Coatings for Enhanced Functionality of Light Alloys

Important results from the project

The goals of the project were fulfilled well. Different thermal spray processes and coating materials were explored for identified applications in the initial phase of the project. The optimized coating process-material combinations were then applied on demonstrator parts for testing and performance analysis. The project has led to a strong collaboration among the partners and a follow-up project has been applied for investigating coating solutions for other products and areas of interest.

Expected long term effects

The project is expected to have a significant long-term impact on the development of the university as well as partner companies. The results clearly show the great potential of thermal spraying solutions for light alloys, which will increase awareness as well as smoother adoption of the technology leading to better designs and solutions. The results will not only benefit the partner companies but support diverse industrial sectors such as automotive, marine and materials industry in long term.

Approach and implementation

The project progressed as initially planned with only minor deviations. The coating solutions developed in the project were applied on demonstrator parts and benchmarked against currently used solutions by the partners. Availability of the thermal spray techniques at the Swedish SME part of this project made sure that the transition from lab to production happened in a smooth manner. The project led to strengthening of collaboration among the partners as well as international collaborators.