https://doi.org/10.1140/epjs/s11734-026-02235-9
Regular Article
Development and performance evaluation of AlTiN-coated cutting tools using advanced PVD techniques
1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology Shibpur, 711103, Howrah, India
2
Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, 576104, Manipal, India
a
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Received:
22
October
2025
Accepted:
23
February
2026
Published online:
10
March
2026
Abstract
The current study investigates the development, characterization, and performance of AlTiN-coated cutting tools fabricated using three advanced physical vapor deposition (PVD) techniques: cathodic arc vapor deposition, high-power impulse magnetron sputtering, and scalable pulsed power plasma (S3p). The coatings are characterized for mechanical, tribological, and structural properties using scanning electron microscope, Energy-Dispersive Spectroscopy, and micro-hardness and scratch tests. One-way analysis of variance confirmed significant differences in machined surface roughness (SR) and material removal rate (MRR). S3p-coated tools exhibited superior hardness (33.06 ± 1.27 GPa), the lowest machined SR (3.898 ± 0.117 μm) and the highest MRR (3.958 ± 0.203 mm3/min), while cutting force showed no significant difference. The tool fabricated using S3p coating method showed significant improvement in terms of hardness and machining responses i.e., SR and MRR. These findings highlight S3p as a promising, sustainable coating method for high-precision machining, offering enhanced tool life and efficiency. This work provides novel insights into optimizing PVD techniques for advanced manufacturing applications.
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© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to EDP Sciences, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2026
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
