AlCrN coating — Industry Glossary Entry

AlCrN coating Aluminium Chromium Nitride (AlCrN) is a PVD ceramic coating with the highest hardness (3,200 HV) and the best high-temperature stability of the standard PVD coatings. Applied at 400–500 °C, 2–4 µm thick. The aluminium content forms a stable aluminium oxide layer at high temperature, preventing further oxidation.

When to use

• High-speed tissue and film slitting (> 1,000 m/min)
• Hot shear blades (aluminium, copper)
• Dry cutting applications (no coolant)
• High-speed steel cutting
• Stainless plate shearing (with the right chamfer)

When NOT to use

• On thin knives (risk of micro-cracking from the high hardness)
• On impact-loaded parts (carbide or uncoated is better)
• Where the substrate dominates (a coating is a 20–30 % life gain, not a transformation)

See also.