The plasma spray process is one of the oldest and most useful thermal spray processes used in industry today. The principles of plasma spray are complex. The many factors that affect plasma spray make understanding and manipulating the process a difficult task. Although it is impossible to isolate each of those factors, the understanding of the way they affect the quality of the coating can help the sprayer make an improved judgement for coating development and application. This paper is an attempt to identify the various factors, including plasma spray equipment configurations, plasma gases, feedstock and manipulation, and discuss their effect on a particular plasma spray coating application from a job shop perspective. Also, plasma spray coating applications are discussed.