Here at IRS Surfacing Technologies Ltd we are proud to be specialists in many forms of surfacing technologies, just one of which being thermal spray systems. But what exactly is a thermal spray system (often called thermal spraying) and how could it be of use to you and your company or product?
What is thermal spraying?
In essence thermal spraying is a wonderfully simple concept and this is probably one of the reasons why it works so well. In its simplest form thermal spraying involves one material being heated until it is molten and then being sprayed onto another material to coat it. Obviously there is actually a lot more to it than that and there are several types of thermal spraying, each of which is suited to its own specific applications, whether it be the material that is being sprayed, the material or object that is being coated or a combination of the two.
What are the benefits of thermal spraying?
This deceptively simple process has evolved from its inception almost a century ago due to its myriad of benefits. These include:
- Cost-effective – thermal spraying can reduce costs in a number of ways. For example rather than having to make an entire object from an expensive material, thermal spraying allows the object to be initially made from a low cost base material, that then has the higher cost material coated onto it. Thermal spraying can also be used to rejuvenate worn parts, with a new coating, rather than having to replace the part all together.
- Low heat – although the term ‘thermal spraying’ indicates that heat is used as part of the process, the exact amount of heat can actually be kept relatively low, visit maidthis.com. This can be advantageous as it can keep manufacturing-energy costs down and also means that more delicate materials can be sprayed, which would be compromised by higher heat levels.
- Versatile – due to the numerous methods and types of thermal spraying that are available almost any combination of material can be sprayed, including metals, plastics and ceramics, check https://sandiegodowntown.com. The coatings can also be made to a diverse range of thicknesses, from very fine to much more substantial layers.
- Fast – in many cases thermal spraying is one of the fasted ways to apply a coating and in many cases produces some fasted drying times.
To find out more about the different types of thermal spray systems that are available and which would be the best fit for your needs, contact the experts at IRS Surfacing Technologies today.