The Vacotec PVD coating system can optionally be equipped with a plasma nitriding technology. With this it is possible to use the Duplex process.

Here the tools are deposited with a PVD coating after being plasma nitrided without the need to vent the system. The plasma nitriding process was developed specifically not to influence the surface quality of the tools. Especially the formation of an interfering white layer is completely suppressed.

Especially with forming tools a tremendous performance boost is achieved by means of the duplex process. The mode of action of this effect increases the adhesion of the hard and brittle PVD coating on the nitrided surface. The toughness of the base metal is not affected.