Consulting
- Ion Vacuum Technologies provides much more than just coatings: We offer SYSTEMIC ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS TO OPTIMIZE THE BENEFITS OF COATING. In a specific tool application, besides the PVD coating, the end result depends on a bewildering variety of factors, such as the work material, the tool material, cutting speed and feed if this is a cutting tool application, the lubricant, its condition, and the method of lubrication (the way it is applied), tool geometry, edge preparation or honing as applicable, surface conditions/smoothness of chip forming faces and other rheologically active surfaces, and the rigidity of tool holding and work holding, and the general condition of the machine tools the particular job is run on. The problem of troubleshooting is complicated by the limited amount of information about these factors. Some of them, such as the specifications of the raw materials, are intentionally ill-defined: materials with tight, narrow specifications can be prohibitively expensive. Others, such as the condition of the lubricant/coolant or the tooling applied to a specific process, can undergo continuous deterioration with time.
- We provide expert CONSULTING SERVICES to solve your machining problems. By analyzing tools at different stages of their life, from brand new – to slightly used – to one close to the end of its service life, it is likely that we can de-convolute the different factors that affect the performance and productivity, and point to a small number of probable culprits of unsatisfactory tool performance.
- We advise clients to look at the “big picture” before coating, and put the tool application in a broader context. In an attempt to help you to solve possible problems, we consider the tool, the workpiece, machining conditions, and surface preparation together.
- We provide PRODUCT SUPPORT: We analyze and optimize your tool application. We provide guidance in surface preparation prior to coating. When you call, you will talk to technical experts, not salespeople or secretaries.
- We offer to all of our customers troubleshooting on any of the services we provide. Coatings are not always the best solution for a problem, and when coatings have been applied to a tool that is not helped by the coatings, we determine the cause of the failure and help you solve that problem.
- Once you are satisfied with the uncoated tool application and established your baseline, please consult our website for instructions for surface preparation for your tools prior to the coating process. Remember: the results of PVD coating critically depend on the surface preparation. WE CAN HELP YOU WITH SURFACE PREPARATION FOR PVD: Call us, and we shall make you aware of potential pitfalls, so you will end up with a better end product.