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In thermal spraying, a coating material in form of powder or wire is melted or fused and accelerated onto the component surface. Coating materials used in thermal spraying are metals, alloys, hard metals, cermets or ceramics. The wide range of coating materials and properties makes thermal spraying superior to many other coating processes.

Depending on the coating material and application we use different thermal spray processes:

• High velocity oxy-fuel spraying (HVOF)
• Atmospheric plasma spraying (APS)
• Powder and wire flame spraying
• Wire arc spraying

The coatings properties, such as wear and corrosion resistance, hardness and adhesive strength, are determined by the coating material and also the spray process. The typical coating thickness varies from less than one tenth of millimeter to several millimeter, depending on the type of coating and the application.

We coat components with a diameter up to 3.300 mm, a length up to 13.500 mm and a weight of 20 tons. Coating of inner diameters is possible from a diameter of 80 mm.

In addition to dimensional accuracy, the surface quality is also crucial for the function of components in machines and systems. Depending on the requirements the coatings are used either in as sprayed rough condition or finally machined. In the latter case, the coatings are applied with an allowance and then machined to size by grinding.

Due to the high hardness of the coatings, grinding is carried out using diamond tools, whereby concentricity and dimensional tolerances in the range of thousandths of a millimeter can be achieved. Subsequent tape or stone lapping after grinding produces smooth surfaces with a specifically defined roughness and specified material contact area. At the same time, the waviness of the surface is removed, for example to increase the lifetime of seals that are in contact with the surface. Depending on the type of coating, surfaces with a roughness of less than 0.02 µm Ra can be achieved. Special surface topographies are created by brushing, whereby material friendly surfaces with low friction are produced. Furthermore, polishing processes can be used to produce specifically structured or particularly smooth surfaces.

We have various cylindrical grinding machines and automated lapping machines for processing components up to 800 mm in diameter, 4.000 mm in length and weighting up to 2.5 tons. Flat grinding is possible up to dimensions of 1.000 x 400 mm. Larger components are processed in cooperation with our partners and qualified suppliers.

The goal our quality management is to ensure consistently high quality while continuously improving and optimizing our processes. The quality management system is certified in accordance with ISO 9001:2015 and EN 9100:2018 as well as the quality management guidelines of the Thermal Spraying Association (GTS). Environmental requirements have been integrated into the process-oriented quality management system based on ISO 14001.

The use of mass flow-controlled coating units and robot guided spray systems ensures the reproducible quality of our coatings. Approval samples are coated during the process which are examined metallographically in our laboratory and assessed according to our coating standards. This procedure ensures that our coatings meet our quality standards and the customer's specifications.

In addition to the usual measuring equipment for length and concentricity in the range of thousandth of a millimeter, we also have methods for measuring coating thickness and roughness. Additionally, our Level II inspectors can perform various crack tests on both the base material and the coating.