SBIR Phase I: Sensing and Control System for High Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) Deposited Nanocomposite Coatings

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将开发一个系统来表征高速氧燃料（HVOF）涂层过程，从而减少涂层变化。最近在材料工程方面的创新产生了在应力、密度和硬度方面具有优异磨损保护性能的涂层。然而，涂层工艺的变化限制了工艺能力，减缓了工艺发展。这个新系统将检测工艺变化并在涂层沉积之前进行补偿，并通过快速表征新的工艺操作点来简化开发。阶段1项目将集中于开发感知过程变化的能力，并确定补偿这种变化的方法。该传感器将建立在已经为等离子喷涂过程开发的技术的基础上，该技术能够以令人满意的速度快速表征生产涂层车间的过程。新系统将专门用于支持最近开发的纳米复合粉末的涂层，快速的工艺开发和一致的应用是非常有价值的。该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力将在15亿美元的HVOF涂料市场中实现，该市场在2007年OSHA法规限制工人接触六价铬后迅速增长。HVOF已被验证为对环境有害的硬铬工艺的主要替代品，最大的应用是飞机起落架的磨损涂层，但其他应用包括工业设备的磨损和腐蚀涂层以及医疗设备的生物相容性涂层。新的纳米复合粉末正在提高这些涂层的性能，超出其目前的能力，但目前HVOF工艺的变化水平是不可接受的，无法可靠地实现这种性能。HVOF涂料的客户坚持要求涂料供应商安装传感器，但现有的传感器很难使用，而且他们提供的信息并不总是与相关的涂料特性相关。该项目的传感和控制系统通过提供易于使用的传感器和半自动的方式来使用传感器数据，填补了这一空白。预计该控制系统将捕获大量需要进行工艺改进，但对可用设备和方法感到沮丧的喷雾器。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a system to characterize the high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) coating process that will enable reduction of coating variation. Recent innovations in materials engineering have resulted superior coatings for wear protection in terms of stress, density, and hardness. However, variation in the coating process has limited process capability and slowed process development. This new system will detect process variation and compensate for it before coatings are deposited and streamline development by quickly characterizing new process operating points. The Phase I project will focus on developing the capability to sense process variation and identify methods for compensating for this variation. The sensor will build on technology already developed for the plasma spray coating process which enables rapid characterization of the process at speeds satisfactory for production coating shops. The new system will be specifically developed to support coatings of recently developed nanocomposite powders, for which rapid process development and consistent application are extremely valuable.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will be realized in the $1.5 billion HVOF coating market, which is growing rapidly after 2007 OSHA regulations limited worker exposure to hexavalent chromium. HVOF has been validated as the primary replacement for the environmentally hazardous hard-chrome process and the largest applications are wear coatings for aircraft landing gear, but alternative applications include wear and corrosion coatings for industrial equipment and biocompatible coatings for medical devices. New nanocomposite powders are improving performance of these coatings beyond their current capabilities but the current levels of variation in the HVOF process are unacceptable for reliably achieving this performance. Customers for HVOF coatings have insisted that coating suppliers implement sensors, but the available sensors are difficult to use and the information that they provide does not always correlate to the relevant coating characteristics. This project's sensing and control system fills that gap by providing both an easy to use sensor and a semi-automatic way to use the sensor data. It is anticipated that this control system will capture the significant number of sprayers who are required to make process improvements, but are frustrated with the available equipment and methodologies.