Coating Descriptions and Applications from Morse Cutting Tools

Western Tool Company has a complete line of Morse Cutting Tools, visit our site at Westerntoolco.com or call us at 303-422-3413 to order. Here is a helpful chart from Morse on coating descriptions and applications:

Comp.	Color	Oxidation Temp.	Working Temp.	Process Temp.	Applications
TiN	Gold	400°C/750°F	660°C/1100°F	375°C/700°F	This is a good general purpose coating: the standard by which all other coatings are judged. TiN can be used in just about any application, such as cutting, forming, plastic injection molding components, fine blanking, etc.
TiCN	Blue/Gray	350°C/670°F	450°C/840°F	375°C/700°F	TiCN offers improved hardness and wear resistance beyond TiN. This coating is recommended for tough machining applications such as high carbon steels, high silicon aluminums, and tool steels. TiCN is also good for stamping and forming tools.
AlTiN	Violet/Black	660°C/1100°F	800°C/1470°F	375°C/700°F	AlTiN is a versatile coating that continues to find new uses. It is excellent for machining cast iron, highnickel alloys, titanium alloys, hardened steels, stainless steels, and much more. AlTiN has also proven to be a good coating for metalforming. AlTiN is good for higher temperature applications.
TiAlN	Copper	660°C/1100°F	800°C/1470°F	375°C/700°F	Many applications for TiAlN coating are similar to AlTiN coating. Howevevr, TiAlN is slightly less brittle and more ductile than AlTiN: this makes it better for roughing and interrupted cut applications. TiAlN is a better choice when coating lower grade or questionable substrates, as it tends to be more forgiving.
ZrN	Pale Gold	400°C/750°F	660°C/1100°F	375°C/700°F	This is another good general purpose coating. Many of its properties are similar to TiN. ZrN is good for machining titanium, cast iron, and nonferrous materials such as aluminum, copper, and brass. ZrN is also used in decorative applications.