Characterization of diamond-like coatings (DLC, ta-C) from ANTACON

In the industrial environment, economic losses occur due to wear and tear, which causes direct and/or indirect costs. Significant factors here are, for example, cost-intensive new acquisitions, necessary overhauls, production downtimes and maintenance costs. The annual economic loss is estimated at approx. 2 – 7 % of GDP in Germany alone. In addition to economic aspects, ecological factors are playing an importantrole in  the manufacturing companies. For example, about 23 % of global energy consumption is due to tribological (frictional) contacts. The introduction of advanced tribological technologies can reduce global CO₂ emissions by up to 1,460 million tons CO₂-equivalent in the short term. The ANTACON company is a pioneer in innovation and development of new clean tribological technologies, thereby contributing to a more sustainable economy.

Due to supply chains that have become uncertain and constantly rising raw material costs as a result of disruptive events, industry has a great need for reliable tools and machine components that increase process
reliability in production chains and minimize downtimes together with replacement costs. It is common that the main cost driver is not the worn tool itself, but rather the resulting production downtime during the tool
exchange or an excessive amount of scrap during production using the worn tool. The user benefits both directly and indirectly from the use of super-hard highperformance tribological coatings and thus achieves a competitive advantage in this competitive market. For example, an automotive supplier can significantly extend the service life of its tools and components through the use of application-specific ANTACON coatings, thereby significantly reducing its costs.