Plasma Transferred Arc Powder Surfacing
A thermal coating process utilizing a concentrated plasma arc and metallic powder feed to produce metallurgically pure protective layers against wear.
In plasma powder cladding, a plasma arc is used to melt the supplied powder and apply it to the workpiece. The powder is not 'blown on' but melted in the hot plasma jet and deposited as a layer. This creates a dense, well-adhering protective layer against wear. It is important that the powder feed is even and the heat input to the base material matches. If you put too much energy in, the base material melts too much and you mix too much with the cladding layer, which ruins the desired properties. With too little energy or irregular powder flow, you get pores or poor bonding. Make sure the distance and movement of the torch are steady and even, then the layer will be clean and homogeneous.