This paper discusses the history of the low-pressure plasma spraying (LPPS) process and some of the developments that led to its use as a thin film deposition technique. It also discusses the advantages of the process and its potential for further improvement and additional applications.

For many years coatings have been successfully applied to aerospace engine components to improve life and performance. The key success areas have been in thermal barrier coatings, clearance control, oxidation/hot corrosion and wear coatings. Today, design engineers in the industrial gas turbine sector have leveraged the “aerospace” technology into the power generation industry. This paper gives a general overview of key coatings used in the compressor and turbine sections. Design requirements will be reviewed and compared between aerospace and power generation coatings. Application process improvement areas will also be discussed as a method of reducing component cost. Therefore, the total solution will be more reproducible, cost effective coatings that add value. This will result in engineered components that operate at higher temperatures and/or last for longer periods of time.

Several attempts have been made in the past to compare the coating costs associated with different processes. These have been based normally on various process related assumptions. The comparisons have typically been biased by the views and objectives of the presenters. A realistic comparison of the process costs needs to be based on the actual production methods and the historical data. This paper presents the comparisons of the Vacuum Plasma process with two versions of the HVOF process. Both small and large part geometries are considered as well as part complexity. The cost data will be presented as an actual cost per part to coat, including both operating costs and amortized capital costs. This method is preferred over the theoretical calculation of the cost per pound of material sprayed. The latter method requires a number of assumptions and does not consider the limitations of production cycles and material handling.

This paper discusses the advantages of low-pressure plasma spraying along with recent improvements in LPPS technology. It also reviews current and emerging applications and examines the microstructure of different coating materials deposited using low-pressure plasma spraying techniques. Paper includes a German-language abstract.

The name Champro was made up of the two words "chamber" and "process". It represents Sulzer Metco's thermal spray technology in a pressure chamber with a controlled environment. Different spray system types handle the process operating in a particular way. A part analysis for each type of spray system demonstrates the most economical customer solution. This paper discusses the processes involved in two types of thermal spray system for coating parts in a controlled atmosphere: type of system with continuous process and type of system with batch process. Paper includes a German-language abstract.