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Thermal spray of wire is commonly used to build up mis machined parts and for applying different coatings for their properties. Wire thermal spray is achieved when oxygen and acetylene are mixed to produce a flame through which a wire passes thru it resulting in molten metal. The molten metal is atomized by compressed gas and sprayed onto a prepared surface creating the coating. The feed rate thru the flame can control the melting and atomization of the wire. The results mean that any wire with the melting point below 5500°F can be considered as a material for the thermal spray wire gun.
Wire thermal spray can be a lower cost effective alternative to plasma thermal spray. Wire thermal spray is generally capable of building up thicker coatings vs. plasma; however plasma has a larger range of metals which can be applied.
Thermal Spray Coating Characteristics
- bond strengths (20 – 30 mOa / 3000 – 4000 p.s.i.)
- macrohardness valves between Rc 30 – 40 for some steel alloys
- higher porosity levels than equivalent plasma thermal spray
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