Cutting with coated tools: Coating technologies, characterization methods and performance optimization

Coated tools constitute the majority of the tools applied in material removal processes, rendering the employment of uncoated ones as an exception. A broad growing market of coated cutting tools has been developed. Moreover, numerous material- and manufacturing-engineers have joint their expertise, aiming at developing coatings meeting the needs for processing the most difficult-to-cut materials at the most extreme cutting conditions. The emerging of new workpiece, tool and film materials, the evolution of sophisticated coatings' characterization methods and the continuous need for higher productivity rates, maintain vivid the industrial and scientific interest for further advancing this field.