Heat Source
Plasma Arc
Material
Powder (Ceramic, Metal, Plastics)
Transfer
Via Plasma Jet
Process
Plasma sprayed coatings are used for dense, quality coatings like ceramics, cermets, metallic coatings, WC-Co and meet aerospace standards.
Plasma is the term used to describe gas which has been raised to such a high temperature that it ionises and becomes electrically conductive. In the case of Plasma spraying, the plasma is created by an electric arc burning within the nozzle of a plasma gun and the arc gas is formed into a plasma jet as it emerges from the nozzle. Powder particles are injected into this jet where they soften and then strike the surface at high velocity to produce a strongly adherent coating. Metallisation offer a Pistol Control Console Plasma Spray System, capable of spraying with a range of commonly available plasma pistols, as well as their own PS50 Pistol.
The plasma spray process uses an arc between two non-consumable electrodes to provide a plasma gas stream. Typically a powder feedstock is introduced into this plasma gas stream to heat the particles and propel them onto a surface to form a coating. APS is atmospheric plasma spray; plasma spray deposition carried out under standard atmospheric conditions. Chrome oxide can be deposited by the plasma spray process. It is commonly deposited onto printing rollers where the print pattern is laser etched into the surface of the chrome oxide.
Features
- Mass flow control of primary, secondary and carrier gases = repeatability.
- Easy to use, intuitive operator interface.
- Inverter power supply = stability.
- PC control with touch screen operator interface.
- Optional keyboard control or operator interface unit.
- Manual or fully sequenced start-up, operation and shut-down.
- Various straight, angled and extension pistols can be used.
- Safety interlocks to prevent running without coolant and gases.
- Argon or Nitrogen primary and Nitrogen, Helium or Hydrogen secondary gases.
- Unlimited recipes and parameter recording.
- Other powder feeders/power sources can be interfaced.
Application Examples
Plasma Spray Systems can be used in a range of applications including, but not limited to:
- Abradable coatings – e.g. the fan blades on a jet engine with incredibly close tolerances on the engine casing.
- Aerospace airframe.
- Aerospace Engine Repair Functions.
- Anilox rolls.
- Anti-corrosion.
- Bearing insulators.
- Blades.
- Cellulose Pressure Roll.
- Cookware.
- Crankshaft Reclamation.
- Dielectric coatings.
- Engine Refurbishment.
- Exhaust Systems.
- Goddet Rolls.
- High performance motor cars.
- High temperature environments – e.g. jet engines.
- Mechanical seals.
- Medical Implant Prosthetics.
- Navy/RAF Ships.
- Paper Mill Cylinder.
- Paper rolls.
- Piston Rings.
- Print rolls / Analox rolls.
- Pump shafts.
- Space shuttle engine components.
- Thermal barrier coatings – e.g. how the jet engine operates at such high temperatures without melting.
- Vanes.
- Wire drawing capstans.
Flashback to 2001 and the PS50M Plasma system – Metallisation’s first mass flow controlled Plasma system for the ultimate in plasma accuracy.