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Kermetico HVAF and HVOF Thermal Spray Coating Equipment and Technology
We design, manufacture and optimize HVAF and HVOF thermal spray coating equipment and utilize this emerging technology in our spray shop to provide coating services in Benicia, California, USA. We spray real-world jobs every day, and use this experience to constantly improve our torches and systems to more effectively and efficiently produce coatings to meet and exceed our customers most stringent requirements. Everything we have in our product line has evolved or in some way been improved by our spray work, this coating service is our real-world R&D lab.
Gas Fuel Thermal Spray Systems
Kermetico, Inc. manufactures HVAF and HVOF systems that are capable of operating a range of high velocity spray guns for the efficient deposition of cemented carbide and metal coatings.
The coatings deposited with our Kermetico systems exhibit high density and hardness, combined with excellent ductility, which results in best in market wear and cavitation resistance of our impermeable, corrosion-resistant layers.
This high quality comes with the additional benefit of lower cost per unit of coating due to the efficient use of energy which is unique to Kermetico, and which results in deposition rates four to eight times higher than conventional HVOF.
The unique combination of high quality and low coating cost also benefits from equipment that is user friendly, and proven and improved on a daily basis in our northern California spray shop.
Kermetico AK Multi-Purpose HVAF Equipment
Our HVAF and HVOF Thermal Spray Systems
Convertible HVAF and HVOF Equipment
- C7-2– an improved HVAF/HVOF system for spraying large parts
- C6 – a general purpose HVAF/HVOF gun
- CID – an HVAF&HVOF gun to spray internal diameters 80 mm (3.15″) and larger
Multi-Purpose HVAF AK Systems, With a Variety of Spray Guns
- AK7 – a high-power gun for the thermal spray of large parts
- AK6 – a gun to spray tungsten and chromium carbide onto a balanced mix of parts
- AK5 – a compact gun to spray smaller parts, thin walls and complex geometries
- HVAF Compact – a compact gun to spray internal diameters/bores 200 mm (8″) and larger
- AK-ID – an 80 mm (3.15”) and larger internal diameter/bore spray gun
- AK-IDR – a rotating ID gun to spray 4” (100 mm) and larger internal diameters/bores
- AK-HH – a user friendly handheld gun for on-site coating or small jobshop use
Specialized Equipment
- SL – a specialized gun for spraying low melting point metals, like aluminum or copper
- SP – a dedicated gun for the most efficient precious metals’ deposition
- STi – a specialized gun for the deposition of titanium and Ti-alloy coatings
Auxiliary Equipment
- A Grit Feeder for the grit blast preparation of parts to reduce overall setup and application cost and time
- A Gas Permeability Tester for an instant and quantifiable check of a coating’s through porosity, now with Mass Flow
- A Powder De-Duster to remove unwanted fine particles from a metallic powder
Kermetico HVAF Technology in a Family of Thermal Spray Processes
The key characteristics of each process are spray particle temperature and velocity, as achieved during coating application.
Particles of different materials and various sizes are heated and accelerated very differently even using the same method or even different spray guns within the same process.
It is useful to understand the various technological windows in thermal spray, as well as the trends in equipment and ongoing technology development.
Kermetico HVAF, HVOF, Plasma, Detonation, Cold Spray Particle Temperature vs. Velocity
Kermetico HVAF Coating Features
Kermetico HVAF tungsten carbide coatings are generally superior to HVOF regarding wear/erosion/cavitation resistance, corrosion protection and production cost. The higher particle velocities (as compares to HVOF) ensure the densest possible coatings with high bond strength. Where necessary, gas-tight coatings can be easily applied, which form an impermeable barrier protecting components in highly corrosive and aggressive environments.
An Impermeable Kermetico HVAF WCCoCr Coating
The lower flame temperature (~2,000°C/3,600°F vs ~2,600°C/4,700°F for HVOF depending on fuel type) is less destructive of the powder/feedstock, allowing for the best possible transfer of powder/material properties to the applied coating.
A Phase Analysis of WCCoCr Powder (Black) and an HVAF-Sprayed Coating (Red)
Furthermore, utilizing compressed air (@~21% Oxygen) instead of the pure oxygen used in HVOF processes, significantly reduces the oxide content in HVAF coatings, which is desirable for optimum coating quality/properties.
The Main Features of Our Corrosion and Wear Resistant Tungsten Carbide Coatings
| WC-10Co-4Cr Coating Features | A Typical HVOF | Kermetico HVAF System Modes | ||
| Economy | Balanced | Ultra | ||
| Deposition efficiency, % | 40-55 | 60-70 | 48-58 | 36-42 |
| Hardness, HV300 | 1,050-1,250 | 1,050-1,250 | 1,250-1,350 | 1,350-1,600+ |
| Young’s Modulus E, GPa | 300 | 400 | 450 | 450 |
| Apparent metallographic porosity | <0.8 | <0.8 | <0.5 | <0.3 |
| Bond strength, MPa (PSI) | 80+ (12,000+) | |||
| Range of as-sprayed roughness, µm (µ in.) | 3.5-4.5 (150-180) | 1-3.2 (40-130) | ||
Exploiting all of these benefits, Kermetico equipment produces WC based coatings with the highest fracture toughness, substantially better than any HVOF process. Since the primary wear mechanism of WC based coatings is attributed to the inherent brittleness of the material, Kermetico’s HVAF overlay exhibits better wear resistance than HVOF technology.
Kermetico Inc. – Innovating and Commercializing HVAF Since 2006
We produce complete high velocity air and oxy fuel thermal spray systems. Since our incorporation in 2006, we have installed more than 150 of these systems in every major industrial market globally, even Namibia.
While some of these systems are at work in Universities and National Labs, where the uniquely superior coating properties are being explored, most of the systems are utilized daily in established production thermal spray shops.
We equip our systems with a tailored range of spray guns to meet a broad range of industry requirements; all engineered to be safe, reliable and technologically efficient.
Kermetico HVAF systems provide industry leading applied coating cost, giving the best Return On Investment in the industry.
We proudly design, engineer, build and test all our thermal spray equipment in the USA and install it across the planet. Our customers are our best advertisement, and we work closely with them to support their day-to-day needs, along with providing ongoing updates as we continuously improve and optimize our hardware, and the coatings it produces.
Thermal Spray Coating Services in California
We provide HVAF and HVOF thermal spray coating services in Northern California, USA. We efficiently deposit wear and corrosion resistant coatings for a broad range of applications and industries, including:
- hard chrome replacement
- h2s resistant vessel coatings
- erosion resistant coatings for pipes, elbows and fittings
- coatings for rolls in steel and paper industries
- valve coating
- repair of industrial parts
You are welcome to visit our R&D center in Benicia, CA to meet our team and see our equipment in operation.
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