Industrial Coatings Are Not Just About Corrosion Protection

Industrial coatings are composed of epoxies, phenols, silicones, and urethanes, but the growing demand for performance is bringing new materials and process advances to the industrial coatings market.

As an example, surfaces that require wear or erosion, extreme heat, corrosion, or dimensional repair or electrical insulation can benefit greatly from high velocity oxygen fuel [HVOF] type coatings. Developed in the 1980s, this thermal spray coating product uses a wide range of alloyed metal and ceramic powders in the plasticized state, resulting in improved surface properties including adhesion strength, hardness, abrasion or penetration resistance. Supplied via hot gas flow.

This process, also called “wire flame spraying” or “combustion wire coating process”, uses an oxyfuel gas flame as the heat source. Both wire shape and solid rod feedstock are used.

The outermost tip of the wire or rod melts as it passes through the flame and is "atomized" into very small particles by a jet around the compressed air, propelled by the work piece to form a coating on the surface To do.

The substrate temperature remains relatively low in the HVOF coating process and the workpiece is given little heat, so the risk of thermal distortion is minimal, typically below a few hundred degrees Fahrenheit and most metals are coated Adapt to the process. Iron, steel, austenite or martensite grade stainless steel, copper and aluminum alloy. A build [coating thickness] as high as 0.250 inches can be achieved.

In addition, RoHS compliance of the HVOF coating offers significant advantages over metal finishing processes such as hard chrome plating.

The high-speed oxygen fuel [HVOF] industrial coating market includes automotive, medical, defense and aerospace, printing and paper, food processing, industrial and manufacturing, military, aerospace and defense.

Restoring the surface dimensions of worn parts is a common application of this coating process. However, avoid using gear teeth, splines, threads, etc. with line or point contact, shear load, or high stress.

For newly designed surfaces that require performance solutions for abrasive wear, HVOF coatings based on tungsten carbide are an excellent choice. Molybdenum is useful in applications that overcome friction associated with surface fatigue, movement between contact areas, and wear.

Thermal spray coating can solve various problems related to mechanical, electrical, or corrosion. Note, however, that strength is not added to the base material. The surface must be able to withstand the mechanical loads during use. Nitride or heat treatment as required.

HVOF is a versatile coating process that offers a variety of materials as metal finishes. Typical use cases are extrusion dies, piston rings and bearing journals. What surface properties will be brought to the product or process using high speed oxygen fuel coatings?