HVOF Tungsten Carbide - New Line Setup

[David]

Hello All,

I'm in the process of setting up a production line to HVOF spray tungsten carbide on bushings. The initial volumes are low, slowing increasing over a period of five years.

Since the initial volumes are low, I'm leaning towards a simpler tooling / fixture design to rotate the parts as they are sprayed. This tooling would hold a set amount of parts and be manually brought into the booth.

I'm also looking at a Bosch / Rexroth type assembly line where the tooling / fixtures holding the parts would be on pallets. The pallets would pass through a double door enclosure on their way to the spray booth.

Here's my dilemma, go with the assembly type design which I believe will give me a better process because the gun will be running continuously, or go with the tooling that will be manually brought into the booth. (some pressure to keep costs down)

Will it be difficult to maintain a consistent process part to part, with constant start / stop cycles of the gun (using part fixturing tooling brought in manually)?

The parts are for an aerospace customer.

Thanks for any feedback / comments!

[Gordon]

Hi David

to the Surface Engineering forum.

While the assembly type design sounds ideal (assuming good continuous process monitoring is included) I think the vast majority of thermal sprayers don't have this luxury even in aerospace industries. I don't tend to hear of complaints regarding consistency in processing part to part, with constant start / stop cycles of the gun as long as good process and quality control systems are in place.