System and method for wire arc spray thermal spraying

摘要

A wire arc spray system (100) includes a plurality of arc spray subsystems (130) mounted to a movable carriage (120) on an x-y robot (110). Each arc spray subsystem includes a wire drive (132) that provides wire (133, 134) to a spray head (138) through a pair of lead cables (136). The spray heads are mounted for circular motion, such that the molten spray is applied to an underlying substrate in a swirling pattern. In one embodiment, the spray heads are mounted to a distal end of a rod (164) that extends through a swivel ball joint (166) and engages an eccentric link (162) fixed to a motor (160). The system applies an overlapping pattern of molten spray to provide excellent non-skid and adhesion properties. The system is particularly suited to spray coating with a wire comprising a hollow metallic portion and a core having ceramic particles.

主权项

1. A method for applying a molten metalized non-skid coating to a substrate comprising:
positioning a multi-head metal spray system on the substrate such that at least a portion of the multi-head metal spray system is supported by the substrate, wherein the multi-head metal spray system comprises first and second spray subsystems mounted on a movable carriage portion of an x-y robot, and further wherein the first spray subsystem includes a first wire drive and a first spray head operably connected to the first wire drive, and the second spray subsystem includes a second wire drive and a second spray head operably connected to the second wire drive; providing electrical power, compressed air, and two sources of wire to each of the first and second spray subsystems; mounting the first spray head to a first motor-driven rod configured to move the first spray head along a first cyclical arcuate path about a first axis, and mounting the second spray head to a second motor-driven rod configured to move the second spray head along a second cyclical arcuate path about a second axis, wherein the first and second axes are fixed relative to the carriage portion; and applying a molten spray coating to the substrate with the first and second spray subsystems while moving the carriage portion along a carriage path with the x-y robot while also moving each of the first and second spray heads along its respective cyclical arcuate path such that the molten spray coating is applied in a swirling pattern, wherein adjacent and overlapping layers of the molten spray coating form locally built up areas that provide a textured non-skid surface on the substrate.