9. Coatings for Aluminum Die-Casting Dies

Aluminum die-casting dies are subject to severe loads, thermal softening, and shock as well as high-temperature wear and oxidation at temperatures exceeding 750 °C. Collectively, these decrease die’s life cycle and increase production costs of aluminum parts. The objective of this work is to develop outstanding coating materials which can prolong the die’s life cycle by more than 200 %. Specifically, in this study, we compared the critical properties (i.e., Al adhesion, thermal shock, stability, etc.) of 11 coatings, and subsequently, three best coatings are selected to be applied in production lines and evaluated for their overall performance and durability. The best performing coating TiAlCrSiCN is then characterized in terms of its nanolayered design, constituent elements, coating process, and effects. Especially, this and other newly developed coatings on conventional die material (SKD61) could be used as a substitute for more expensive high-temperature die materials.