Arrangement and process for thermal spray coating vehicle components with solid lubricants

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10721813-B2
Application number	US-201615774031-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2016
Priority date	Nov 16, 2015
Publication date	Jul 21, 2020
Grant date	Jul 21, 2020

Abstract

An arrangement ( 40 ) and process for coating a vehicle component ( 30 ) with a solid lubricant including a thermal spray device ( 10 ) having a spray direction along a spray line (S) corresponding to a central axis of a spray plume ( 16 ); a solid lubricant injection device ( 20 ) having an injection direction along an injection line (L) corresponding to a central axis of an injection plume ( 24 ); and a vehicle component ( 30 ) to be coated, having a surface ( 31 ) arranged at a distance (d) from an outlet orifice ( 13 ) of the thermal spray device ( 10 ) along the spray line (S). The solid lubricant injection device ( 20 ) is positioned such that the injection line (L) intersects the spray line (S) at an intersection point (P), which is intermediate the outlet orifice ( 13 ) of the thermal spray device ( 10 ) and the surface ( 31 ) of the component ( 30 ) to be coated. Also a process for thermal spray coating a vehicle component ( 30 ) with a solid lubricant coating and a vehicle, with such a coated component.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An arrangement for coating a vehicle component comprising:
a) a thermal spray device comprising a process gas inlet that receives a process gas, a thermal-coating composition inlet that receives a thermal coating composition, and a first outlet orifice for the process gas and also for the thermal coating composition;
b) the thermal spray device having a spray direction along a spray line corresponding to a central axis of a spray plume from the first outlet orifice, the spray line being aligned with a central axis line passing through a center of the first outlet orifice of the thermal spray device;
c) a solid lubricant injection device comprising a fluidized solid lubricant inlet and a second outlet orifice from the solid lubricant injection device, the solid lubricant injection device having an injection direction along an injection line corresponding to a central axis of an injection plume from the second outlet orifice, the injection line being aligned with a central axis line of the solid lubricant injection device; and
d) a vehicle component to be coated, having a surface arranged at a distance from the first outlet orifice of the thermal spray device along the spray line;
e) wherein the solid lubricant injection device is positioned such that the injection line intersects the spray line at an intersection point, which is intermediate the first outlet orifice of the thermal spray device and the surface of the component to be coated, and
wherein the solid lubricant injection device is translatable and rotatable relative to the thermal spray device to permit repositioning of the intersection point.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the solid lubricant injection device is separate from the thermal spray device.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the solid lubricant injection device is integrated with the thermal spray device.

4. An arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the intersection point of the injection line and the spray line is at a distance of less than 0.75d from the surface of the component to be coated.

5. An arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the injection line is aligned in respect of the spray line in a direction of injection and configured to spray at an interception angle from about 90° to about 30°.

6. An arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the thermal spray device is a plasma spray device.

7. An arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the intersection point of the injection line and the spray line is at a distance of less than 0.5d from the surface of the component to be coated.

8. An arrangement for coating a vehicle component comprising:
a) a thermal spray device comprising a process gas inlet that receives a process gas, a thermal-coating composition inlet that receives a thermal coating composition, and a first outlet orifice for the process gas and also for the thermal coating composition;
b) the thermal spray device having a spray direction along a spray line corresponding to a central axis of a spray plume from the first outlet orifice, the spray line being aligned with a central axis line passing through a center of the first outlet orifice of the thermal spray device;
c) a solid lubricant injection device comprising a fluidized solid lubricant inlet and a second outlet orifice from the solid lubricant injection device, the solid lubricant injection device having an injection direction along an injection line corresponding to a central axis of an injection plume from the second outlet orifice, the injection line being aligned with a central axis line of the solid lubricant injection device; and
d) wherein the solid lubricant injection device is positioned such that the injection line intersects the spray line at an intersection point, which is intermediate the first outlet orifice of the thermal spray device and the surface of a component to be coated, and
wherein the solid lubricant injection device is translatable and rotatable relative to the thermal spray device to permit repositioning of the intersection point.

9. An arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the solid lubricant injection device is positioned so that, at the intersection point, a temperature of the spray plume is lower than a vaporization or a decomposition temperature of the solid lubricant.

10. An arrangement according to claim 8 , wherein the solid lubricant injection device is positioned so that, at the intersection point, a temperature of the spray plume is lower than a vaporization or a decomposition temperature of the solid lubricant.

11. An arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the solid lubricant injection device is positioned so that the injection plume is contained within the spray plume at the surface of the component.

12. An arrangement according to claim 8 , wherein the solid lubricant injection device is positioned so that the injection plume is contained within the spray plume at the surface of the component.

Assignees

• Scania Cv Ab

Inventors

• Elfsberg Jessica

Classifications

• C23C4/067

  containing free particles of non-metal elements, e.g. carbon, silicon, boron, phosphorus or arsenic · CPC title

• C23C4/06

  Metallic material · CPC title

• H05H1/42 Primary

  with provisions for introducing materials into the plasma, e.g. powder or liquid {(arc stabilising or constricting arrangements H05H1/3405; coaxial protecting fluids H05H1/341)} · CPC title

• C23C4/131

  Wire arc spraying · CPC title

• C23C4/134 Primary

  Plasma spraying · CPC title