Abstract
Impressive gains have been made in thermal spray coatings through material development and coating parameter selection. However, it is usually up to shop personnel to develop a robot program to achieve the final coating. Coating programs are often developed using trial and error. Some motion and deposit analysis programs are available. However, they can be costly and require a level of expertise that is generally not available to the typical coating shop. This paper discusses how Microsoft Excel 2003 software can be used as an aid for off-line development of a robot program for coating applications. It starts with a discussion of the Normal Distribution characteristic of thermal spray patterns. It then goes through development of an example using standard Excel function and chart tools for interactive feedback of the coating layers. Also included is a discussion on the use of the program for sensitivity analysis regarding changes to the spray pattern.
