ASK AWAY
We know that choosing a third party to protect and restore your components with thermal coatings is a big decision. We’re here to answer all your questions.
What is the Arc-Plasma Spray process?
Arc-plasma spray is a method of applying thermal coatings using a hot gas plasma to melt a particulate material and transfer it to a substrate. The material then solidifies to become a coating. The plasma is generated by passing gas between two concentric, water-cooled electrodes and heating it with a sustained high-current DC arc.
Temperatures inside the chamber get hotter than 30,000°F, which causes the gas to expand and shoot out of the front electrode nozzle at a high velocity. A carrier gas injects powder downstream from the arc, which mixes with the plasma. This process melts the powder as the gas continues to transfer it onto the substrate, where it is quenched and bonds together to form a dense coating. The combined strength of thermal and kinetic energy creates a powerful bond which is what plasma spray coatings are known for.
What about size limitations?
We can process films as thin as 2 microns. They are processed on foils and ceramics so small they have to be held with tweezers. These films are up to half an inch thick on castings and fabrications with as many as an area of one hundred square feet.
If the substrate fit within our 10×11 foot door, we can process it in our shop. For larger parts or parts not easily accessible, we have portable equipment that we can bring to the job.
I.D.’s above 4 inches can be coated internally. Anything less, we reach a depth equal to the diameter.
Will heat distort the part?
No! The heat input to the substrate is very minimal. Even on small substrates, the temperature holds at 250° F. APS processing will not affect the geometry nor the hardness of nearby surfaces that have been finished.
But won’t such coatings flake and peel off?
At APS, we are experts at using several methods of constructing coatings capable of withstanding high loads and severe impact. Even ceramic coatings receive grading. Diffusion-bonded ceramic on aluminum plate has been successfully tested as armor plate against 30-06 projectiles. Other coatings have been milled, threaded, ground, and machined, even to the point of feathering against the base substrate.
How can I benefit from this technology?
Using APS Materials, Inc. will save your business time and money. Consider APS for the following situations:
Salvage
We can bring a worn or poorly machined part back into spec at a fraction of the cost of replacement, typically within two weeks. In most instances, the part outperforms a new counterpart!
Our engineers can machine new production castings with overbored holes or shafts with under-size bearing surfaces back to spec, minimizing downtime waiting for new parts.
Hardfacing
Hardfacing provides a better surface than distortion-causing heat treatments for bearings, slides, and seals. This process can also be utilized to line pumps for improved wear resistance. Hardfacing is perfect for mixer bodies. These treatments can provide a coating with a higher hardness than your part already has.
Corrosion
Over time, corrosion affects every part that it contacts. Protect pumps and valves with resistant linings. Patch reactor kettles and mixers keep them at peak operating performance. Adding cladding to parts that are wearing or becoming distorted can bring them back to spec.
Saving Material Costs
Why use that 4000 pounds of stainless shaft when you can obtain a much less expensive material, saving yourself up to half the price in the process? There’s no need to use an inch-thick Hastelloy® casting that must be discarded or rebuilt after 0.050” of wear. A 0.060-inch coating is much more cost-effective. Machining Hastelloy and Inconel is expensive. Machining and cladding materials can protect from corrosion and maintain the integrity of your equipment.
APS Materials offers a 48-hour turnaround (excluding shipping) to machine, repair, and maintenance of the parts. This time includes coating and finishing the part to spec and ready to use.
READY TO GET STARTED?
APS provides lasting protection and restoration that keeps equipment moving. From Thermal sprays to Ceramic, Metallic, and CeraNode Coatings, APS has a solution. Get in touch today to see how APS can transform your business.
