Thermal Spray in Automotive
The automotive manufacturing sector represents a growing market for thermal spray technologies, with an expanding range of coating applications. These coatings are applied to components of the powertrain, thermal barriers that shield parts from overheating, brake discs, diesel engine cylinder bores, aluminum alloy cylinder bores, exhaust valves, crankshafts, transmission and rear axle gear clusters, chassis and body parts, synchronizer rings, shifter forks, valve seats, and connecting rods.
Hot Corrosion:
Affects sections of exhaust systems in both diesel and gasoline vehicles. Protection against hot corrosion in these components is commonly achieved by thermal spraying aluminum via processes like twin-wire arc spray or wire combustion spray.
Rain-Drop Erosion:
Occurs mainly on piston crowns due to the impact of fuel sprays from injectors. Diesel engine aluminum pistons are often coated with a thin layer of plasma-sprayed molybdenum to prevent this damage
Galling:
On aluminum piston skirts leads to material transfer onto cast iron cylinder liners. To avoid this, piston skirts are similarly coated with a thin molybdenum layer.
Piston Ring Coatings:
Typically made of molybdenum or molybdenum-containing compounds, these coatings are embedded into the ring surface to avoid exposing coating edges that could contact the cylinder wall.
Cylinder Bore Coatings in Diesel Engines:
Thermal spray coatings are replacing traditional hard chromium plating on larger (wet) liners in diesel engines.
Crankshaft Coatings:
Primarily used for dimensional restoration of worn components, with thermal spray techniques applied in rebuilding crankshafts, particularly in off-road machinery.
Transmission and Rear End Gear Clusters:
Commonly applied in passenger vehicles, these components often receive thin APS molybdenum coatings on gear faces to reduce friction and ensure smoother, quieter operation.