Edge pre- and post-treatment

Edge pre-treatment

The edge pre-treatment is a very important process in a turnkey system designed to utilize the full potential of a coating.

The main aim of edge pre-treatment is to increase the edge’s stability and thus the tool’s performance.

Advantages of cutting-edge rounding:

Reduces chipping
Reduces what is referred to as an "antenna effect" in PVD coatings on sharp edges and thus reduces the stress in the coating
The more an edge is rounded, the thicker the coatings can be
Higher cutting-edge stability
Avoids cutting-edge breakouts and flaking of the coating during the machining process
Increase of the tool’s lifespan despite a "blunt" cutting-edge

Post-treatment

One of the problems that can arise without post-treatment of the surfaces is the jamming of the chips, which can cause a tool such as a drill to break

Objectives of post-treatment:

Removal of droplets after coating
Reduction of surface roughness
Improved chip-flow

If the post-treatment is too intense, the edge will become exposed

Exposed edges will lead to:

Immediate full and direct contact of the cutting-edge with the workpiece material
Low heat and chemical isolation

Low coating thickness near the cutting-edge
A larger cutting-edge radius, which results in a larger surface area without coating
The impression of a defective coating

Different materials and tools require different methods of pre- and post-treatment

The most common edge pre-treatment methods are dry blasting, wet blasting, drag grinding, brushing and magnet finish.

The most common post-treatment methods include wet blasting, drag grinding and polishing.

PLATIT has a broad competence and offers as well as integrates all products necessary for the turnkey system. Find more information about the pre- and post-treatment procedures in our compendium p.87 - p.105 by clicking here or contacting us directly.