TD Coating is well known in Metal Forming and Die Casting Industries, and is based on pure ultra-dense Vanadium carbide that completely covers the part.

The Vanadium Carbide coating thickness is 0.0002-0.0003" with a hardness of 3500 to 3800 HV (Vickers Hardness), well above 90 HR_C. For example, hardened tool steel measures 500-800 HV (55-65Rc); Chrome is 600-900 (60-66Rc); TiN (Titanium Nitride) is 2200-2500 HV and vanadium carbide (VC) or TD is 3500-3800 HV.

The high hardness and thickness of the coating provides the capacity to withstand the normal loads developed at radii, while the fine nano-structure of the coating increases the shear stress capacity. Due to the low coefficient of friction (less than 0.08) the flow of the material is eased and the abrasion wear of the tool as well as galling (pick-up) are delayed.

The TD Process is used to improve and extend the life of tooling for the sheet metal, cold forging, aluminum die casting, powdered metal, glass, textile, wire, and many other industries.

Traditional TD Coating (Thermal Diffusion) is a hot coating process (1800-1900 °F) that combines carbon from the tool surface with the element vanadium to grow a vanadium carbide layer that is bonded to the substrate metallurgically. This method of thermally diffusing a vanadium carbide layer into the surface creates an incredible bond far stronger than any deposited coating and better adhesion means longer life.

New Cold TD Coating was developed by IBC-Sputtek in 2007 and is known as TDC

The mechanical properties of the substrate and the cold coating (toughness, hardness and ductility) can be enhanced through the thermal diffused sub layer. The dense and thick structure that is created will decrease the plastic deformation of the tool under the effect of the concentrated load.

• Technical data of the TDC coating:

-Deposition temperature         : 500º F - 600º F

-Thickness of the coating        : typically 6 microns (0.0002”)

-Depth of the thermal

 diffused layer                        : 25- 50 microns (.002”)

-Hardness                              : typically 3500-3800 HV 020

-Coefficient of friction               : less than 0.08  (Steel on steel conditions)