Next-generation boride-based coatings for enhanced machining of nickel superalloys.
Developing and validating advanced TiB₂, TaB₂, and TixTa(1-x)B₂ coatings for cutting tools used in machining high-strength nickel-based superalloys.
A Swiss contribution to reducing economic and social disparities within the enlarged European Union
BOR4MACH at a glance
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Months duration
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Consortium partners
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Countries - Poland and Switzerland
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Target tool life improvement
Consortium
Rzeszow University of Technology
Rzeszów, Poland
Consortium leader. Coordinates the project and validates tool performance and coating durability.
Ultratech
Sędziszów Małopolski, Poland
Industrial end-user. Machines IN738 turbine blades to validate coatings under real production conditions.
Empa
Thun, Switzerland
Develops TixTa(1-x)B₂ coating libraries through combinatorial synthesis and high-throughput characterization.
Platit AG
Selzach, Switzerland
Global leader in PVD coating equipment. Scales up the best coatings for industrial deposition.
Latest updates from the project
What is BOR4MACH?
BOR4MACH is an international research project developing and validating advanced boride-based coatings – TiB₂, TaB₂, and their mixtures (TixTa(1-x)B₂) – for cutting tools used in machining high-strength nickel-based superalloys. Nickel superalloys are widely used in the aerospace and energy sectors, but their strength, poor thermal conductivity, and high chemical reactivity cause rapid tool wear and frequent tool replacement.
The project brings together four partners from Poland and Switzerland – Rzeszow University of Technology, Ultratech, Empa, and Platit- combining high-throughput combinatorial synthesis, advanced material characterization, and industrial validation to develop coatings with improved hardness, thermal stability, and oxidation resistance.
How it works
BOR4MACH follows a structured, six-stage workflow – from establishing a performance baseline with commercial coatings, through combinatorial synthesis and high-throughput screening of new boride compositions, to industrial-scale deposition and real-world validation on turbine blades.
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Reference benchmarking
Baseline coatings & tools prepared
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Reference validation
Lab and industrial testing of baseline
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Combinatorial synthesis
TiB₂–TaB₂ libraries via HiPIMS
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High-throughput characterization
Hardness, structure, oxidation screened
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Industrial-scale deposition
Best 3 compositions scaled up
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Industrial validation
Tested on IN738 turbine blades
BOR4MACH is funded under the Swiss-Polish Cooperation Programme, Research and Innovation Programme — Applied Research, through the Support Measure "Research and Innovation in the field of Applied Research," implemented via the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR) in Poland and Innosuisse — Swiss Innovation Agency in Switzerland.
Project number SPPW/BOR4MACH/0003/2025