What is Arc Spray Technology?

What is Arc Spray Technology?

Arc Spray (metalizing,even spray welding) is the most productive and economical of all thermal spray coating systems. Arc Spray uses DC power to energize two conductive wires: one positive and the other negative. These energized wires are then fed through a feeder into a gun head. It is at the gun head that the wires meet and arc against each other, thus creating molten material. We then introduce ordinary dry compressed air to the arc zone, atomizing the molten material into tiny droplets while also propelling then toward the prepared part. As the droplets hit the work piece or part, they flatten out and make splats. The splats interlock one on top another to create a extremely strong mechanical bond.

The coating's thickness is variable, meaning to say it can be sprayed on at thickness as thin as. 50 micron or as high as 1 mm.

Zinc, Zn/Al, and Aluminum metal coatings are anodic to steel.Galvanizing and Arc Sprayed Coatings protect steel exactly the same way: they provide a protective anodic layer over the steel. Since the coatings are anodic, they will sacrifice themselves to absorb the corrosion that nature intended for the steel. Arc spraying coatings differ slightly from galvanizing as they produce a more porous and more pure coating, whereas galvanizing tends to absorb iron into the coating. There is no iron in the arc sprayed coating. Additionally, the porous arc sprayed coating readily accepts sealer coatings. The sealer will penetrate the coating, minimize exposure, and slow down the dissolution process caused during the galvanic corrosion protection of steel. The net result: the arc sprayed coating life is extended way beyond that expected for galvanizing, and the amount of zinc exposed for dissolution is controlled by the sealer to allow more than 50 years of corrosion protection to steel. Aluminum or zinc aluminum alloys also provide galvanic protection to steel. These materials can provide longer life protection in a very aggressive corrosion environment. The dissolution of these materials are less than pure zinc; however,in the more aggressive anodic couple, they provide ample protection to steel.