Effects of mechanical properties and layer structure on the cyclic dynamic loading of TiN-based coatings

► A systematic study of the effect of nano-impact force. ► FIB/SEM was used to study the cross-sectional and top views of the impact footprints. ► At low loads, TiAlSiN showed improved crack resistance consistent with its higher H/Er and H3/Er2. ► At high loads, TiAlSiN showed much less spallation due to its multilayer structure. ► A simple model to study the power law relationship between the volume loss and the velocity.