.

Hauzer upgrade engineers can add new deposition sources

to positions previously left empty or replace old cathodes

that were installed for a coating that you no longer provide.

That way, you can breathe new life into your existing

machines.

If you are interested in

adding a Hauzer Flexicoat®

1250 system to your coating

equipment, please contact

Michiel Eerden, Director of

Sales (MEerden@hauzer.nl or

+31 77 355 97 04).7

8 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

Arc

CARC +

CARC + Flex

ACA

Sputter

UBM

HiPIMS

DMS

PACVD by MF pulsed

bias

Plasma etching

Focused Ion Rapid Etch

Plasma cleaning

Plasma nitriding

PACVD Microwave

On the cathode positions: Other plasma technologies:

ARC

CARC+

CARC+ stands for circular arc evaporation. It produces very

smooth coatings, including TiAlN, AlCrN, Si-containing nano-

composite coatings and state-of-the-art hydrogen-free carbon

coatings at very high deposition speeds and low cost of

ownership.

CARC+ Flex

CARC+ Flex gives increased flexibility in magnetic field design.

That results in more control over ionisation and coating

properties. It also offers uniform target erosion, thicker coatings

for special applications and the possibility to program para-

meters during the coating process, so you can use different

parameters during different steps of the coating process.

Advanced Controlled Arc

Advanced controlled arc evaporation technology uses

rectangular arc cathodes to produce metal nitride, carbonitride

and oxide coatings. It is used for coating temperature-sensitive

products and achieving optimum colour uniformity for

decorative coatings.

SPUTTER

Magnetron Sputtering (UBM)

Magnetron sputtering technology is used to produce smooth

and well-adhering coatings. It can also be used for materials with

poor electrical conductivity of for special colour requirements.

It is often used in combination with PACVD technology for

diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings.

TECHNOLOGIES AVAILABLE ON THE FLEXICOAT® 1250

9 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS)

HiPIMS is a specifi c kind of sputtering that combines the

advantages of high ionisation like arc evaporation with

the smoothness of magnetron sputtering. This technology

opens up extra possibilities to fi ne-tune the coating

properties, such as internal stress and coating structure,

of layers that cannot be produced with other existing

technologies.

Dual Magnetron Sputtering (DMS) and T-mode

DMS technology is used for the deposition of materials

that show very low electrical conductivity. Together with

Hauzer’s T-mode technology for fast control of reactive gas

fl ow, this enables the deposition of metal oxide coatings

like Al2O3.

PACVD

Diff erent from PVD, plasma-assisted chemical vapour

deposition (PACVD) does not use targets. With PACVD,

a plasma is used to crack precursor gases at relatively

low temperatures. The technology is mainly used in

combination with hydrocarbon gases to produce highly

wear-resistant carbon coatings. DLC coatings can be doped

with Si or other elements to tune the coating properties.

Microwave Technology

PACVD can be further enhanced by using a microwave

plasma source for more tuneable properties, higher

deposition rates and lower coating costs.

PLASMA TECHNOLOGY

All Hauzer systems can be equipped with a plasma source.

This enables a range of process steps, such as:

Plasma Etching

It is crucial that components are cleaned well prior to

deposition to reach perfect adhesion. The plasma source

enables etching with Ar ions, resulting in a clean, smooth

surface. The etching temperature can be controlled for

temperature-sensitive products.

Focused Ion Rapid Etch

FIR Etch is based on Hauzer’s plasma source etching

technology. The ion beam is enhanced and steered in the

chamber, resulting in higher etch rates, perfect adhesion

and an increased productivity.

Plasma Cleaning

Etching can be combined with plasma cleaning, which

chemically removes carbon and oxide contamination from

the surface.

Plasma Nitriding

With a plasma source, it is possible to do plasma nitriding

(with typical case depth of 50 µm) in the same cycle as

applying a PVD coating. This has large benefi ts, improving

the load-bearing capacity of forming tool applications.

10 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

11 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

LEADING EDGE TECHNOLOGY

Black continues to be a highly popular coating for decorative purposes, especially for bathroom

fi xtures, jewellery and watches. Hauzer already off ered a deep black coating, with an L value of 35

and a/b values of 0. Now, we developed a matching coating to expand the application range:

the same L*a*b* values but signifi cantly harder, scoring 1800 on the Vickers hardness scale.

NEW DECORATIVE COATING: SAME BLACK,

BUT HARDER

In Search of a Coating That Stands up to Wear

Since the demand for black coatings will remain high for the

foreseeable future, Hauzer invested in a solution for those

applications that need harder, more scratch-resistant coatings.

The seed of this hard black coating came from our tribology

expertise. Originally developed for smoothness and hardness,

one of our tribology coatings was a promising base to develop

into a black coating for decorative purposes.

The benefi t of this coating being derived from a tribology coating

is that it has excellent hard-wearing properties. Ideal for objects

that get a lot of wear, such as door handles, watch cases, and

items that people carry in their pockets or in their bags.

Smooth, Glossy, Premium Feel

The fi rst customers have already taken receipt of samples,

and have been very positive in their feedback on appearance

and scratch resistance. The new coating is mirror-smooth,

producing a deep black with bright highlights that gives a

luxurious feeling. Because of the high gloss, fi ngerprints can

easily be wiped off with a dry cloth. The coating also has great

uniformity on rounded objects or complex 3D shapes. Satin or

brushed fi nishes are also possible on textured substrate.

Want to Off er This New Black Coating to Customers?

At Hauzer, we are now working on upscaling this coating and

getting it ready to work with an even wider variety of shapes.

The hard black coating can be implemented on existing

equipment. Are you interested in adding a hard, scratch-

resistant black coating to your portfolio? Or is it the smooth-

ness that makes this coating ideal for your applications?

Get in touch with Huub Vercoulen

(HVercoulen@hauzer.nl or +31 6 462

01 462) to discuss a solution for your

specifi c application.

The Timken Company designs a growing portfolio of engineered bearings and power transmission products.

With more than a century of knowledge and innovation, they are continuously improving the reliability and

effi ciency of global machinery and equipment to move the world forward. Timken posted $3.8 billion in sales in

2019 and employs more than 18,000 people globally, operating from 42 countries.

PERFORMANCE BEYOND THE CUSTOMER’S

EXPECTATIONS

LEADING EDGE TECHNOLOGYCUSTOMER SUPPORT

12 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 3412 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

On the Cutting Edge of Bearing Engineering

Bearing production has changed a great deal in the last 30

years, with the damage mechanism for bearings moving from

subsurface issues to surface issues. “Before the 1990s, cracks

would initiate around inclusions or impurities in the steel.

Since then, the industry’s ability to make cleaner steel and to

maintain tighter geometric tolerances has greatly improved.

This has resulted in a signifi cant increase in bearing

performance,” says Vikram. “Of course, every breakthrough

leads to a new challenges – industries are now moving toward

fuel effi ciency and weight reduction eff orts.”

For example, in early wind turbine designs, main shaft bearings

were required to support loads in radial direction and wind

thrust loading only on the downwind row of rollers. This uneven

loading environment gave rise to unusual wear. Furthermore,

wind energy manufacturers found it diffi cult to keep the

bearing well-lubricated under complex loading conditions,

which resulted in premature bearing damage. Putting a DLC

coating between steel surfaces dramatically reduces steel-on-

steel contact and combats adhesive wear issues. The Timken

Company expects that continuing progress in coating and

lubrication can further extend the lifetime of bearings.

Ready for the Future with Hauzer

In general, Vikram has been very happy with The Timken Company’s

collaboration with Hauzer. “Application support, technical support

and the on-time delivery, it’s all exceptional,” says Vikram.

Protecting the Customer’s Business

One of the extraordinary things about The Timken Company

is that it started producing bearings 120 years ago and is still

doing so today. “We started as a North-American company

serving predominantly automotive suppliers,” says Vikram

Bedekar, Materials Specialist in the Timken Technology Center.

“Today, we serve diversifi ed markets worldwide, including

emerging markets like wind energy and robotics. And, in

addition to engineered bearings, we have grown our portfolio

of product brands to include adjacent power transmission

products to increase our ability to serve the needs of global

industries more fully.”

Knowledge has always been the secret to The Timken

Company’s success. Roller bearings used in applications such

as turbine main shafts and gear boxes are highly engineered

to perform in extremely challenging environments. In the case

of turbine bearings, the replacement or rebuild cost could be as

high as $100,000 or more if the bearing fails prematurely.

Coated Bearings – from Almost Unknown to a Requirement

Timken started investigating the application of PVD coatings

in the early 1990s. At that time, PVD technology was unknown

to most of the industry. Around 2009-2010, Timken pioneered

the application of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings on roller

bearings. “Since then, our coatings have shown a great deal of

promise in paper mills, cement plants, agriculture equipment

such as large tractors and combines, as well as automotive

applications,” says Vikram.

The transition to coated bearings has been very successful.

“Once we apply wear-resistant coating on our products, we

rarely hear any complaints from our customers. Our DLC

coatings are now widely accepted as the solution to many

challenging applications that were diffi cult to meet before,”

says Vikram. “Since commercialising our proprietary

DLC coatings, we have received widespread industry acclaim,

including a prestigious Engineering Materials Achievement

award from ASM International in 2017.” This award recognised

The Timken Company’s engineering coatings for “signifi cant

contributions to the fi eld of material science and evidence of

industrial impact”.

Vikram Bedekar

Materials Specialist

Timken Technology Center

HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34 13

NYSE / TKR www.timken.com

NEW DESIGN APPLICATIONS FOR

CROMATIPIC®

MARKET DEVELOPMENT LEADING EDGE TECHNOLOGY

Cromatipic® is known in the automotive industry as Hauzer’s clean and environmentally friendly

alternative to chrome electroplating. However, design trends are changing, both in automotive and

beyond. Designers now want to incorporate backlighting in metal-look design elements.

Cromatipic® holds great promise for those applications.

14 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

DESIGN DRIVES TECHNOLOGYNEW STYLING OPPORTUNITIES

The two main techniques for incorporating backlights

are lasering and translucent application. Translucent

elements look like solid metal when unlit, but allow

backlighting to shine through. With lasering, the

metal-look coating is ablated in certain areas by laser.

The coated parts block out the backlight, while the parts

where the coating has been removed are as transparent as

the substrate.

Both translucency and lasering set new requirements for the

coating properties. A translucent coating needs to be as thin

as possible. A lasered coating has to be able to deal with the

edges that occur by lasering. All of this is in addition to the

normal coating properties customers expect.

Hauzer results show that Cromatipic® can achieve

translucency. Laser ablation tests on Cromatipic®

coatings, done with our partners who can match the

laser’s frequency to the specific Hauzer coating, have

also led to positive internal results with successful

evaluation. Right now, Hauzer is working with

customers looking to apply backlighting to determine

their requirements and incorporate new test

standards in the Hauzer Iberica Cromatipic®

competence center.

Are you looking to offer an extra wow factor to

your potential customers with

Cromatipic®? Please get in touch

with Emilio Rodriguez Cabeo, +31 63

039 52 48 or ERCabeo@hauzer.nl.

Cromatipic lasered plaques

with backlighting off

Cromatipic lasered plaques

with backlighting on

15 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

The Benefi ts of Training

Operators, process engineers and service technicians who have

done a training course with Hauzer can benefi t your business in

many ways that translate directly into productivity gains:

They intimately know the coatings and relevant process

parameters, so they know how to get the most effi cient yield

and improved utilisation – for instance, through shorter cycle

times.

They can do the most essential maintenance and repairs

themselves, resulting in higher production quality: yield,

uptime and reproducibility.

They can involve technicians with the right information for

more effi cient repairs and service.

Our training can cover the full production cycle, including

cleaning, pre-treatments and post-treatments. Hauzer trainers

are also happy to discuss market requirements and changes

during the training. We aim to help our customers improve the

utilisation of their equipment through new possibilities, both

An investment in a Hauzer machine is an investment in the future. You can expect your Hauzer

machine to operate at full capacity for two decades or more. And with the occasional upgrade,

it will even keep up with new machines in terms of fl exibility and results. In this Hauzer for You,

you can read all about the benefi ts of training for YOU – to improve the Yield,

Output and Utilisation of your Hauzer machine.

TRAINING FOR YOU

with the existing confi guration of the machine and through

potential modifi cations.

Who Should Take the Course?

We advise you to always have at least one operator, process

engineer and maintenance technician available who has

been trained at Hauzer. This ensures broad know-how in the

organisation, which is crucial to maximise yield, output and

utilisation of your equipment.

When to Go for Training and Where?

If you already own a Hauzer machine, any time is a good time

for a refresher course; especially if you have brought in new

employees recently.

Hauzer trainers are happy to welcome you in Venlo, where

our experts are at hand to answer any question. We also off er

training on site, on your own system, if your production schedule

allows for the necessary downtime.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

16 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

TRAINING COURSE TOPICS

For Operators

Day-to-day maintenance

Cleaning components

Product fi xturing

Start-up processes and machine handling

Alarms

Troubleshooting Course

Basic knowledge of PVD coating

Finding the root cause of a failure

Understanding the machine

Manuals and alarms

Standard maintenance

For Process Engineers

Understanding the PVD coating process and

turn-key operation

Writing, importing and exporting recipes

Analysing trend data and batch reports

Analysing quality control data

Standard maintenance

For Plant Managers and Sales Managers

Market changes and market requirements

New possibilities for full machine utilisation

Getting the most out of your machine confi guration

Available modifi cations and their eff ects on

confi guration

To book a training course or discuss a custom

training programme or service contract, please

contact your account manager or call Hauzer

headquarters (+31 77 355 9777).

17 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 3417 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

HAUZER AND BERNEX INTEGRATE SERVICE LOCATIONS IN ASIA

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

IHI Hauzer Techno Coating and IHI Bernex, the two Hauzer Group companies within the IHI Group,

both have a strong presence in the Asia market. As of 2020, this presence has become even stronger with

the integration of the Bernex and Hauzer customer service teams in a single location in Shanghai, China.

18 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

IHI Hauzer Techno Coating (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

Room 101, 6# No. 188 Xinjun Ring Road,

Shanghai Caohejing Pujiang Hi-Tech Park,

Minhang District, Shanghai, 201114, P.R. China

Contact details for Bernex

T +86 21 346 371 65

asia.service@ihi-bernex.com

ihi-bernex.com

Contact details for Hauzer

T +86 21 346 376 11

F +86 21 346 376 10

info@hauzer.cn

hauzer.cn

TWO STRONG TEAMS COMBINED

The Bernex Customer Service Asia team, originally based in

Kunshan, China, relocated to the Hauzer location in nearby

Shanghai. The joint teams, retaining the same people, will be

operating under the legal entity of IHI Hauzer Techno Coating

(Shanghai) Ltd.

Joining forces is in line with the aim of the IHI Group to

maximise synergies in manufacturing, expertise and service.

From a single customer service location, the Hauzer and

Bernex teams will be able to align on service, spare parts and

administration. This will the allow the two companies to better

understand each other’s technology and coordinate spare

parts delivery, to reinforce our presence in Asia and, most

importantly, to serve our customers better.

Some impressions of the new service location. From top to bottom:

the workshop, office and lobby. Previous page: the laboratory

19 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

IHI Bernex is pleased to announce the next generation of chemical vapour deposition (CVD) coatings

for carbide-based cutting tool applications. This coating family is based on a proven multi-layer structure:

a layer of highly structured α-aluminium oxide (α Al2O3) on top of a layer of titanium carbo-nitride deposited

at medium temperature (MT-TiCN), combined with specifi c pre- and post-treatments of the cutting tool.

In this article, we will show that this new generation of coatings can make tools for cutting operations

last much longer than the reference coatings.

AL2O3 CVD COATING THAT TRIPLES

THE LIFETIME OF CUTTING TOOLS

MARKET DEVELOPMENT LEADING EDGE TECHNOLOGY

20 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

Textured Multilayer Coating Architecture

Michael Auger, CEO of IHI Bernex, says: “We began with the

desire to be able to tailor the multi-layered coating structure

to the specifi c demands of the cutting application, either

continuous turning or interrupted cutting. With this idea, we

have developed several diff erent variations of the coating.” A

typical cutting application requires a thick layer of the columnar

MT-TiCN, to provide the necessary level of wear resistance. The

IHI Bernex process engineers were able to then apply a highly

textured α Al2O3 layer on top of the MT-TiCN layer, to maximise

the tool’s performance for continuous turning or interrupted

cutting.

By including the correct interlayers between the MT-TiCN

and the Al2O3, IHI Bernex coating engineers created new

transition layers and the ability to texture the crystallographic

orientation of the Al2O3 coating. This allows them to tailor

the crystallographic benefi ts of the CVD coating to the fi nal

application. In many cases, this crystallographic texturing

coeffi cient as measured by X-ray diff raction is greater than 8.

The fi gure below shows an example of an α Al2O3/MT-TiCN

multi-layer.

Image of α Al2O3/MT-TiCN coating on a carbide-based cutting tool

21 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 3421

Pre- and Post-treatments that

Elevate Coating Performance

A great coating alone is not enough. It

needs to be paired with the right cutting

tool design, the correct carbide powder

grade, and the tool preparation (pre-

treatment) and after-coating process

(post-treatment) steps to further

improve the coating performance. The

development of this coating, therefore,

also included developing the specifi c

pre- and post-treatment.

This fi ts the way IHI Bernex provides

solutions. Michael: “We have the know-

ledge and tools in Olten, Switzerland,

to off er our customers the complete

package, so we did. Through diligent

tuning of the coating and treatment

factors, we were able to achieve superior

performance compared to the reference

coatings.”

Interrupted Cutting Test Results

To test the eff ect of the new coating,

IHI Bernex compared inserts coated

with the CVD reference coating, the

reference coating with pre- and post-

treatment, the new generation of

coatings with only the post-treatment

and the new coating with both the pre-

and post-treatment. For interrupted

cutting of CK45 tempered steel, the

new generation of coatings with the

proper pre- and post-treatments led

to a dramatic increase in tool life (see

below). Whereas the comparable

reference coating failed after 15

minutes, the new generation of coating

surpassed 45 minutes of tool life.

Continuous Turning Test Results

For continuous turning of alloyed

steel, IHI Bernex compared a diff erent

variation of this next-generation

coating with the reference coating.

On the next page, you can see, as

measured by fl ank wear, the tool life

is again greatly improved. After 8

minutes of continuous turning, the

reference tool is already exhausted,

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Flan

k w

ear

(mm

)

Time (min)

Reference coating (RC) RC pre- & post-reatment TC006-V4 + pre- & post-treatment TC006-V4 only post-treatment

Interrupted cutting of

tempered steel

INTERRUPTED CUTTING TEST

Cutting conditions

Vc = 80 m/min

Ap = 1 mm

Fn = 0.1 mm

22 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

Turning of tempered steel

with CVD-coated inserts

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0 5 10 15 20 25

Reference coating TC006-V1

Flan

k w

ear

(mm

)

Time (min)

CONTINUOUS TURNING TEST

which is defi ned at 0.2 mm of wear.

The tool with the IHI Bernex next-

generation CVD coating tool only

reached the exhaustion point after 25

minutes.

Looking Ahead to the Next Great

Development

Hristo Strakov, IHI Bernex Head of

Technology, places the new coating in

context of the IHI Bernex approach:

“We are continuously improving our

CVD coatings, often guided by customer

and market requirements. The recent

innovations in our coating equipment

have allowed us to achieve these

phenomenal results. But I don’t think we

will ever be fi nished. We continue to be

approached for applications with even

higher demands and requirements, and

we aim to answer that challenge.”

Are you interested in including these

superior CVD coatings in your product

off ering and helping your customers

extend the lifetime of their tools?

The Bernex sales team is ready to answer

your questions and to work together

to come to the right solution for your

portfolio.

Contact Daniel Schranz (Daniel.Schranz

@ihi-bernex.com or +41 79 292 43 89)

or Philippe Ricklin (Philippe.Ricklin

@ihi-bernex.com or +41 79 330 29 59)

for more information.

Cutting conditions

34CrNiMo6

Vc = 220 m/min

Ap = 2 mm

Fn = 0.2 mm

23 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

COATING DEVELOPMENTS IN

THE AEROSPACE MARKET

MARKET DEVELOPMENT LEADING EDGE TECHNOLOGY

24 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

Aerospace is a challenging sector for coatings. Components in the hot section of turbines

are routinely exposed to temperatures above 1000 °C, under conditions that strongly

promote oxidation and corrosion. And with new engine models, the temperatures

in engines are going up even further. IHI Bernex is becoming a very strong player in

aerospace with their chemical vapour deposition (CVD) coatings.

25 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

Physical vapour deposition (PVD) coatings also

play a role in aerospace. While CVD is an excellent

coating type for the hot section of engines,

protective PVD coatings are applied for sand,

ash and water erosion protection on jet engine

components in the cold section. Tribological PVD

coatings are used to reduce the wear and increase

the maintenance intervals on fl ight control

actuators and other parts of the hydraulic system,

as well as on guide pins used during construction

of the jet engine and wings.

If you are interested in using

PVD for these aerospace

applications, please contact

Geert-Jan Fransen (+31 77 355

97 14 or GFransen@hauzer.nl)

technologies that use powder-based additives.” The additives

make the complex coating structure of the Bernex advanced

aerospace coating possible.

Join the Future of Aerospace Coatings

For Bernex, the knowledge built over the past 15 years is really

starting to pay off , with an increasing client roster in aerospace.

Coating of aerospace components is initially done by the

companies that build aeroplane engines, and then usually

repeated many times by the airlines themselves, during repairs

and overhauls of engines. Bernex is also still investing in their

strategy of having the right product at the right time. Currently,

Bernex is running three development projects for long-term

aerospace strategies.

Are you interested in expanding your

business with the Bernex aerospace CVD

coatings? Contact Daniel Schranz (+41 79

292 43 89 or Daniel.Schranz@ihi-bernex.

com) or Philippe Ricklin (+41 79 330 29 59

or Philippe.Ricklin@ihi-bernex.com) for more information.

THE ROLE OF PVD IN AEROSPACE

An Industry of Long-term Investments

Bernex started developing equipment and coating

architectures for the aerospace market 15 years ago. Hristo

Strakov, Bernex Head of Technology, says: “Aerospace is a

very conservative market with a long approval and validation

cycle. That is why the Bernex strategy has always been to focus

on the next generations of coatings, not on what is required

today. Coatings take time to develop. When the market starts

demanding certain properties, our advanced future coating

will be ready.”

This strategy requires a lot of insight in where the market will

go and what properties are expected to become important.

The result has worked very well. Aerospace accounts for over

30% of the Bernex turnover, and this is still growing.

Complex Coating Architecture + Complex

Component Shapes

Bernex specialises in the CVD coatings that are often applied

to components in the hot section, mainly aluminium-based

diff usion coatings with complex architectures. Hristo: “To

withstand the conditions in newer models of aeroplanes, low

percentages of additives can be used to increase the corrosion

protection, such as silicon, hafnium, chromium and cobalt.

Another important characteristic of turbine components is

their complex geometries. Turbine blades, for instance, have

long internal cooling channels that also need coating. CVD is a

highly successful technology for depositing complex coatings

on complex shapes, and often meets very tight homogeneity

requirements.”

Highly Specialised Control Equipment

Much of the Bernex investment in aerospace coatings has

gone into developing the equipment to control the additives.

Hristo: “Bernex equipment is designed to very precisely control

the percentage of dopant added to the coatings and even

vary it during the coating process. This is not possible with

26 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

LEADING EDGE TECHNOLOGYLEADING EDGE TECHNOLOGY

HiPIMS, the High-Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering technology, is now 20 years

old. Hauzer has been involved in developing this technology from the beginning,

because we saw great potential. Today, the technology has reached industrial

scale, with a reliable, stable process, so it can add value in many diff erent types of

applications in the tribo, tool and deco sectors.

APPLICATIONS WHERE HIPIMS REALLY SHINES

Valuable Properties of HiPIMS Coatings

One of the main benefi ts of HiPIMS technology is the coating

smoothness and uniformity, even on complex shapes.

Compared to conventional physical vapour deposition (PVD)

processes, the unique feature of HiPIMS is its high ionisation,

which allows users to control coating density and the coating

distribution on sharp edges. This opens up new horizons in

coating performance.

LEADING EDGE TECHNOLOGY RELIABILITY & QUALITY

27 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

with modulation (PWM) mode, a feature unique to Hauzer.

By changing pulse parameters and pulse sequences, Hauzer

HiPIMS users can influence and tailor the coating’s properties

for specific applications in terms of hardness, Young’s modulus

and uniformity.

Tool Application: Micro Tools

Cutting tools that are smaller than 3 mm in cutting diameter are

often called micro tools. These kinds of tools are used in, for instance,

manufacturing watches and mobile phone components. One way

to enhance the performance of micro tools is by changing the

HiPIMS deposition parameters to influence the coating’s growth

conditions and modulate its mechanical properties. The ratio

between hardness and Young’s modulus (the H/E ratio) is often used

to describe the ductility or brittleness of thin films. With Hauzer

HiPIMS, compared to conventional sputtering technology, this ratio

can be increased to reduce the brittleness while retaining the wear

resistance.

For complex shapes, the H/E ratio is important to stabilise

and reduce vibrations during the cutting process. This helps

to protect the micro tool’s cutting edge. HiPIMS technology offers the

possibility to grow a TiSiN film with a dense nanostructure, very good

adhesion and an H/E ratio of 10.5, ideal for tools for materials that are

difficult to machine. In the picture, the micro tool coated with HiPIMS

TiSiN shows no delamination on the sharp cutting edges.

The Hauzer HiPIMS approach enables users to really tune the

plasma process, by selecting and modifying a wide range of

parameters in the recipe. In addition to changing parameters

such as power, current, voltage, duty cycle, pulse on or pulse off

time, users can reprogram the pulse sequence with the pulse

Micro tool coated with HiPIMS TiSiN

TiSiN with hardness 3730±90 HV0.05 and a

Young’s modulus of 354±10.5 GPa

28 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

No Post-treatment Needed

The right coating can extend the life of high-precision micro

tools, but the coating process itself is not without risk.

Usage of conventional arc coatings, very common in the tool

industry, can damage the fi ligree cutting edges and result in a

rough surface. A post-treatment is mandatory for this kind of

PVD deposition technology to smoothen the surface, but this

can cause a fair amount of breakage.

HiPIMS coatings, in contrast, are smooth, nearly defect-free

and uniform, with a reduced “antenna” eff ect on the cutting

edge. The coating is consistently of good quality and requires

no post-treatment for these kinds of tools. That means more

tools will pass quality control.

Tool Application: New and Old Manufacturing Methods

HiPIMS also adds value to old manufacturing methods.

The process of skiving to cut internal and external gears is

experiencing a renaissance. The fi rst patent on skiving was

granted in 1910, and today’s production equipment can

provide the high-precision synchronisation that is necessary

for the skiving process. One disadvantage of skiving is

insuffi cient tool lifetime – and here, HiPIMS technology can

help. It can deposit a wear-resistant coating with very uniform

distribution around the cutting edges, to signifi cantly enhance

the tool life and help establish skiving as a high-productivity

technology.

Tribo Application: Smoother Surface for Tapping and

Forming

For tribological applications where high hardness and a low

friction coeffi cient are needed, a tetrahedral amorphous

carbon (ta-C) diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating is a good

candidate. Today, ta-C coatings made with Hauzer equipment

are mostly deposited by Hauzer CARC+ technology. HiPIMS can

help to achieve a smoother surface, which provides less torque,

less friction and a longer component lifetime. If you routinely

coat small parts that need post-treatment, the smoothness of

HiPIMS will save you even more time and money.

In the tool industry, too, ta-C coatings are becoming very

successful for tapping and forming of nonferrous materials

such as aluminium, especially with a silicon content up 10%.

Any new Hauzer machine can be confi gured

with HiPIMS. And any Hauzer machine already

in the fi eld can be modifi ed to include HiPIMS

technology. The benefi t of Hauzer equipment

for HiPIMS is that we off er diff erent chamber

sizes, which can help keep the cost per part

low by coating more items in a single batch.

Although the running time goes up for larger

systems, increasing the capacity more than

compensates for that.

Hauzer is continually working towards even

better performance of all our coating tech-

nologies, including HiPIMS. Interested to see

what Hauzer can do for you? We always

collaborate with our customers to see where we

can enhance their specifi c coatings. We can also

look into creating entirely new coatings, upgrading

recipes with new additions, and boosting the

performance of your coating architecture with

multilayer or nanolayer structure.

Whether you are in tribo,

deco or tool, contact:

Philipp Immich (PImmich@

hauzer.nl or +31 77 355 97

80) to discuss how to boost

your business with HiPIMS.

HIPIMS EQUIPMENT ON HAUZER MACHINES

29 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

At Bernex, we grew a lot in recent years, thanks to our focus

on our strategic plan, markets and opportunities. We did

several large investments, completely renovated our factory

floor and switched to a new IT system that matches Hauzer’s.

That almost makes it feel like we’re a start-up, even though

we’re almost 120 years old.

Bernex is a very international environment, and our

employees tend to stay for a long time: proud to be part

of a Swiss manufacturer with a long history. Our people

have to think outside the box, because designing and building

the best equipment requires both creativity and engineering

discipline. It’s important to me that we have a good

atmosphere and that people feel comfortable sharing their

opinions so we can maximise our potential.

In this section, we give our people a chance to introduce themselves. Now Bernex and Hauzer

are integrated, we would like to take the opportunity to introduce some of the Bernex team,

as well as welcoming a new Hauzer colleague and saying goodbye to another.

TEAM SPOTLIGHT

MICHAEL AUGERBERNEX CEO

I have worked for Bernex a total of 15 years now. It’s a really

interesting time to be a manufacturing company, with major

changes in the automobile and aerospace industry. By

listening to our customers, and our commitment to innovation,

we have been able to overhaul our standard equipment to

create superior coating results. I am looking forward to what

the future will bring.

Some people are so intimately entwined with the history of

a company that it is difficult to consider them going separate

ways. For Hauzer, Roel Tietema is someone like that. After

a 34-year career at Hauzer, Roel reached retirement age

in December 2019 and stepped down as Manager New

Technologies.

STEPPING DOWN: ROEL TIETEMA

30 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

HIGHLY SKILLED WORKFORCE

I started at Hauzer in September 2019 as sales manager for

the Cromatipic® business unit. Until 2016, I had been working

on a similar type of plastic metallisation technology, so I

bring with me a lot of experience with UV PVD technology,

its applications and the market. I had known Hauzer for

many years as a renowned, leading player in PVD equipment.

Recently, because the EU chemical directive REACH decided

to terminate authorisation for use of Cr-6 by 2024, it was

a good opportunity for me to join Hauzer and contribute

to establishing Cromatipic® as successor technology.

Working at Hauzer allows me to work on challenging, high-

end solutions with customers, with excellent support from

the Hauzer organisation and its people. There are attractive

business opportunities. I am based in Vienna, Austria, and

care for customers in large parts of Europe.

I think everyone at Hauzer is a highly trained or experienced

specialist in his or her field, and I find Hauzer to be a very

desirable place to work. It’s great to work for the leader in

PVD technology.

WOLFGANG STRASKYSALES MANAGER CROMATIPIC

When I first started at Bernex, I covered Europe and Asia.

Since my mission was to develop our sales, I used the 15 years

of experience I had China by then to increase our footprint

there as well as in Korea and Japan. Thanks to the support of

our local agents and a good understanding of the customer’s

needs and culture, we made Bernex into the benchmark

CVD cutting tool coating solution. Since then, it has been a

pleasure to work with our customers around the world to

develop their needs.

Bernex needed to find a second pillar to its strategy. Chemical

vapour aluminising (CVA) is going strong as ever. Since 2007,

we are getting great results in the aerospace industry, where

Bernex is now known as a recognised partner.

Technical sales is a great field for me, since I like the people

and the challenge. The culture and approval cycles are very

different in Asia and Europe, for instance, which influences

how I can best help customers in those areas. Challenge

is important to me anyway. The first time I stayed with a

company for 10 years, I said: “Never again!” Now, I’ve already

been at Bernex for 19 years and I never regretted it. Coating

is fascinating, an industry without limits. It’s like coming to a

new job every morning.

PHILIPPE RICKLINBERNEX DIRECTOR SALES

& MARKETING

MICHAEL AUGERBERNEX CEO

Roel joined Hauzer in 1986, only three years after it was

established. For 16 years, he was Manager Electrical

Engineering, with responsibility for the electrical engineering

and software for the Hauzer physical vapour deposition

(PVD) machines. In 2002, Roel became Manager Process

Engineering, leading R&D projects for coating processes

and the hardware features required for them. In the last 10

years, Roel held the position of Manager New Technologies,

expanding Hauzer’s business and serving more customers

through his keen eye for new technological possibilities.

Roel’s retirement party was attended by dozens of his Hauzer

contacts from all over the world. Fortunately, we won’t have

to do without Roel entirely yet – he will remain involved with

Hauzer on a part-time advisory basis.

31 HAUZER FOR YOU . NO. 34

Meet us...As always, Hauzer has the intention to be present at many industry events. Due to the

COVID-19 crisis, unfortunately, we can't be sure yet which events will take place this year.

Please visit our website for an up-to-date schedule

We're looking forward to seeing you in person in 2020!

hauzer.nl