Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. has developed a thin-film coating for applying to precision cutting tool surfaces to extend tool life at more than 200 meters per minute without using cutting oil. MHI is featuring the coating on the Super Dry III hob, which was released at the Japan International Machine Tool Fair. 

The Super Dry III hob plays off the success of the Super Dry II hob, but it offers an 80-100 percent longer tool life. In order to prolong tool life in high-speed dry cutting applications, MHI focused on improving the anti-oxidation and wear resistance capabilities of the coating at high temperatures. The Super Dry III's oxidation temperature is 1,300 degrees Celsius, which is 100 degrees higher than the Super Dry II. During testing, the Super Dry III demonstrated 40 percent less tool flank wear and 80 percent longer tool life at 250 m/min and double the tool life at 300 m/min.