Cutting tools work under severe conditions. High surface stresses (up to 4,000 MPa) and temperature in the cutting area (500-1,100°C) facilitate wear process. The tools are subject to high-rate vibrations, impacts and variable loads.

Some machine components work in similar conditions. Steam turbine and aircraft engine blades, helicopter rotor blades, components of mining equipment need to possess high fatigue strength and erosion and corrosion resistance. Piston rings in internal combustion engines work under severe friction conditions.

Therefore, working surfaces of tools and machine components are to be of high hardness, chemical resistance, heat resistance, fatigue strength, corrosion resistance, and oxidation resistance at high temperature.  

Varieties of tool materials are due to specific properties of each material which are optimum for specified purpose and limited use. These properties govern cutting conditions and tool geometry.

Vacuum-arc coatings on the basis of nitrides and carbides of high-melting metals deposited on working surfaces of tools and machine components meet most of the requirements.

Vacuum arc method enables to obtain a wide range of protective coatings on the basis of various metals and alloys and their compounds with gases. This ensures low power requirements, high adhesion to a substrate and flexible control of coating phase composition and  structure.