Status Quo of Plasma Spraying Equipment at Home and Abroad

       The research of spraying device has always been the research hotspot of plasma spraying technology. Since the 1980s, with the development of advanced technologies such as computers, robots, sensors, and lasers, the functions of plasma spraying equipment have been continuously strengthened. At present, advanced plasma spraying equipment at home and abroad is developing in the direction of axial powder feeding technology, multi-functional integration technology, real-time control technology, and polarization of spraying power (low power or high power).



The Axial III three-cathode axial powder feeding plasma spraying system developed by Canadian Mettech Company is the axial powder feeding plasma spraying equipment that has been successfully used in the world. Compared with conventional powder-feeding plasma spraying equipment outside the gun, Axial III has high deposition efficiency, high powder feeding rate, low porosity, high hardness of the obtained coating, and less demanding powder particle size distribution. The Multicoat plasma spray system from Sulzer Metco combines for the first time the sophistication of a PC computer (process reproduction, data management) with the robustness of a PLC. The Multicoat plasma spray system can perform atmospheric plasma spray (APS), vacuum plasma spray (VPS) and hypersonic flame spray (HVOF). The sprayed coating has high quality, good reproducibility, can automatically record printing and spraying parameters, automatically alarm and handle operation accidents, and is the representative of the current multi-functional integrated plasma spraying system. The 5500 - 2000 plasma spray system developed by PRAXAIR - TAFA is representative of real-time control technology, which uses proprietary software to "real-time" control and monitor the actual energy of the plasma arc, taking the closed-loop control of the plasma spray system to a new level . In addition, foreign research on low-power plasma spraying equipment mainly focuses on powder feeding in the gun (including axial and radial) and laminar plasma spraying. The Russian Academy of Aeronautics and Technology has carried out research on laminar plasma jet and its spraying technology for many years. The technology is relatively mature and has been applied in the aviation field. The most successful high-power plasma spraying system is the PlazJet of PRAXAIR-TAFA, whose spray gun power can reach 200 kW.



Since the introduction of plasma spraying equipment from Metco Company in the United States in the 1970s, my country has begun to develop and imitate plasma spraying equipment. Compared with the advanced level abroad, there is still a big gap. At present, domestic plasma spraying equipment manufacturers (institutions) mainly include Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Manufacturing Engineering (625), 703 Institute of Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, Beijing Armored Forces Engineering Institute, Beijing United Coating (Covered Bridge), Shanghai Dahao Ruifa, Shanghai Xinye, Suzhou Jishengte, Shanghai Xiuma, Shanghai Qikang, Guangzhou Sanxin, Jiujiang Best, Dalian Maritime University, Tieling Yongxing, etc. The APS-2000 plasma spraying equipment developed by Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Manufacturing Engineering (625 Institute) adopts many new technologies, and its overall performance has reached the level of the 1990s abroad, representing the current high level of domestic plasma spraying equipment. The rated power of HT-200 supersonic plasma spraying equipment developed by 703 Institute of Aerospace Science and Technology Group Corporation is 200 kW, which fills the gap in the development and production of high-power plasma spraying equipment in my country. The high-efficiency supersonic plasma spraying system with independent intellectual property rights developed by the Academy of Armored Forces Engineering is obviously superior to similar foreign products in various performance indicators. At present, in terms of low-power spraying equipment, Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Manufacturing Engineering (625 Institute) is also developing laminar plasma spraying equipment.