Programming robots for supersonic plasma spraying (SPS): more efficient with digital modelling

Supersonic plasma spraying (SPS) is a key surface treatment in aerospace, energy and other high-end manufacturing. Its coatings are dense and low in oxides, so it is widely used to make core parts such as engine blades resistant to heat, corrosion and wear.

Where traditional spray programming hurts

Traditional robot programming for thermal spraying depends heavily on manual tuning: engineers spray test pieces on the real equipment again and again, measure the coating thickness and adjust robot paths and process parameters. That is slow and hard to keep consistent, especially on complex curved parts such as blades.

A programming workflow built on digital models

A typical robot thermal-spray programming workflow:

1. Import the blade CAD model
2. Define the spray areas and process requirements
3. Generate the initial spray path automatically
4. Refine the paths in key areas by hand
5. Add process parameters and auxiliary motions
6. Check collisions and reach
7. Generate executable robot code
8. Commission on site and fine-tune the parameters

Key technologies

• Surface paths generated from the 3D blade model: they follow complex curved geometry automatically
• Equidistant path planning: a constant gun-to-surface distance
• Overlap control: an even coating
• Integrated process parameters: power, gas flow and powder feed rate synchronised with the robot motion and adjusted dynamically with the curvature
• Offline simulation: collisions and interference avoided in advance, with less air-cut time

What the system consists of

A complete robot thermal-spray system usually includes a six-axis articulated industrial robot, the thermal-spray equipment (gun, powder feed, plasma or flame system), a motion control system coordinating robot and turntable, a vision system for locating the blade and correcting the path, and safety systems such as explosion protection and ventilation.

With FASTSUITE’s offline programming and simulation, manufacturers can move a great deal of trial and error from the physical equipment into the virtual environment, making SPS programming much more efficient and less dependent on the experience of senior operators.

Want to know how FASTSUITE is used in thermal spraying? Contact our technical team for a solution tailored to you.