Performance evaluation of PVD coatings for high pressure die casting

During high-pressure die-casting (HPDC) of aluminium alloys, there is a tendency for the molten alloy to react with the tool steel die, core pins and inserts. This occurrence within the high pressure die casting (HPDC) industry is referred to as ‘soldering’. It is of concern to high-pressure die casters because of down-time due to the regular removal of the soldered layer and its detrimental affect on die life and casting quality. In this investigation, several physical vapour deposited (PVD) coatings, namely, TiN, CrN and TiCN, were evaluated for their ability to eliminate soldering during HPDC of aluminium alloys. Accelerated semi-industrial trials were carried out in a 250-t Toshiba HPDC machine using a specially designed die made of P20 tool steel with removable core pins. The results from these trials showed that PVD coatings can act as a physical barrier coating preventing any reaction between the molten aluminium alloy and the tool steel. Thus the problem of soldering on such tools as core pins can be eliminated in high HPDC of aluminium alloys. In the accelerated trials, it was found that soldering was replaced by a built-up layer of cast aluminium alloy, which was less detrimental to tool life and reduced machine down-time due to the reduced need for tool polishing. The experimental results were confirmed by conducting in-plant HPDC trials.