EXTENDING THE LIFE OF MACHINE PARTS, BOTH NEW AND REGENERATED, BY CHANGING TOP COAT PROPERTIES
Application of a properly selected coat can change the properties of a top coat in such a way that it will effectively protect the part against adverse phenomena speeding up wear, such as:
Abrasion – hard layers resistant to wear
Corrosion, protection against aggressive media – chemically resistant layers
Erosion
High temperature – ayers resistant to oxidation
Friction – layers of a low friction factor
Furthermore, an applied layer can serve as electric insulation or thermal barrier. Worn components can be reconstructed by application of a new coat.
COST AND MATERIALS SAVING
The use of properly selected coats today enables:
– saving of material costs – replacing expensive raw materials of high parameters with cheaper materials that obtain properties relevant to a specific application by an applied coat – saving of reject costs -in some cases, especially in production of precision and complex machine parts, repairs of defective parts generated in processes- – e.g., by restoring dimensions – is profitable
– lower purchasing costs of spare parts – thermal coating methods allow regeneration of parts with no need to purchase a new part while maintaining or even improving properties
– reduction of warehouse costs of parts – lower inventories of spare parts
– reduction of machine downtime and servicing costs – possible extension of service periods between repairs owing to improved top coat properties, and thus extension of life
TIME SAVING
In case of failure – a possibility of fast regeneration – part repair – the process of purchasing new spare parts is often more time consuming than application of coating together with machining. It is especially visible in the process of part regeneration, when the time of repair is shorter that of making a new component.
REDUCED ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN
Application of properly selected coatings can:
– reduce part corrosion, and thus protect against release – leak of harmful substances to the environment
– reduce energy consumption and heat emission – a possibility of regeneration instead of raw material and energy consumption for making a new part