Metlab, Philadelphia, Pa., has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to be used for a coating process designed to extend the life of machine tools by up to 10 times. The grant was awarded through the Office of Industrial Technologies under its Nice3 program, which is aimed at enabling companies to commercialize new processes that save energy. Metlab's new process will deposit coatings of vanadium carbide on such metalworking components as stamping and forming tools, draw dies, aluminum die casting molds, rolls, plastic injection screws and tips.