Plasma transfer wire arc thermal spray system
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsLeander Schramm, Alexander Schwenk, Enrico Hauser
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plasma transfer wire arc thermal spray system includes a section for feeding a wire acting as a first electrode, a source of plasma gas providing plasma gas, a nozzle directing the plasma gas stream from the source of plasma gas to a free end of the wire, and a second electrode located in the plasma gas stream towards the nozzle. In certain instances, the nozzle is made at least partially of electrically insulating material. The thermal spray apparatus with the inventive spray gun may have a simplified and faster starting procedure and the spray nozzle can be more durable.
Claims2
A method of starting a plasma transferred wire arc thermal spray apparatus, comprising:
- directing a plasma gas stream into a nozzle passing a second electrode and exiting a nozzle orifice as plasma gas jet;
- switching on electrical power with full power to form a plasma arc between a wire free end of a wire and the second electrode thereby melting the wire free end without a pilot arc between the nozzle and the second electrode;
- and
- atomizing a molten wire by the plasma gas jet and propelling an atomized metal spray onto a surface for forming a metal coating thereon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.