The abbreviation PM in HSS-PM does not refer to the alloying constituents of the high speed steel, but to the method of manufacture. The liquid steel melt is atomized by means of nitrogen. The powder is then hot isostatically pressed (so-called HIP process) and then brought into the respective shape by forging and rolling as in conventional steel production. The advantages of steel result from the more uniform and finer carbide distribution (carbide = hard materials in steel). This makes the material easier to machine. In application, however, it is still wear-resistant and has a high hot hardness.
Titanium aluminium nitride (TiAlN) or aluminium titanium nitride (AlTiN; for aluminium contents higher than 50%) is a group of metastable hard coatings consisting of nitrogen and the metallic elements aluminium and titanium. This compound as well as similar compounds(such as TiN and TiCN) are most notably used for coating machine tools such and endmills and drills to change their properties, such as increased thermal stability and/or wear resistance. Four important compositions (metal content 100 wt.%) are deposited in industrial scale by physical vapor deposition methods:
