Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing a hard-material-coated component, comprising the following steps: application of a layer of hard material to the component in a PVD coating unit; and structural further processing of the outer surface of the layer of hard material, and to a component produced using the process. Particularly in the case of thick coatings or coatings with a columnar structure, such processes have a problem producing a sufficiently smooth surface on the coating. The problem is solved by the fact that for the structural further processing, the surface of the layer is blasted in a blasting device in order to improve this surface, an inorganic blasting agent with a grain size in the range from 1 ?m to 100 ?m and a sharp-edged grain shape being used.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a component, for example a tool, coated with a hard material, in particular diamond, a process for its production and a device for carrying out the process. The process for the production of the component coated with the hard material comprises the steps of: a) introducing a fine-grained cemented carbide or carbide-containing cement substrate into a vacuum system with a heating device and at least one gas feed connection; b) removing carbon from the carbides of a surface layer of the substrate at a substrate temperature in the region of about 900° C. to about 1400° C. and in an oxygen-containing atmosphere; c) introducing carbon into the surface layer of the substrate at a substrate temperature in the region of about 900° C. to about 1400° C. and in a carbon-containing atmosphere; and d) coating the substrate with the hard material.