Thermal spray systems

An electric arc spraying system for coating a substrate with a selected material comprising:

• a motor assembly constructed to feed two consumable electrodes of said material;
• an electric arc unit including an electric power supply constructed to maintain an electric arc between tips of said electrodes, said electric arc arranged to melt at least partially said tips;
• a thermal source connected to a supply of high-pressure gas, remotely located from said electric arc, and constructed to generate an energized stream of gas of a pressure between 25 psi and 100 psi;
• and
• an exhaust nozzle constructed to receive said energized stream of gas from said thermal source and emit said energized gas stream toward said melted tips thereby forming an energized stream of at least partially melted particles directed to said substrate.

A thermal spray system for delivering abrasive material to a substrate comprising:

• a combustion unit connected to at least one port constructed to supply a flow of a combustible fluid from an external source of fuel and oxidant, said combustion unit including a permeable burner block including an upstream surface and a downstream surface;
• said permeable burner block constructed to receive said combustible fluid, formed by a mixture of said fuel and said oxidant, at said upstream surface and to pass said combustible fluid in a plurality of orifices toward said downstream surface in order to facilitate combustion that generates an energized stream of gas;
• an exhaust nozzle constructed to receive said stream of gas and direct said stream of gas toward a substrate;
• and
• a material delivery unit constructed to deliver particles of an abrasive material into said energized stream of gas to form a highly energized stream of abrasive particles.