It’s quite common that manufacturers and others within the industry will use thermal spraying on their products. At first, it started as an alternative to galvanising because many fabrications are often unsuitable due to their size or dynamic structures. Thermal spraying became the usual, more ideal process for the jobs that required more delicacy and where distortion could occur if galvanised instead.

There’s also a misconception that thermal spray coatings are applied only to metal surfaces. They are not. Hence why it’s a misconception. In this article we share everything you need to know about spray coatings on surfaces that are non-metal.

What Is Thermal Spraying?

The process of applying a coating material that is in powdered form to a surface for the purpose of improving or modifying it is know as thermal spraying. Often times the coating material is always a metal but for thermal spraying it is most common to be in powdered form. Sometimes, though, it is melted metal that is sprayed onto a surface.

Generally, the process of coating the surface is performed using thermal energy sources such as flame, plasma, or arc to melt or vaporise the spraying material. The melted material is sprayed onto the surface waiting to be coated and then it cools to form a thin coating. Thickness of the coating can be controlled by repeating applications.

Coating Materials Suitable for Thermal Spraying

Coating materials available for thermal spray do include all metals as well as alloys but also other, non-metallic surfaces such as ceramics, glass, and plastics, too. Though they’re primarily applied to materials such as steel, stainless steel, aluminium, brass and copper, it is possible to apply thermal spray coatings to other temperature-sensitive materials like fibre reinforced plastics and wood.

Depending on the manufacturing, some innovative leaders have also made it possible to apply certain thermal spray coatings to fabrics.

What Are The Characteristics of Thermal Spray Coatings?

Our proprietary thermal spray coatings have been developed to meet to specific needs of customers and their application requirements. Companies of all scales and sizes trust us from initial concept to completion when it comes to Thermal Spray Coating projects.

Thermal spray coatings, with their many suitable coating material applications, have brilliant features. Ones that make thermal spray coatings one of the most ideal and popular choices in the industry. They include:

  • Non-stick / release properties.
  • Corrosion resistance.
  • Very low porosity.
  • Resistance to high temperatures.
  • Low roughness.

Alphatek Hyperformance Coatings Ltd

Coating surface not metal? No problem. Our thermal spray coating solutions are suitable for application on to many substrates other than just metal. Carbon fibre, composites, plastics, ceramics. If you’re struggling and are facing a design challenge that’s beyond metal, look to no one other than Alphatek.

There’s no shortcut to experience.

We are a leading independent thermal spray coating specialist providing complete metal spraying, thermal spray coatings, fluoropolymer coatings, and finishing services to a unique variety of industries and manufacturers.

Alphatek is rarely limited by technology, and we’re certainly not limited by imagination – our team will take your problem to the drawing board and break down every aspect of it until they arrive at a bespoke and confident solution.

Entrust your business to Alpahtek. You’re in capable hands with us.

Get in touch with us by calling on 01706 821 021 or by dropping us a line via postbox@alpahtek.co.uk.