Reaction barrier coating for setter plates
Case Study
- Sintering of tungsten carbide tool pieces and bits
- Extruded plates made from graphite are used as setter plates for sintering components in high temperatures up to 1400 °C in an inert atmosphere
Challenge
- Preventing reaction between the setter plate and the tool piece: due to the high temperature, carbon from the setter plate can react with the component, leading to unwanted phases.
- Result: sticking of component on the sintering tray, marking of component by the sintering tray after repeated cycles, issues with quality and quality consistency. This leads to poor yield of the process and a reduction in the number of cycles between surface treatment of each tray, leading to an increase in operating expense and downtime.
Our Coating Solution
Saint-Gobain provides more sustainable solutions by thermal spray ceramic coating of the sintering plate.
- Flat setter plates– Spinel Flexicord flame-sprayed by the Master Jet® Auto IV
- Grooved setter plates for hole machining tool sintering – Plasma spraying of yttria-stabilized zirconia or yttria powders
Benefits
- Lifetime of the setter plate significantly increased
- No need to reapply (vs. a slurry coating) – lower operating expense
- High control of component geometry and quality – less waste
- Easy to apply on complex shapes
Our Proposal
- We provide both the equipment for application of the coating as well as the consumables.
- We can do trial coatings with our existing solutions on your components in our coating development center, followed by a technology transfer or a referral to an accredited sub-contractor.
- If you are looking for an edge over competition, we can co-develop a proprietary product for you in one of our R&D centers around the world.
