Have you found that your company’s tools need to be replaced far more frequently than they should be? Many companies find themselves replacing their tools (especially their custom tools) extremely often, as they become either dulled or deformed. And replacing a company’s tools can be expensive and also lead to business interruption if tools break unexpectedly. Given these points, there are ways to increase the tool’s longevity and even save money at the same time.

The Benefits of Tool Coating

When tools are coated, they aren’t just protected by an additional layer of material. An added layer of material conveys some substantial benefits:

• Tool coatings can be designed to resist heat and cold. Many tools need to operate in environments that are very extreme or may heat up during operation. Tool coatings can balance out temperature extremes and protect tools from warping.
• Tool coatings keep tools clean and reduce the likelihood that materials will adhere directly to them. For you, this means that not only does the tool need to be cleaned less frequently, but it’s also less likely to be damaged by abrasive materials stuck to its surface.
• Tool coatings will help retain sharpness. Today’s tool coatings are often specifically designed to improve the hardness and sharpness of a tool, which not only preserves the tool but also means that it performs better overall.

With all this in mind, it’s almost always advisable to coat a tool when either producing it or regrinding.

Saving Money through Tool Coating

By regularly regrinding and coating tools, companies can save a substantial amount of money. Regrinding and coating tools mean that the company is able to preserve the bulk of the material that the tool is made out of; in other words, it saves a lot of expense because an entire tool doesn’t have to be repurchased. Additionally, tool coating reduces the amount of “downtime” by giving the company the best and most reliable tools on a regular and predictable basis. Tool coating and regrinding can be integrated into regular tool maintenance, so there are fewer unexpected breaks and replacements.

Types of Tool Coating

There are a variety of tool coatings depending on how durable you need your tools to be, and what environment your tools are being used in. Titanium nitride coatings, for instance, are often used to improve the tool hardness of and to increase production speed. The aluminum coating is even more resistant to heat and is particularly useful when being used on abrasive surfaces. Finding the right coating is a necessity to deal with the budget and also durability.

Tool coating is only one of the ways that tools can have their lives extended. Tools can also be extended through the process of regrinding and through developing custom tools that are better-suited to a job and more likely to last a long time. For more information, contact the experts at CT&G.