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What is Thermal ArcSpraying?
The origins of thermal arc spraying date back to approximately 1911 when Max Ulrich Schoop in Zurich, Switzerland patented a process incorporating an electric arc as the production heat source for melting two wires. By an air stream the molten metallic particles were propelled onto the substrate to be coated. Nevertheless at that time neither suitable power sources nor reliable spray pistols were available to make industrial use of this process.
Ater the second world war the arc spraying process was first started in Germany by the OSU company developing power sources as well as arcspray pistols ready to be used in industry.
Today in the modern arcspray process, the raw material in form of a pair of metallic wires (electrodes), is melted by an electric arc. This molten material is atomised by a cone of compressed air and propelled towards the workpiece. The molten spray solidifies immediately on the component surface forming a dense, strongly adherent coating suitable for corrosion protection or component reclamation. The deposits posess a higher degree of bond strength than most other thermally deposits and the use of compressed air and electricity alone mean immense savings in fuel costs.
Today thermal arc spraying is primarily used in the anti-corrosion protection, i.e. the spraying of zinc and aluminium.
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