What Is Cold Spray Coating Deposition Process?
The term cold spray coating deposition sounds quite technical, but the overall process is simple. Cold coating involves using a certain tool to spray fine particles at high velocities to repair or protect certain metals or electronic components. This technology is much safer, and easier to implement and it offers a plethora of benefits.
For example, it’s much cheaper to use cold coating technology to repair a component instead of replacing it altogether. Keep reading to find out more about cold spraying and why you should use it in your business as soon as possible.
What is Cold Spray Coating?
As mentioned earlier, cold spray coating involves pushing very fine particles at high speeds using a special device. The particles are no larger than 40 microns and they are pushed at speeds of up to 1,200 meters per second towards a certain metal surface or electronic component. This type of technology is safe to use and it’s continuously improving. Compressed gas is used to push these particles on metals and when they get in contact with the surface, they create a protective film that prevents external damage. The deposition material can also build up rapidly and this makes cold spray coating very efficient at repairing things.
What’s the Difference Between Cold Spray and Thermal Spray Coating?
You probably already know that there is also thermal spray coating technology available for various applications. Thermal spray coating is relatively similar to cold spray coating, but there are significant differences. For example, cold coating technology uses much smaller particles and they are not heated up when spraying them on metals. On the other hand, thermal spray coating heats up larger particles and powders while using a special tool to spray them on various types of metals or electronic components. Both technologies have their pros and cons and they are used for various industry applications.
Applications of Cold Spray Coating
The applications of cold spray coatings are immense. For example, it’s successfully used to repair lightweight aerospace alloys, improve coatings for medical implants, protect ceramics against external damage, create a thick film that prevents thermal damage to electronic components, etc. The aerospace industry as well as medical and scientific fields commonly use cold spray technology.
Metals That Work Well with Cold Spray Coating
Cold spray technology works well with certain types of metals such as copper, nickel, aluminum, silver, titanium and others. You will get better results if you use cold spraying technology for these particular metals and alloys. For softer metals, you might need to take advantage of various types of thermal spray coating such as plasma and flame spraying technologies. You might be happy to find out that cold spraying is a popular technology already used by various businesses and industries. Contact one of our specialists at A&A Coatings today to learn more about our services and the types of spray coating we use. Our experts carry both cold and thermal coating technologies and we have years of experience in this industry.
