TECHNOLOGY-TRANSFER ISSUES FOR HARD COATINGS IN THE CUTTING-TOOL INDUSTRY

Many issues must be successfully addressed to scale up and transfer ne w coating technology into manufacturing. Connections between R&D and m anufacturing groups must be synchronous on technical, informational an d organizational levels. Parallel equipment and processing capability in both groups is important for smooth technology transfer. Also, flex ibility must be balanced with automation for rapid product development and transfer. Modeling of several types (thermodynamic, PEA-based sol id and flow/heat transfer) is becoming a key tool to save time and res ources during development. Several examples are given for flow and hea t transfer modeling in a CVD system. Despite advances in technology, t he human element is still the most critical in effectively developing, scaling-up and transferring new technology. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.