Common Benefits To Yield From Surface Coatings
Protective coatings used on the surface of parts, components, machinery, or products protect them against wear and corrosion. This is particularly the case with parts made from steel or other common alloys.
Today’s Protective Coatings
Numerous treatment options and coatings can be used on the surface of these parts. And, many kinds of materials are now suitable to be used as protective treatments on the surfaces of parts because of modern day material coating deposition technologies. They have become, through research and development, more economically viable. A wider range of coating specifications and numerous new possibilities have been yielded by new and improved direct energy techniques (like laser beam and electron beam) and advances in chemical vapor and physical deposition processes.
Applications for surface coatings can include something as basic as hot dipped zinc coatings. These guard against atmospheric corrosion. Applications can also be of a more advanced level as with nanocrystalline diamond coatings. These are used in the case of exceedingly hard-faced tools used for cutting.
Oxidation/Corrosion Resistance
Particularly when parts are used in a chemically hostile environment, their surface must be protected from chemical or corrosion damage. Zn (zinc) is commonly used to protect against corrosion. This much used surface treatment is referred to as a hot dipped zinc plating process. The zinc coating, more or less, sacrifices itself if the barrier is somehow breached or scratched. This gives the base material much needed protection. In order to achieve similar corrosion protection, there are also various other coating processes using thermal spray that will that offer complete coverage coaching.
Friction Performance and Wear Resistance
In some industries, under high loads, mating parts move against each other. An example of this would be shaft/bushing pairs. To improve wear resistance, the hardness of the surfaces must be increased. This can be done with coatings. Without protective coatings, these kinds of parts are extremely susceptible to surface damage and surface wear. That can result in mating parts experiencing surface cracks.
Commonly used in this particular application are NiCrB (nickel-chromium-boron) and CrN (chromium nitride). When performance is vital and high loads are present, a surface is more likely to be treated with NiCrB.
Alternate Applications
To greatly enhance the performance of a component, there are even more specialized surface treatment applications. Some of these include applications that need material diffusion resistance or thermal protection in a saturated environment. To determine whether or not a surface coating treatment is practical in a particular application, there are some starting principles that can be looked at.
When considering what type of process or material should be used, engineers should pay close attention to the following:
- operating speed
- designed load capacity
- operating environment
Chances are, the development of the specific surface treatment required for your industry needs and concerns has already been completed. It is very likely that the exact thermal spray protective coating you require exists and is being used on a regular basis. Rest assured, however, that research and development of new and improved techniques and coatings is never ending.
No matter what the industry, and no matter what kind of protective coating you require, A&A Coatings has what you need. We use the latest methods and materials with which to protect all sorts of components, parts, machinery, products, and more. Contact one of our experts today to find out how thermal spray protective coatings can benefit your business and its bottom line.
