PTa - plasma transfered arc
Plasma cladding
Powder Plasma Cladding – Modern Coating Technology
Powder plasma welding is an advancement of arc methods. By mechanically narrowing the electric arc to a smaller area in the form of a concentrated plasma column, we obtain a focused heat source. The advantage over arc technologies lies in the shallower heat-affected zone, less mixing with the substrate material, faster crystallization of the weld overlay, and the form of additional material as a powder with a specific chemical and phase composition containing up to 60% tungsten carbide.
This allows for overlays with much higher durability, low substrate material content, and minimal substrate distortion. Plasma technology is simple to automate and leaves a smooth coating surface.
Advantages of Powder Plasma Welding
- Shallower heat-affected zone, minimizing substrate distortion.
- Minimal mixing of overlay material with the substrate material.
- Faster crystallization of the overlay, improving its mechanical properties.
- Ability to use powders with high tungsten carbide content (up to 60%).
- Smooth coating surface often requiring no additional processing.
- Simplicity of process automation thanks to plasma technology.
Applications of the Technology
Powder plasma welding is widely used in various industries:
- Industrial tools: hammers, knives, drums, rollers, and cylinders.
- Construction machinery: working surfaces of mixers and feeders.
- Mining industry: regeneration and protection of tools exposed to wear and corrosion.
- Energy industry: protection of mill components and dust pipelines.
Why Choose Plasma Welding?
- High durability: Overlays are highly resistant to wear and corrosion.
- Precision: Ability to control coating thickness and chemical composition.
- Economy: Minimal substrate distortion reduces additional processing costs.
- Versatility: The technology allows for overlays based on iron, cobalt, nickel, as well as cermetal composites.
Summary
Powder plasma welding is an advanced technology enabling precise application of durable coatings. Thanks to its advantages, it is used in various industries and provides long-lasting protection for machine components against mechanical and chemical wear.
Coating Materials
Nickel-, cobalt-, and iron-based alloys with in situ carbide precipitations or ex situ carbide additions, Tribaloy, Hastelloy.
Properties of Weld Overlays
Metallurgical bond with the substrate, matrix hardness up to 750 HV, reinforcement hardness up to 3200 HV (reinforcement content in the matrix 60%), smooth surface, minimal substrate material content in the overlay.
Applications
All tools exposed to wear through abrasion, impact and/or corrosion, such as hammers, knives, drums, rollers, cylinders, working surfaces of mixers and feeders.
Worth Checking Out
Quality or Just Quantity - PTA Plasma Welding
This article briefly discusses the impact of process parameters on the quality of weld overlays performed using powder plasma welding. We highlight why it is worth optimizing parameters and show the risks of using incorrect settings.
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