Thermal Spray Coating: How Much Does It Cost?

Thermal sprays are special coatings that are applied on the surfaces of objects in order to restore them to their original dimensions. Thermal sprays consist of metallic or ceramic material that is heated and then applied to the surface of an object. When the spray dries, it produces a special coating effect that has restorative properties on the object to which it is applied on. Thermal coatings come in many different varieties and the cost of your thermal coating will depend on many different factors. Here are some things that affect the cost of thermal spray coating.

Coating Materials

As mentioned earlier, there are many different materials that can be used for thermal coating. These include metallic compounds, ceramic compounds, and so on. These materials cost differently depending on their nature. For that reason, the coating material that you choose to apply will play a significant part in the cost of your thermal spray coating. The choice of which coating material to use is determined by the purpose of the coating. For example, some coating materials in industrial applications require esoteric coating materials which are expensive to buy. However, more common materials cost just a few dollars for every pound.

Nature Of Surface

The characteristic of the surface where the coating is being applied also affects the cost of the thermal spray. The size of the surface is one of the variables that affect the cost of thermal spray applications. If the surface has an irregular shape, then there is a good chance that the cost of applying the thermal spray will also be higher as compared to one with a regular shape.

Pre- And Post-Application Treatment

If the surface being coated requires some form of treatment before the application of the thermal coating, then there is a chance that the process will be more expensive than if such a process is not required. Pre-coating treatment on a surface would include the removal of paint or any other pre-existing coating. Similarly, some surfaces may require certain treatment after the application of the thermal coating. Such post-application treatment would include grinding or cleaning. If such treatment is required, then the thermal spray process is likely to cost more than a process where this treatment is not required.

Nature Of Application

Thermal spray coating can be either manual or automated. For the latter, this involves the use of a robotic process to apply the thermal spray coating. When such automation is used, the process is likely to be a lot more expensive than if the thermal spray coating is done manually. The use of automation not only makes the process a lot faster but also ensures that the coating application is more even. However, this superior application process comes at a premium.

Coating Thickness

While there is no direct correlation between the thickness of the coating and the cost, there is however a link. What this means is that a coating that is five times thicker than another one is not going to be five times more expensive. However, all factors are constant, it is likely to be more expensive due to the fact that more coating material is required.