Technologies

The demands for engineering coatings are becoming more and more stringent. Environmental concerns are also being considered as an integral part of the design process. For future economic competitiveness and a lower environmental impact we must therefore turn our attention to processes that use the minimum of resources. Thermal spraying is an attractive coating technique as it offers a wide choice of materials and processes that have a reduced impact on the environment when compared to conventional plating processes.

Thermal spray coating techniques such as flame spraying, wire arc spraying and plasma spraying, allow many problems of wear, corrosion and thermal degradation to be resolved by engineering the surface with tailor-made coatings.

Compared to traditional surface modification processes, thermal spraying offers greater thickness capability, no part size restrictions, it can be performed in situ, and it produces minimal noxious waste. High processing temperatures allow deposition of many high melting point materials onto a relatively cold substrate.