Corrosion Protection

[Chris Wheatley]

I am a great fan of thermal spraying for corrosion protection but I know a huge number of engineers who have never even heard of it. I would welcome some opinions as to why this is so but I think that most of these will contain the word 'cost'.
The real question is, if thermal spraying is so good, why does it not sell itself automatically (instead of painting) ?? If people feel like me, that the process is inherently the best answer to corrosion of steel, why can't our joint efforts win through the powerful paint lobby?

[LEN WOOD]

I would say that as with many newer superior (yet slow to be embraced) technologies and processes there is the "diehard old-schoolers" who stick safely to what they know. While there have been many successful TS Anticorrosion coating projects that are testament to the process there have been others less celebrated!
Action to rectify this situation should include:
� Professional Education, awareness and specific "truth marketing". Engineers, Architects and Designers need to know about contemporary coating systems and the extensive benefits they offer to all. Obviously the process and material vendors have an interest in promotion of TS Anticorrosion coatings but they should air this in more mainstream media. Governments should be made well aware of what is achievable as far as lifetime and "years to first maintenance" of all construction and infrastructure investments. Taxpayers should also be aware of the options that would minimise waste and loss.
� Quantification and representation of the real cost of corrosion and losses in relation to cost of applying a quality TS coating system that optimally performs.
� Regulation, Approval, Inspection with constant assessment of applicators and their work. Elimination of the "underperformers" that do not deliver and give the process and Industry a bad reputation. If excellence is your wish then quality is your must!
� More realistic comparative testing and substantiation with widespread publication of the results.
� Promotion of the environmental and "Green aspect" of these preserving applications.

GlenB

[SimonH]

The cynical answer Chris is that because you can get far better life out of the coating the applicator doesn't need to go back and recoat it every few years - for the applicator who only has eyes on the paycheque rather than the quality of the job it can make poor financial sense.

However now that 'lifetime project cost' is becoming more and more important with specifiers and architects I think we'll see this market expand in the UK. We just have to get out there and spread the gospel!

[Chris Wheatley]

Thanks Simon and Glen. Obviously Metco is very heavily involved in thermal spraying. We need a plan of attack.

[Gordon]

Hi Chris

to the Surface Engineering Forum.

Interesting first post Generally agree with all comments made.

Thermal spray coating applicators tend to fall into either engineering or anti-corrosion coating groups, which in my experience tend not to overlap too much. Thermal spray zinc and aluminium anti-corrosion coating enterprise is probably the simpler and cheaper process to get into, attracting both the good and bad (zinc zonkers, don't feel the quality, feel the width). Obviously, the bad will taint the reputation of the process. But I'm sure the same, if not more apply to the paint applicators (splash it on, that looks nice, run for cover before it flakes off). Though this is an important aspect, I think marketing is the major factor here. Thermal spray equipment and zinc/aluminium wire was and still is very poorly marketed to the general population compared to painting equipment and paints. I've seen plenty of ads for paint products on tv, magazines etc and the fact paint products are widely available in many shops. Can't recall any for TSC. Its not surprising really that most people will think paint long before thermal spray coating.

Improving TSC anti-corrosion market I think will be down to education. Not once in my schooling years was TSC mentioned (ok long time ago, but..) let alone TS anti-corrosion coatings. Plenty about galvanising and painting. Educating the top end process specifiers in government, steel construction industries etc. now I'm just repeating what has already been said

[djewell]

So many people are in stepping stone jobs. They don't care what happens to the part 10 years down the road. They get the job done cheaply today and leave the next guy to repaint.

Also, thermal spray is not something just anyone can do. You cannot go to your local hardware store and pick up an arc gun or an HVOF system and go home to coat the railing on your porch. I never knew thermal spray existed until I interviewed for my current job. Thermal spray coatings are overkill for many applications, so it will never gain the recognition of other coating methods.

As representatives of our industry, we really need to educate our customers. We should never accept the excuse, "We do what our customers specify." What a load of crap! Our customers cannot specify what they do not know or understand. If we don't, eventually someone else will, and they will take the work away from us.