Hampshire-based Horn Cutting Tools Ltd, has introduced two high-performance coatings — IG6 and SG3 — for the carbide inserts it manufactures for turning applications. Despite being less than 0.005mm thick, such coatings can extend service life by a factor of 10 or more compared to uncoated inserts.

IG6 is a copper-coloured, aluminium-titanium-silicon nitride (AlTiSiN) coating for machining steels in groups P and M with Horn’s S224 and S229 grooving systems. In conjunction with the adapted carbide substrate, the coating allows faster material removal rates and significantly extended service life. Standard inserts are available from stock, while for special designs, Horn Greenline orders can be delivered within five working days of the customer signing off on the drawing.

Horn's SG3 coating is designed for machining titanium alloys and superalloys, as well as for hard turning and hard grooving applications. It can withstand temperatures of up to 1,100deg C and is designed to deliver an outstanding performance when working with materials that are difficult to machine. Now that the advantages of the tool coating have been proven on selected Horn tool systems, the 105 Supermini grooving and boring system products are available from stock.

Over the last 15 years, Horn has developed a high level of expertise in the coating of precision tools, starting with five employees and one coating system and growing to over 50 employees working across fourteen coating systems and the accompanying peripheral equipment.

Engineers are constantly researching new and developing existing coatings with the aim of delivering ever-higher performance. Horn continually invests in new, modern technologies. In 2015, the company CemeCon delivered to Horn the first of three HiPIMS (high power impulse magnetron sputtering) systems, which was the first in the world.

The technology has several advantages and provides new opportunities when coating precision tool inserts. It enables the formation of coatings that are very dense and compact, as well as extremely hard and tough. They have a homogeneous structure and exhibit an even thickness, even on complex tool geometries.