Thermal spray coating is exactly what you’d imagine it to be. Utilising some of the best resources and fuels known to man, such as plasma, high velocity oxygen fuel, consumable electrodes, and gaseous fuel, a complex yet ingenious spray is created to match your requirements that drastically improves the surface on which it is applied to.
The sprays are created to be applied as an exterior coating for all manners of materials and products, spanning everything from aeroplane wings to oil and gas downhole drilling tools. Products such as these are exposed to extreme temperatures and conditions, and often violent use, and this makes them susceptible to substantial damage and degradation.
EP Coatings, the specialist in thermal spray coating technology, have worked with all manners of industries to engineer and apply a coating that not only improves the material on which it is applied, but that meets safety requirements, withstands harsh environments, and adds value.
Here are some examples of where thermal spray coating has revolutionised specific industries:
- Automotive
When you think about the temperatures and stress that the inners works of automobiles have to withstand, it’s easy to see why engineered coating development takes place. Utilising many of the technologies available, auotomotive industries use the coating on the likes of:
- Shift forks
- Piston rings
- Engine blocks
- Cylinder liners
- Oxygen sensors
… and much more. The spray improves heat resistance, ultimately minimising wear and tear far beyond that of a non-thermal sprayed product.
- Aerospace and Defense
Among the very first adopters of the technology, the Aerospace and Defense industry has benefited from thermal spray coatings, making it an integral part of their manufacturing process. These days, many companies within this sphere treat thermal spray coating as an essential step in meeting the demands for high performance and high quality. Coatings are applied to:
- Wing structures
- Landing gear axles, pins, bearings
- Actuation systems such as flaps, thrust reversing, pumps
- Transmission gears and shafts
… and much more. EP Coatings have been instrumental in supporting the UK aerospace industry with regaining thermal spray applications to the UK market through their superior quality and service.
- Oil and Gas
As the demand for these resources continues to surge, the industry is having to explore much tougher, harsher environments in order to extract from both existing and new reserves. However, operating in these atmospheres can result in tools being subject to severe degradation. Damage includes abrasion and/or erosion, corrosion, and stress corrosion cracking.
The oil and gas industry has benefited greatly from thermal spray coatings being applied to such products as:
- Ball and gate valves
- Mud rotors
- Directional drilling actuation components
- Well logging sensors
… and much more. These coatings ensure the tools can withstand extreme temperatures, added far more durability and providing a longer shelf life.
Do you work within an industry that requires thermal spray coating technology?
EP Coatings work with you to transform your development project, providing the extensive industry knowledge to inform whether something is scientifically possible of technically feasible, and how to achieve this. Working with you every step of the way, their bespoke coating specifications, robust and efficient production techniques, and vigorous quality control processes ensure you end up with a solution that often goes beyond that of your requirements. They also offer full technology transfer thanks to their close relationships with equipment suppliers, including all required equipment, materials and ongoing support.
More information:
Engineered Performance Coatings (EPC) is a surface engineering company that specialises in the application of thermal spray coatings used in industries such as aerospace, oil and gas exploration drilling, renewable energy, and many other niche markets. Based in the UK and North America, they have development and manufacturing facilities that are unmatched in the industry. To learn more, visit their website: www.ep-coatings.com.
