Take your solid carbide tools to the next level with C10
Reduce cost per unit, produce high-quality surfaces and achieve process safety with our innovative Dual-Layer coating technology
September 24, 2025
Coating technologies are often used to improve the performance of cutting tools - and with good reason. Kyocera Unimerco C10 coating is a universal PVD coating that provides impressively high and stable performance and is an attractive technology for cutting tools in both the wood and metal industries.
Wood industry
If you want to boost production processes and ensure high-quality products in kitchen and board furniture in the woodworking industry, you can benefit greatly from C10 coating. You can expect a tool life that is 3-4 times longer with C10-coated tools when working with materials such as chipboard, MDF, plywood and HPL - even after ReNew.
Metal industry
In the metal, automotive and aerospace industries, C10 is a strong competitor for machining of high-quality surfaces in a wide range of ferrous workpiece materials such as steel, stainless steel and cast iron - but also into exotic materials like titanium, Inconel and other superalloys. In some cases, C10 can even be used to successfully machine carbon fibre-based composite materials.
Up to 50% increased performance in ferrous metals
Manufacturers in the metal industry who choose to coat drilling or milling cutters with our C10 coating will see an increase in tool performance of up to 50% compared to our previous PVD coating. This is proven in customer tests, where significant improvements have been seen when drilling in cast iron (GGG40) and the same applies to milling applications in titanium and other high nickel based alloys. The increased performance can be leveraged to significantly extend tool life by optimising cutting parameters or to reduce process time through higher speeds maximising workpiece throughput within your existing production setup.
C10 can be used on most solid carbide tools, giving the cutting edges impressive wear and breakage resistance and improving the surface quality of your workpieces. This is partly due to the nano-hardness of this coating technology of 45 GPa, which not only increases the wear resistance of the tool, but also ensures that the coefficient of friction is reduced and chips are effectively evacuated against the hard, smooth surface. In comparison, hardened steel has a nano hardness of 8 - 10 GPa.
C10 is highly versatile and recommended for all ferrous metals in a wide range of applications in both milling and drilling. Common to all applications is that you avoid chips being packed in chip spaces and chip channels, ensuring good and constant chip control. This minimises the risk of material deformation, broken workpieces - or simply tool breakage - even in demanding applications such as deep hole drilling.
Extremely low coefficient of friction
One of the most notable improvements of the copper-coloured C10 coating is the extremely low coefficient of friction of just 0.4 (dry to steel), which prevents the tool from overheating during a machining process. The low coefficient of friction combined with heat resistance up to 1,100°C gives coated tools extreme tool life and results in both reduced tool changes and costs for worn or broken tools.
With extremely durable C10 coating technology, you can reduce your cost per unit while giving the CNC operator the confidence of a safe, predictable and stable process, maximising production throughput.
Key benefits for the wood and metal industry
- Extreme wear resistance for increased durability and maximum performance
- Highly versatile PVD coating for many different workpiece materials
- Heat resistance up to 1,100°C and low coefficient of friction of 0.4
- Efficient chip evacuation for stability, process reliability and smooth surfaces
- Innovative Dual-Layer technology for both drills and milling tools.
Want to boost your performance with C10?
To experience the power of C10 in your own production or to learn more about where and how you can benefit from this technology, contact our experts. You can coat or recoat your existing tools with C10, or order new tools with this solution. Our consultants can always advise and guide you on the correct coating type for your specific application and help you implement it in your own production to maximise the benefits right away.
C10 coating, and our other innovative coating technologies, are applied in Kyocera Unimerco own in-house coating centres located in Denmark, the UK and the USA. The coating centres are operated by our highly skilled staff, ensuring optimal coating quality every time.
To contact us about C10 please click the link on left hand side.