Coating Development Program

Mettech operates a coating development lab for use by its customers.

Mettech's Coating Development Program is a cooperative effort between the customer and Mettech, whereby the customer sets the program objectives and deliverables, while Mettech provides the plasma thermal spray experience and know-how. The program is an interactive R&D program that provides customers with an opportunity to:

• Research new coatings and applications
• Evaluate the performance of Mettech Axial III System coatings
• Determine the technical and/or economic feasibility of a specific coating or application
• Perform a technical evaluation of the Mettech Axial III Plasma Spray System

Mettech supplies priority access to:

• Coatings engineers
• Technicial operators
• Grit blast and sample preparation
• Mettech Axial III Plasma Spray System
• In-house Mettallographic laboratory

The program deliverables, including performance benchmarks and a schedule for attaining milestones, are formulated in advance. Deliverables may include:

• Coating samples
• Coated prototype components
• Photomicrographs
• Coating hardness data
• Axial III run sheets
• Material and operational cost analysis
• Additional customer specific requirements

Coating Development Program pricing is based on a daily or weekly rate, plus materials. Customers find the Program to be a cost effective means for developing advanced plasma coatings using the Mettech Axial III technology.

Coating Services

Mettech has identified and developed a selection of coatings that have a high demand with its customers. These coatings have superior characteristics to the comparable competitor coatings due to the advantages offered by the Mettech Axial III Thermal Spray System.

Thermal Barrier Coating (TBC)

Metals exposed to high temperatures, which result in accelerated oxidation or chemical attack, often deteriorate and fail functionally. TBC provides an effective solution to this problem and the Mettech Axial III System is successful in applying a variety of TBC microstructures depending on the application and coating structure dictated by the end user.

Anilox Roll Coatings

The anilox roll is an ink-metering roll used to transfer an exact amount of ink to the printing cylinder. The importance of high quality anilox rolls has increased with the demand for higher quality printing. Mettech Axial III Systems are routinely used to produce dense chrome oxide (Cr2O3) coatings with feed rates and deposition efficiencies significantly superior to those of traditional radial injection plasma systems.

Chrome Replacement Coatings

Chrome plating provides a very effective surface treatment for the reduction of wear, and in some cases corrosion. Significant attention has recently been given to the chrome replacement industry and the use of thermal spray systems to achieve this objective. Here Mettech Axial III Systems are superior in both feed rates and deposition efficiencies than other types of thermal spray systems.

Abradable Coatings

The Mettech Axial III System is used for abradable coatings the in aerospace and turbo-machinery industries, where it produces consistent quality at high feed rates and deposition efficiencies.

Fuel Cell Coatings

Mettech provides coating services for solid-oxide fuel cells employing superfine powders.